Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1895-11-13
A FEW LIES L
Figures from the Records Concerning
This Years Tax Levy.

AhAo AOoA & 10y
Several Of the Democratic papers
of the state, recklessly following The
lead of The Milwaukee Journal, are
tr ying to mislead the people O
the state into the belief that
notwithstanding plain figures to the
contrary, there has been tax levy fol
general state purposes this year
Starting with the undisputed and
easily understood Fact that the levy
this year is larger than last, they en-.
deavor, by jumbling the figures and
juggling the facts, to make a little po-
lltIcal capital, an article they stand
badly in need of. A littlefurther light
vOn the actual situation may there
fore be in order. The figures and facts
given below are not juggled for the
purpose of deception, but are cold
facts taken from the records in the
secretary Of states Office, not only OF
the present administration, but in
GLIDING the last report of the Demo
cratic secretary OF state.
The estimates made by the previ
Gus administration for the revenues
-aecruIng to the general fund for the
fiscal year ending September so, 1895.
as published IL the biennial report of
uthe~ secretary of state for 1893-94,
anticipated that there would be$1O,-
600 in the general fund: and that ST.
601, 900 would be received from Ii
eenses and other sources, making Il
total Of $1,611, 900. The total re-
ceipts from these sources were ST.
$50, 1886, $28, 5O1.54 less than es-
sinated. This report also estimated
shat the ordinary and current ex-
penses of the state government to be
paid from these revenues would
: amount to Sf,516, 600, $195, SO
less than it had cost the previous ad-
ministration to u the stategovern-
ment I'D the fiscal year ending in 1894,
when there was no legislative session.,
which cost the past year over $3.50,
900. No provision was made in the
estimate for taking the decennial
census, which cost the state $780,
900.
By reference to the biennial report
of the secretary of state, pages 20
and 80, it will be seer that the gov
ernor, secretary of state and state
treasurer, on the goth day of July,
1894, acting under the authority
given them by section 1O69a Of San
born & Berryman's Annotated Stat
utes, applied the surplus ~ the gen
eral fund as a portion ofthes st ate tax
levy. The items applied in this way
were as follows:
Amount recovered from former
stet rs. treasnrers S32T gA2 III
Direct war tax refunded. .... -, 46G 10
Interest from bank depOsitS-.-..... 1854 rs
Railroad and insurance licenses and
ONCE 1eeS..-..-...-.. =. =. 21e,a56 o.
Certifying that such surplus, with
out detriment to the public service,
could be applied as a portion of the
state tax levy. This reduced the
amount Of tax to be levied to $780,
600. 1t will be readily seen from this
how the difference between the tax
levy of 1895 and that Of 1894 oc-
Cured; comparisons should be made
of the tax of this year with that Of
1898. The levy for 1898 amounted
to $1,O18, 100 on an equalized valu-
alton of 5000, 600, 900. The legisla-
ture of1895 provided for an addition
al university tax Of one-fifth mill,
which adds S12O, 1914 to the regular
university levy. In addition to this
amount 500, 900 was provided for
the school for thefeeble minded, $72,-
600 as a special appropriation for
the state normal schools and So, 800
as a permanent levy formanual train
ing schools, making about 1926. 900
additional levy provided by the last
legislature.
The transfer Of $742,O 900 which the
governor, secretary ofstate and state
treasurer certify was made On the
goth day of July, 1894, al not
made, IN fact, until the last day OF
the outgoing administration and was,
In fact, carried as a balance in the
general fund at the end of the fiscal
year 1894.
The receipts from the railway Ii.
censes for the year ending September
so, 1895, were $1,175, 1882 as
against SLABS, 1886 for the previ
GUS year, a decrease of 1868, 10000 90
while the decrease from other license
funds was $72, 900, and the revenues
eof the state were, for the last fsca
year, ST, $50, 498.36, as against 50,
226, 1924 the previous year, a de
nrooco IF SHAO 66E SS Instead n