Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1899-01-25

line as strong as ne could honestly
make it. 1T shall be in your hands
before midnight"
Every hour was precious. "A roliti-
clans promises are ropes of sand"
Raymond's friends said, despairingly.
The hours wore on, Day gave way to
eVentide. Finally, at 10 o'clock Harry
Villas appeared with the note 1t was
TO the effect that the young professor
had never been convicted OF horse-steal--
ing and would not burn the college
chapel, II ne was properly watched.
senator Villas is slow to commit him
sell.
But the Democratic politicians of
west Virginia heard from Villas" And
Raymond is now their university presi-
dent.
A Billion Dollars Escapes Taxation.
At the beginning OF the legislative SEES
sion there are always numerous re-
ports, work assign ed az the previous
session, or annual compilations from
various departments. The tax commits
sion has done ex client work; and
though the tax problem is about as
deep as that of life itself, a number OF
practical recommend lions are made
which, together With Governor SEQ
held's vigorous discussion in his mes
sage should open mp the whole subject
ana give the corner groceries some
thing to talk about for months. The
injustice of the present system is shown
by the fact that the counties of Clark
and Manitowoc report more than one
third of the grain and farm products Of
the state Sawyer county. which Is
heavily timbered makes no return on
saw logs. railroad ties, or telegraph
poles. Fourteen counties have no rec
ord Of money on deposit in banks or in
the poss ssion of holders. The commits
sion thinks that a billion dollars worth
OF property escapes taxation.
II II can be forced TO pay. your taxes
and mine Will be lessened. The leyvine
OF an income tax is recommended. at
winch you may expect TO see every one
who is in the enjoyment of any income
above, say 81. 500 shrug his shoulders
The income tax is an article Of ma
tional Democratic faith; but the lowly
are the only ones who shout very large
ly for it,
The agitation to tax corporations
must be far reaching, for even the rail-
road commissioner report finally notes
that some of the railway companies.
| under the present law, escape their
share. This department has long been
mere department of record and the
heaviest part of the business, apart
| from riding about the state is the is
sue OF a very popular map of Wiscon-
| sin, the tracing of the railroads being
no serious inconvenience in its enjoy
ment. These maps have hitherto been
| given away, the choicer ones on linen
being in most demand. But now the
| department recommends that they be
! sold for cost price. The recommends
| ton to compel street car lines to make
report to the department is d good one.
| in shat there is now no place where one
can earn the facts as to this growing
| branch of industry
| Say Railroads Are Honest.
Another railroad report is that of the
! commission consisting Of the attorney
| genera, secretary of state and railroad
| commissioner, appointed to look up the
claim of a. Il. Hall in 1897 that some
railroads falsely their accounts, and So
! do not pay their full taxation. OF
course, the three gentlemen did not find
anything wrong. They undoubtedly
were willing to, but how could they ?
| They sent three clerks down to the big
| city, and the spectacle of these inLn-
cent young men from Wisconsin. armed
with gripsaCks and lead pencils. climb
| ing up the steps of the general offices
| of the Northwestern road. prepared in
| few hours to sift the finances Of that
| great system, with 1000 miles of track.
| could be treated in an amusing way by
| Dickens. The report admits that to
| fully investigate the earnings of any
| one of the large companies for one
month would require about 275 Clsrks
| The people who wrote the report were
not themselves wholly devoid of humor
| as seen by the following:
THE dining and buffet car service OF
| all the companies examined by us is
not paying investment. and the gross
! earnings from that source are not re-
| ported as taxable by any of the COM
| panic. the Wisconsin Central alone cx-
! cepted Our company slid one Of the
railroad officials, buy 800 worth of eat
ables for which II gets about $50 in re-
| turn. On the 500 we Pay a tax Of 81
Do you expect us to pay 81 additional
tax for losing $50?' This Illustration
brings out the reason for the refusal
of the companies to report the dining
| car earnings as taxable"
ORLANDO BURNETT.