Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1898-03-14

crease in the value of the personal
property as shown by the returns Of
the assessors. Thus the returns for
personal property, by the assessors in
1895, showed $116,000,0 00.0 90; in 1896,
$114000, 10000; in 1897, $110,000, 100000,
and this while the value of the real es-
tate, as shown by the assessors, shows
steady increase.
Something Of the Importance of this
problem of taxation you can learn from
these figures. They show plainly that
ii is what is known as intangible per
sonal property, mainly mortgages and
other securities,-that escape taxation.
In other words, it is not the en-
ployed capital, the capital invested III
industries, in manufacturing, in
farming and otherwise, which escapes
taxation for the most part; but
that which is loaned and invested in
securities. The larger industries and
corporations Of this state have their
property in sight and accessible to the
assessor A member of the tax COM
mission gives it as his opinion that
the banks of Wisconsin are more just
ly taxed than any other property, and
next to these the railroads. 1t may
be considered that the latter are not
paving enough for their privileges, but
if this is true it is not that they hide
their property, but because the legis-
lature has not placed the percentage
sufficiently high.
There are corporations doing bust
ness in Wisconsin that are not paying
their Just share of taxes. Take the
trust companies for instance, which
pay but trifing license fee. These
companies should be taxed exactly as
the banks are taxed A bill for this
purpose was introduced in the last
legislature and passed, but, owing to
an oversight in framing it the amend
ed bill was left so that the companies
would necessarily be taxed twice on
a majority of their capital and so the
bill was vetoed; but unquestionably
the next legislature will set this mat
ter right. Then there are the sleep
ing car and express companies, Meth
er of which is paying anything like
what it should toward the expenses
of government. Bills, as many of
you know, were passed by the legis-
lature of 1897 which would have made
start i'll the direction Of compelling
these companies to pay their share of
taxes, but unfortunately in their pas
sage a specific provision Of the cosl-
stitution was violated which made the
measures void, and they were vetoed
'@Then there are the big assurances
companies of the state. If they
should be taxed at all they certainly
should be made to pay a proportion
ate amount. At the present time
they are paying but a small license
fee. This a matter which ] have no
doubt the tax commission will bring
before the next Legislature.
Various methods have been sug-
gested whereby this evasion Of taxes
can be prevented; but, as I have al
ready said, it is too big a problem to
be hastily solved. There are many
expedients which might be resorted
to but none of them can be considered
as permanent in character. For in
stance, the same comfy which exists
between the executive departments
of the different States of the union
might we'll be established between
the counties of different states, SO
that when a mortgage is filed with
the register of deeds in Milwaukee,
and alleged to be owned by a man in
some county in Indiana, the register
Of deeds in Milwaukee will notify the
officials Of the Indiana county and
vice versa and the mortgage will be
taxed where it is alleged to be owned.
The people OF other states are just as
anxious and are making just as much
of an effort to discover hidden per-
sonal property and assess it as we
are In many Of the states the most !
stringent measures have been adopt !
ed, but these, even if they were sue
cessful, are SO repugnant to the sense !
Of people living under a republican
form of government that they can
hardly be commended, and they are
not successful.
Il have no doubt the tax commits
sion will be able to make some very
valuable suggestions to the legislature
when it meets; but in the meantime
let us remember that our individual
effort and not denunciation Of our
neighbors will do more than anything
else to bring about just solution (,
this great problem
PREACHER CONVICTED OF THEFT.