The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1899-01-14

! university for 1899 and 1900 no special APP
preparation Will have TO be made Farther
/ on | shall refer to the special appropriation
/ for new buildings which is asked for.
The amount which will be distributed for
| the maintenance of the common schools
/ for the biennial period is sl.l",ooo. for
which provision is already made by law.
| and no special appropriation will be needed
for them.
The normal school regents inform me
that It will require 500. 900 to pay the
current expenses Of the normal schools
Tor the biennial period. This Is already
The board Of control has prepared for
me table showing what It cost during
the last biennial period to carry on the
ment showing hat it will require for the
current biennial period 81. 2a9.23s No de-
auctions have been made for estimated re
celpts 10y the state treasurer from the char
liable and penal institutions and from
counties for maintenance of the insane in
the state institutions. Comparing this with
We're in existence at the opening of the
last biennial period. there is shown a re
duction in expenses of S:i3. 600.
For general administrative purposcs-and
TINS estimate have made upon the basis
Of EXPENSES for q period of several years
It viii require s.. l497TB. For the. main
fenahce OF the judicialy-that Is, the cir
cult rourts and the Supreme court-it will
require for the biennial period S226. 53s. The
Legislature Will cost about S211.219, the
latter including the cost of the publication
Of the laws. The total of these estimator
eeApens,s for the present biennial period is
S6S11.31i.
4 careful estimate If the probable total
income OF the state, based upon the re-
ccpts for the last few years and includ-
ing one years receipts from the special
tax levy made to reimburse the general
fund in 1897, aggregates Sc. $50 $50. In
this amount. it should be explained, there
Is not included the money received from
counties for care Of their own insane in
other county institutions. the state in
this particular acts merely as Il clearing
house for those counties. paying each the
amount due on this account: but there is
included an amount of 1867 600, which it is
estimated will be received by the state
treasurer from charitable and penal insti-
tutions and from counties for maintenance
Of their insane in the various state inst-
tutionS
TO recapitulate: The estimated expenses
of the state for the present biennial period
not including any special appropriations
which have been asked and TO which refer
cnce Will be made later, are S6S17,312: /
while the estimated income for the same
period lis St,N3D.S50. Assuming that these
figures are correct, there would he deficit
AT the end of the biennial period of $40. +.
522. This deficit l. not so treat. however.
but that by the StricteSt economy it is +.
Possible to carry on all departments of
the state government for he present bien-
NAL period without provision being made I
10y the Legislature for an increase Of reye-
nue..
There are asked, however. special appro-
prlatlonS amounting To more than SSu0.N0, 1
which you VIII be called upon to consider.
THESE special appropriations are: 100000 .
by the board of control. half of which
sum Is asked for additional buildings for +
the new state reformatory: $50 900 for .
completing the State Historical building:
$4,000 for the agricultural department of 4
the State university; 500 900 for the cree |
tion Of suitable building for the College /
of Engineering of the university. and SIS |
eco 10y the normal schools, besides an APP
preparation for TIE tax commission. to re
ilnburSe the trust funds for the loan to +
the Agricultural society, and smaller f
amounts for other purposes If all or any
OF these apprOpriat tons are made, It will +
be necessary for the Legislature to pro
vide by special taH levy, or otherwise, the
money to meet them.
AT this point il may he well to say
word about the special tax which ii WAS
found necessary to levy in the fall of 1897
and concerning which there has been much
miouGrf, standing and discussion. For
many years no tax levy made for gen
cral fund purposes. but. regardless of this
appropriations were made by the ICgiSd-
ture, and year after year the general fund
showed Il shortage, sometimes more. some
times less. but gradually accommodating I'M
til It became necessary for the state treaS- +
ufer to call upon the railroads in advance /
Of the time when their license fees were
due, and to borrow money from the banks
and from tho trust funds IN order 10 main
tain the credit Of the state. If the treas
urCr had not done this. the state during
the past twelve or fifteen years. would (
many times have been unable to pay its
the Legislature Ia February. 1897. | called
attention to the existing conditions. and to
til" "hviaUS fact that the state should not
he dependent for the maintenance Of its
credit upon the good will of the railroad
companies or the Illegal use Of its credit
ny the state officials at the banks in order
be given for the levy Of tax
sufficient to balance the accounts Of the
state and place the general fund upon q
solvent basis The special tax was au-
thorized and was levied in the fall Of 1897.
recommend that hereafter all apprn-
priations made by the LegiSlatqre lie upon
the basis IF such a budget Is here pra-
S"Htrd. and whirh in the future il will be
possible to make more accurate than This
tiA"d receipts and necessary Expenditures
hr raised one tax. INSTEAD df Being ii
v!dad into Il number Of special leyies. There
are now On the statute books a humber of
e mparatiyely small amounts for various
Institutions, the sum Of which represents
the total tax levy. These special levies run
for different periods and some are not lin
tied. You many not consider it best to cut
off these at the present time, but | be
licve that ultimately this will be found
to he the proper method. The effect of
such a change would be to clear up much
Of the confusion which prevails in the pub
lie mind relative TO the collection ANA sX-
penditure of public moneys.
If this practice of dividing up the tax
Icvy were abolished, and it wore found at
the beginning Of any biennial period that
he difference between the fixed receipts and
the necessary expenditures amounted ~ /
<nN, 81 0OO.Uhh = yanf. 4 levy would he
made for the Sl.00o.0Go. and the appropr
atoms would he made by the Legislature
on the basis of the receipts thus provided
for. and not as they have sometimes here
tOfOrp been made
If all or any of the special appropriations
to which have referred are made. and Il
special tax levy to meet them be au
horizcd. Ill Of the taxable property of tho
state VIII be called upon to pay its share
IF this amount, except the property Of the
corporations now taxed under the license
system.
| am convinced that while the license
system Of taxing certain corporations now
N force Is the mast pfarticahlh ,Hethot
got evolved. il yet has elements of unfair .
hess and inequality which might partially
II least. hc eliminated. Their" are certain
'ChriGn corporations doing business within
he state which | believe are not paving I
heir share of the expenses of the govern |
Hent. Among these are insurance com
1auies. the slepping-car companies and on
trcSS companies. Then there are the trust
'umpanteS and insurance companies of orr ]
1wn state, which do not seem to be fairly ,
aNed when compared with other large cor
}"rati0nS. Our present graded license Sys- 7
ON Of taxing the railroad companies con
aims some @!ariRg Inconsistencies. We have
!uder this system five classes OF roads. The
classification being based upon the earnings
yer mil". The first class pays per cent. ,
ip"u it, gross earnings; the second class
: taxed ~. per cent. on its gross earnings; 7
he third class : per "rnt. on tts gross
earnings: the fourth class pays s. per miIr
and - per cent. on all earnings over S15pn
rer mile up 10 S-uoa per mile. The NTH
lass pays s. per mile only.
The report OF the railroad commissioner
4 the STATE" which viii be laid before Won.
contains some figures showing the iuequali-
les Of his classification. For instance. the
lass OF roads which pay per cent. Of
heir gross earnings pay the equivalent of
rate OF tl-ltHNll~ OF cent. thu.