Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1883-02-15
TUESDAY, FRb. 6.

SeoCte- Cottrill introduced a Joint
resolution relating to tie subject of pleu-
ro-pneumonia and other diseases of cattle,
and calling upon representatives in con-
gress to take such action rs will properly
call the matter to the attention of that
body. Adopted under suspension of the
rules.
Bills were introduced as follows:
Sen. Adams, TO provide a public guard
ian III each county and to fix his duties.
Sen. Webb, to authorize the Medford
Mill Co. 10 build and maintain a dam on
Little Black river, in Taylor county.
Sen. Kingston. relating to the sale and
disposition of certain swamp and over
flowed lands; also, TO donate to Sauk and
Columbia counties the proceeds OF swamp
and oyerfowed lands therein.
Sen. Mcdonald, to secure manufactur-
ers and owners of lailroad equipments,
making conditional sales, and certain con-
tracts for the lease thereof.
Sen. CottrIll, 10 provide for disposal OF
III claimed articles of the Nawhall FIRE
also, relating to assessment Of taxes; also,
relating to duplicate specimes in possess
sion of the historical society; also, to
provide for public park in the city OF
Milwaukee.
Sen. Stanley, relating TO police regula-
tions.
Several committees then made routine
reports with various recommendations.
ASsenably-The excitement was Fair
chiIo's bill for taxation of express COM
panies. The bill provides for license
fee of per cent on the gross earnings of
all express companies. The bill came up
on it's engro ssment. Fairchild said that
be had not intended to detain the assemb-
ly by speaking upon the qdestion, but in
view Of The extraordinary methods adopt
ed by The enemies of this bill upon the
outside, he thought it important that is
friends on the inside be on the alert. He
found members loaded down with letters
from the hundreds of local express agents,
all written in the same language. These
letters were all practically written by one
man, the head of the American express
company, and the request Of this mar
amounted to the same as a political re-
quest from Jay Hubbell to subordinate
Office holders. This bill should pass upon
| it's merits, without regard to the determin-
| ed efforts of this gigantic monopoly and
it's creatures to defeat it. The bill calls
for the taxatioa Of express companies,
only per cent. on their gross earnings
L
nothing Ali other carriers pay; every
back peddler who crosses into Wisconsin
must pay a tax license from his hard earn
ings; the poor woman vegetable vender
has TO pay taxes upon her poor old horse
aHd cart. There Ia taxation upon every
hand Ter the maintenance OF the govern
| ment. Individuals owning real eetate pay
| from eighteen to forty per cent. on its in
come. Yet this, the most srasping
and extortionate of the corporations that
| feed on the public, comes TO US and au-
daciously says that to tax them, who
have heretofore gone scot-free, is unjust
and impracticable.
| They say they already pay Transportation
| fees to the railroads and taxes on their
real estate, and hence should 90 free. We
might as well ssy that individuals who pay
transportation to the railroads should go
free Of tax. The American Express COM
pany is the only one here opposing this
measure. This company has q capital
stock of SIS, ,000, ,000 which sells on the mar
ket at sos per share-ilmost par. Now
where is this property But little of it is
visible. They only claim $25, 900 in Wis
consin; allow them double whag they claim
and then pro rate and they would have
not 10 exceed $3,000.000 worth of visible
property in the United States. The rest
is matured stock. Yet they declare divi-
dends upon all the S1S coo, SO that here,
they are, only paying taxes upon S3,0n0,-
coo and getting dividends upon 81 8. .G00,0 900.
Is this Just Certainly not. The only
remedy If 10 charge them a license tax
upon their gross receipts which this bill
aims to do.
After Mr.. FairchiId's speech, the vote
was taken resulting in only one vote be-
ing recorded against the measure.
The following bills were introduced
By Mr.. Albers. TO create a board OF
county examiners of teachers of common
and high schools.
By Mr.. Stewart, repeating chap. So
laws of 1881, relative 10 corporation tax. 8
in villages; also, repeating chap. 10S. laws
| of 1881, relating to collection and disburse-