Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1875-01-21

yiN'SNN hNtio VI ~ ptohS upon -
vestment. The receipts into the
treasury from railway licenses for
the fiscal year 1874. not including
deficiency of S48, 240 SO, due but
unpaid the previous year, amounted
to 81 994 81. By the Legislation OF
last winter the tax upon gross earn
Ings OF railways was increased rom
three to four per cent, and other
things being equal the receipts from
this source for the Fl. cal year 1919,
VIII amount to one>third more than
the preceding year, or about the
round sum of $3.50, 900. Should the
gross earnings OF the two princlpel
lines operated in the state for the
year 1874 equal the gross earnings
OF the same lines for the year 1873,
this increased tax, including tho To-
cal taxes paid by these comps MES
would approximate one per cent.
upon any fairly estimated value OF
the property, and is therefore sub
star TALLY equivalent TO the es'ima
ted tax upon other property, ut its
full and fair valuation. A large vari
alton from apparent equity arises,
however, from the comparatively
dminutive income of eleven of the
thirteen railways operating under
license. The gross receipts of these
eleven roads bear nc just relation to
the actual or reported cost OF the
kn tn " %
is correspondlngIy small. The pres
ent method Of taxing railway COM
panes upon the basis of gross re-
ceipts render this result inevitable IN
The case Of new roads, and implies
an intent on the part OF the state
heretofore to extend liberal en-
couragement to enterprises Of this
class. La view of the practical ben
efits OF railway construction, by way
ct developing our material resources
aud in rapidly approaching the ag
gregate of taxable property, and
especially in view Of the rapidly in
creasing revenue thus ensured from
the roads them elves, hesitate to
condo mn policy 50 maniteslly ben
eficial to the public and ultimately
To the treasury Itself
TELEGRAPH AND EXPRESS COMPANIES.
The apparent Partially Of past
legis latures to express and telegraph
companies, with reference to taxa
ton, is a just source eff apprehension
and comp Lint. Other public COR
porations are subject to legislative
supervision, and in large measure
compensate the treasury for the pro
lection afforded them by law. Nor
DO we hesitate to send the tag gath.
Ell into every farm-ho use, workshop,
ware. house, factory and foundery,
IT, q Il ct tribute from property 81,
sessed, some " hat in accordance with
it's productive value. In this res
pect our express and telegraph COM
panies are exempt from the uniform
rule
Il may be cl4imed that these cor.
poratious are already subject to local
taxation upon their capital. at home
or abroad In those respects they
are not peculiar, nor are their rel4-
tons to the public dIstinguisbable
from those Of banking corporations
or from those OF railroad, plankroad
and insurance companies. 1t is true
that express companies, in addition
TO nominal tax, already contribute
indirectly to the support Of govern
ment. by contributing to the gross
receipts of railroa companies. But
be farmer, the manufactures and
the merchant also contribute indi-
rectly to The treasury in a similAr
manner, without exemption from
ordinary taxation on that account.
1t is true, also, that the state
derives no direct revenue from the
Wisconsin, earnings of sleeping car
companies, or from the 20 called col
ored freight lines organized without
The state. Past legislation as 70 the
taxation of public corporations seems
to have been founded upon the the
DRY that tho exercise Of any valuable
franchise within the state implies an
obligation to share in the burdens
as we'll as IN the blessings of govern
ment. The exemption of earnings
from telegraph lines, express COM
panies, sleeping cars and coored
freight lines, is apparently inconsls-
tent with this or any ether theory OF
equitable taxation. Possibly the
local tax upon elevator property II
now sufficiently largo 10 exclude II
from this list Of determinations. but
the foreign sleeping cars and colored
freight lines above named, as well a.
tel graph and express companies,
pay tax merely nominal.
As to the latter corporations, com
plants are frequently made that the
fees charged are discriminating, or
excessive, and that the public are
often compelled to endure losses or
Inconvenience for which the lave
afford no adequate remedy. While
am ir possession Of no facts of sutii-
cient authority TO warrant 3 recon-
menda ion Of specific legislation,
suggest such action on your part as
shall be necessary to bring these cor
pora ions clearly within the range OF
public supervision, and that IN order
to q more definite determination OF
the relation Of these companies 10
the public, tho board of railroad
commissioners be instructed to re-
port to the next legislature any and
all material facts within reach con-
corning their organization and man.
agement.
THE ELECTION LAWS.
Again | call the attention Of the
legislative department to the costly
and complicated machinery for con-
Quoting elections in THIS state. More
than seven thousand dollars were
required from the general fund the
last year for the single item of cleo
ton blanks. and the local expense
incident to registration in all the
election precincts throughout the