Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1868-01-15

! Iunu. ~ no ionger necessary L, tneret0re,
| concur ia the Recommendation of the See
retary Of State, that il be closed. and al
claims growing out of the war be hereafter
/ paid from the general fund.- nsl 5aesa..
I Persistent efforts have made TO secure a
final settlement of the claim of the state
against the general governmeu: on account
of expenses. incurred ia connection with
the war, but IN 10 this time such settle.
nfent has :1ot been effected. In addition
! ~ sums heretofore paid Sl3i,439 Cd have
been allowed the state during the past
! year, leaving unadjusted accounts to the
amount of about s243 600 90. tits pos
>ible that portion Of the claim will finally
be disalowed by the treasury department.
under the strict rules which govern in THE
settlement Of such accounts Should this
prove true, recourse must be had to con-
gress for relief The claim is in every
. respect q. just and correct ono, and do
not doubt its ultimate liquidation by the
/ government, in the defeuss and support of
which Wisconsin made the disbursements
which form its basis. bssan3' srsfaz fae-
There was expended from the Cover
nor's contingent. lund during the past year
vi, 1853 IL leaving a balance of So, 3IO,-
"a in the fund. T& .gw o..seasS
OF the appropriation ofas 500 co. made
last winter for the support, at the Chicago
charitable eye and ear infrmary of To-
digent Wisconsin soldiers suffering from
diseases ofthe eye or esr, contracted while
in the service, there has been expended
S39104. a"F sfaa' roa lz5aeGs - rs
In transporting from Germany to this
place the Tank library collection. it was
| found necessary to expend 1879 so Of the
S50U.0O appropriated :or that purpose
Including this valuable addition, number-
ing 5.186 volumes, the Historical Society
library now numbers 3195l7e volumes
6,5l7 having been added to il during the
last ear. ~. ~ Sgs6d- af.tts
T. - ..sts5e.a TAXES. vst 80. 30 aois.
The sggresate valuation oftax.ble prop
erty ln the state, as equalized by the
State Board Of Equa!iz.tlon, is S2iI,47a,-
1886, being All increase! since 1865 Of
S57,212, ,699 06. The last legislature
tai ed, much 10 the detriment of the pub
lic interest, to agree upon any change IN
the laws Tor the assessment and collection
OF taxes. That these laws need amend
ment and revision, no one at all familiar
with their working can for a moment
doubt. AS they are now executed a very
large portion of the value of all property
entirely escapes taxation. | quite from
the valuable report of the Secretary of
State on this subject: Fssi &" as sE
The lameutnble fact stands out, that
the assessors generally do not govern
themselves by The piainest provisions OF
tbe law. The assessme Mt returns of nine
tenths of the counties of this state, ex:
hibit evidences of pslpabe violations of
the law. in cases where there is no danger |
OF possibility of misapprehension Not on.
ly is large amount of property omitted
from the rolls, but in most cases, what
property is assessed, is assessed at onv
one-haif its real value. And these assess
ments are made, under their official oaths, i
by men of the highest standing in the |
communities where they reside The
most perfec: law in the world, if executed /
upon the same principles, would prove
most miserable failure "a .a-a /
'As examples of the value placed by as
SCISSORS upon their official oa,hs, may be
mentioned The following facts :. gs - Il
In one county the county board of as,
SCISSORS, after having taken the oath to as.
sess all property at its actual cash value. |
as provided in The law, Immediately pas..
sed a resolution to assess all property at
fifty per cent. Of its value. In another
county. the assessors agreed to assess
bank stocks worth par, and personal prop
erty.at forty cents on dollar, and real
estate in proportion. In another county,
horses were valued at thirty dollars, cows j
at eight dollars; and sheep at twcnty cents
each. In few counties was there even a /
preIepse of assessing property of any kind
at more than one half or two thirds it's &C.
tuai value. All this was done noopen and
deliberate defiance Of the law and instruc-
tions issued from this Office
The suggestions and recommendations
OF the Secretary in this connection merit
your serious attention, and / certainly
hope you will replace the present perfect
and inadequate law by one more equitable
and efficient. i5s,-s-ar ..f 9ssr
.... LANDS.
The Legislature. by chapter $50, general
laws of 1865. provided for an equal diyis-
ion of the swamp lands then unsold, and
the proceeds of such lands previously sold,
between the norma! school, fund and the
towns in which they are located, the lands
set apart 10 the towns to be sold by the
state. and the proceeds to be paid to the
towns each year. Since the enactment Of
the law referred to. others have been passed
by the legislature making appropriations
for special purposes. of lands belonging to
the towns. Such appropriations. I am
convinced, should not have been made
without the consent of the towns owning