Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1862-01-17

towns, the ratio being obtained by calcu-
lation upon statements of taxes levied for
town purposes. The difference may offset
the amount of deli ,quent road taxes, DC,
probably included in the returns Of town
taxes.
State tax average of years 1851
% inclusive )------- z-----z-- 9o0o'oV' 70
County Taxes CRATIC to State Tax
Town faxes, do do do 2,29 698,sSI So
School District taxes Gas returned .,
Road Tax 5 mills on the doiIar)- 9o4,92a 27
Startling as this showing appears it pre-
sents no adequate conception OF the con-
diton of affairs in some of the cities and
newer counties of the Safe. In one Of
the northern counties, whose entire popu-
lation, by the census Of 1860, IS only 1913,
the levy for county, town and state taxes in
the year 1859, amounted to s43, $50; of
which it is stated on authority of one Of
the county officers $4, 600, was consumed
10 fees and other expenses attending the
sale of delinquent lands The levy + 1861
inlthe same county is stated at ) 1895 ] 5;
odwhich $4,000 was estimated by the
Clunty Board to be required for the e1-
pJnses Of the tax sales, and the further
sAm Of $4,000 for advertising unredeem-
ed lands The entire vote OF this county
at the last election was ninety. The IN
stance of this county is but an extreme
example of practices in very many, es-
pecialiy of the newer counties.
1t is attempted to excuse the policy OF
confseation by instalments of taxation on
the plea that non-residents have no rights
which residents are bound to respect. The
injustice Of this policy is avenged 10 the
forfeiture 10 the Safe of immense quaint
ties of lands heretofore sold on account of
the trust funds of the State-whose owners
have been compelled TO forfeit them by ex-
cessive local taxation. Instances can be
cited from the books of the School Lind
Office where the taxes due upon tracts Of
forfeited lands equal thirty per cent of
their appraised value. Also, where the
taxes of single year equal about seven
per cent of the valuation of the land, reck-
oning by the average of the assessed vaIua-
ton of land in the county where situated.
This injustice is, moreover, eartully re-
taliateL upon the permanent interest of the
counties themselves. The basis Of taxation
is being constantly reduced-emgratlon Is
discouraged, and population expelled from
their limits JUDGED, no public interest is
promoted, only the few who live in local
offices, and their fayorites who speculate
in tax titles, and deprecated orders, are
benefited. Even their profits have upon
them have the curse of vagrancy, which
profits ill-gotten Of the public always bear
They are gone in the very efforts to secure
them.
may be censured for calling attention,
thus publicly, to these abuses, under the
misconception that my so doing will I'M ure
the reputation of our State, and thus dis
courage immigration. The facts themselves
constitute the real hndrances to settle
ment and prosperity. These will never
be changed while declining to notice their
existence. This State has large tracts OF
unoccupied land 10 dispose of. She has
incalcuable resources waiting labor and
capital for their development. These
abuses are constantly advertising against
immigration. Their correction should not
be postponed for a single year.
Approximations have been expressed of
the effect upon public sentiment, regarding
the administration and the war, of an at
tempt to collect the Real Estate and In
come tsxes-together amounting to pos
sibly 500, 0O0-for which the Genearl
Government, in its need, calls upon this
State. All such apprehensions are unjust.
The loyal people of Wisconsin do not
value property or even life itself. weighed
against the existence of thr Government
which has so long blessed and protected
them in b,th. 1t may serve a good pur-
pose, however, to show that the calls of
the government will not add twenty FIVE
per cent to our accustomed burdens of
taxation. 1t is surely wise and prudent
to examine all the ordinary courses of ex-
pense for opportunities to save the means
OF meeting this levy of a PATRIOTIC TAX
The first reform recommended is the
positive prohibition of the future circula-
ton, sale or transfer of county, town, city,
or school district orders
With the statements of county taxes
before referred 10, were also obtained
from sile ClSI hS VI SUPERVISORS q statement
of the average value Of county orders in
their respective counties for the last four
years. The range of value was from sixty
two and half cents on the dollar, TO par.
The average for forty-Six counties was
eighty-one and two-thirds cents on the
dollar. Admitting this to hold true of
town, city. aud school orders-whlch is
probably too favorable an estimate for
these-ths conclusion is unavoidable that
the tax payers of The State suffer from dis
count upon warrants. or orders for the
payment of money at their local treasures,
equal to eighteen and one-third per cent.
of all their taxes, excluding State tax, aud
such part of the road taxes as are paid in
labor. And this discount does not measure
the loss. The credit system in managing
public expenses, with lis incident eonfu-
sion of accounts, almost invariably serves
as cover to indefinite speculatlons and
populations ia public funds.
On this point, the experience OF the State
in instructive. Prior to 1853, the expenses