The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1862-01-17
-afeve1y grade

OF every grade =-----------
soulI recommend, further, the return
Of al taxes against lands belonging to non
resident owners to the seat Of e4ernmsu,
for collection, or the sale aad CONVEY anee
of the land -
New York adopted this plan as early as
1926 and has been steadily perfecting the
details Of its Legislation onihe subject from
year 10 year. She Statute of that State, as
revised in 1850 is probably as nearly com
p!ete as any legislation could be devised
It's adoption in this State, with such
amendments as may be necessary TO adapt
i, 10 our circumstances, would greatly de
crease the expenses Of the collection oftax
es, and render redemption more certain and
practicable.
Recurring to the es,inate of taxation
before given, it will be seen that the ratio
upon all real and personal property of
the State which is included for assessment
is ore, and three .toWths per cent. very
nesrlv.
Itfoows that the provision of our Bank,
ing Law, which permits the Banks to pay
to the State Treasury one and one half per
cent upon their capital, in lieu of all tax
aticn, is sufficiently bnrdensome upon
these institutions, especially rs the real
capital is in most instances, greatly below
the capital on shich the tax is paid
II is plainly apparent. moreover, that
the provision which exempts railroads and
their property from taxation by the pay.
men. OF one per cent Of their gross earn
ings is grossly unequal. There are in OPP
GRAFTON in tins State S63 1-2 miles of rail
road, worth certainly An average of SIS
600 per mile. As before stat ed in account
of receipt to the General Fund. this prop
erty paid into the State Treasury The past
year S25 .056 20. This in lieu of all tax
alton. The total earnings returned were
were - O9l,55S S6-showing 81, $50 90
Of license or tax moneys remaining unpaid
The title t. these roads has passed, or is
rapidly passing into the hands of the first
creditors at cost which leaves them
among the most productive property in
the State. There is no justice or good
n"l;--. N fa"""inn this nrnnarir in tavoticn
nron fair valuation, at the charge of the
other property Of the State. At tie same
time the theory Of the present law seems
to me correct. 1t would not be good pol
/ icy to expose the roads to taxation bv
! piece meal in every town or school dist.
rIct through which the track happens to
pass. Then, the unequal praduc,iveness
Of the different lines indicates per cent
age upon the earnings to be the most equi-
! table basis.
| SOLDIERS ALLoTMENTs OF PAY.
A law has recently been passed by Con.
gres>, and approved by the President. pro.
vldlng for The appointment Jy the Presi>
dent. of not exceeding three Persons for
each State having volunteers in the United
States service, who shall be authorized by
Their COMMISSIONS, to visit the regiments
IRON their respective States, ard receive
! from the volunteers, from time to time
their respective allotmenss Of pay to their
families ar friends" The second section
Of said act provides "that such Commits
sioners shall receive no pay or emoument
whatever, from the Treasury Of he United
States The propriety of providing :hat
appointments Of such an important charac
ter, and of such nature, shall lie made by
the President of the United States while
they are to be paid by the States for ;heil
services may justly be questioned. Ofthe
necessity Of some provision, under proper
safeguards. by which the volunteers may
be enabled at stated Times, to send their
earnings TO their families, there can be no
! question and means should be set aside
for the expenses Of such persons as may
/ be commissioned to attend to this import
ant duty.
The practice of selling State Lands on
credit for the principal part of the pur
chase money, has proved cheat and a
deIusion. 1t should no longer be conIinu
ed, except perhaps in the safe of really
Turning lands in limited quantities and in
| good faith for immediate settlement and
! Improvement
Swamp lands in the new counties, where
government lands Of better quality can be
entered in their neighborhood, BY loca-
ting Iand warrants, at half The cost the
State demands for It's lands, should be re-,
duced in price.
Forfeited lands held for long time at
the sum Of the principal due when forfeit
ed with all Accommodations of interest. pen
allies, taxes and costs of advertising. sho'd
be offered at prices which will afford some
hope Of disposing of them. While they
remain on hand, they yield ns interest, pay
no taxes, and are a clog upon the settle
ment of the counties in which they are
situated.
The present system of loaning the prin
cipal Of these funds should be substituted
by one Of less risk. less expense, and prom
ising greater safety. The statutes. as
they now stand, are we'll summed up bv
the Commissioners. who are the constitu
tiona' trustees Of these funds as providing
to compel the Commissioners to scatter
large funds in small loans, in the great
majority of instances, to men of whose
character and responsibility they know
nothing, upon security Of the value of
which they are entirely ignorant, expec,>
ing AS they are informed by the valuation
Of appraisers Of whose judgment and in
te0rity they have no knowledre wba,aver