Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-05-11
BRUNDAGE AT IT AGAIN,

f. b. Brundage, publisher OF the
Centrala Enterprise and Tribune,
appears to delight in trying to make
us appear in a false light before his
readers and the public. Two weeks
ago we published this paragraph:
Don't discourage men from building
elegant homes by taxing them to
death, but to the contrary encourage
them by making their burdens on such
homes reasonably light. Revenue
producing property should pay tax
upon it's full cash value. but residence
property we believe, should not. The
poor man who is struggling to have a
home, that is both attractive and COM
Portable should be encouraged by light
taxation. Let the personal and real
estate that is revenue producing pay
the heaviest tax and our community
will grow and equity will be accorded.
In his last issue he comments upon
that paragraph at considerable length
and among other things, says, "Ele-
CANT homes are to pay less, in proper
ton to their value, than lOWly hutS or
novels
Now we ask the reader. is there any
thing in our paragraph that even
conveys such thought, but to the con
trary we say, The poor man who IS
struggling to have Il home. that is
both attractive and comfortable.
should be encouraged by light taxa
ton" We desire to say in further
explanation of our paragraph that it
was prompted from the fact, assessors
in this city in particular, appear to
assess large residence properties at
what they cost to build them instead
of what they would bring on the
market. There are very few large
resident properties in this city that
would bring much over % cents on the
dollar OF what it cost to erect Them
yet most OF them have been assessed
at tWo-thirdS their cost if not three
fOurthS. We believe in encouraging
men of all stations in life-rich and
poor-to build nice homes and have
inviting grounds, etc, for such homes,
well kept up, add to the appearance
and desirability of the city. Rich
men and poor men. alike, will build
elegant homes if they are encouraged
by reasonable taXation-We mean by
that less than what it costs to erect
them.
Mr.. Brundagc says in closing that,
"If this or any other city wants to
build UP community of retired arts
tocratS and drOneS, all that is neces-
Sarv to be done is to follow faithfully
the course marked out by the
REPORTER"
We disagree With him. If our
policy had been carried out the past
ten years we woIld have many more
homes here to help beautify our other
wise attractive city. There are too
many here like Mr.. Brundage, that
believe the man who builds nice
residence should pay high taxes
thereon. That is just why 50 many
owners of large residence properties
here want to sell, is because men like
the editor of the Enterprise believe,
if they are able to build nice homes
they should not kick when tax paying
time comes.
Our business men are largely oul
heavy tax payers. If we look fol
future development and expansion we
must encourage capital to invest here
and what we have here we want tC
keep. Our policy is to encourage what
we have to remain and induce outside
capital to come in. If public officials
will bear this in mind the city viii
profit thereby.