The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1899-09-07
A Groundless Charge.

subject of tax reform and the f1eces-
sity of the cooperation of the indivld-
na1s ,'and communities and especially
the state press in the work of a fair
adjustment of the taxes the Milwaukee
Sentinel turns upon the News and IN
very charming and insinuating
manner charges this paper with up
holding the local tax dodgers in their
attempt to defeat the efforts Of the tax
reforn1ers. The editorial which called
out the Sentine1's attack reads as fol-
lows:
"The Milwaukee Sentinel has adopt
ed a queer line of argumentin editorial
on tax revision in Milwaukee county.
After speaking in the most COM
mandatory terms of the work of the
County Board in an intelligent effort to
arrive at just equalization OF values
for the purpose of taxation it remarks
on the gross under valuations IN other
parts of the State and suggests that
one way for the State Board to correct
the evil is to diminish the assessments
in Milwaukee. If the Sentinel is as
so1icitous as it appeared to be earlier in
taxes, it looks like inconsistency to
propose multiplying the good work of
the Milwaukee committee by reducing
that county to the level of the other
tax lodging districts. Certainly that
isn't the course to pursue to reach a
fair and just equalization of tax valu-
atoms. It is not unnatural that the
city and county of Milwaukee should
take the lead in these matters and If
the bulk of the State is out of line it
should be brought to time.
Moreover, the Milwaukee committee
in it's statements of the valuations in
the various cities of the State, should
have exercised the greatest of care and
wisdom. While it is commendatory
for them to bring to light the efforts at
tax lodging INDUCED in by other dis
tricts, tnis-statements in that line are
very liable to give the efforts Of the
committee another aspect than that OF
the thorough tax reformer".
1t puzzles us to understand what
there is in the above that the Sentinel
could possibly interpret as unfavorab1e
to tax reform or in defense of tax
lodging in our own community. If
the question of tax reform was merely
one of the equal apportionment of tax
es among. the great industries Of the
State instead of one of fair and equal
apportionment throughout all grades
and classes of taxpayers regardless OF
wealth, the above comment on the
Sentine1's suggestion of lowering the
assessment in Milwaukee might fairly
be considered as unfavorable to that
district, but considered in it's true light
it is scarcely susceptible to such an in
depreciation. The fact is, as the Osh-
kosh Northwestern states, that in our
system of taxation it is a conceded
fact that the most wealthy pay far
under their just apportionment of the
State taxes. Capital must be made to
contribute larger quota if the tax is
reformed on the basis of the average
citizens share. Should the Milwaukee
Board accomplish such reform and
then destroy the effects of the good
work by rating their wealthy ones &C
cording to the tax dodger it would give
ate11ing blow to reform. The Sentinel
states that paper is liable at times to
lose sight of larger interests in devo-
ton to those of it's own community. It
was with this thought in mind that
the News discouraged the Sentine1's
suggestion of multiplying reform in
Milwaukee to give that county the
benefit of the unjust assessment in
other communities.
The Sentinel further states that the
News hints at misstatements in Com
missioner Browns exhibit without un-
Gfertabing to specify any inaccuracies.
Elsewhere in the issue from which the
above is quoted there is a column and
half of matter devoted to the sub
iect, in which it is made very clear
that the report of the Milwaukee, Com
missioner on Kenosha is full OF errors
and that his work in this vicinity was
not done in a business like manner.
In some instances the properties re-
ferred to in his address were not even
visited and his figures were either
purely fictitious or guess work. In
some cases, such as the First National
Bank, the Sterling Bicycle works and
the Balm Wagon factory, g1aring err
rors were made. The fact that these
errors were made, especially such an
atrocious one as that regarding the
First National Bank, led us to COM
rnent, not upon the motive of the in
vestigation, but on the fact that if an
effort of that kind in the way of re-
form is to be credited and productive of
good results it must be conducted in a
thorough, business like manner, with a
Stadious purpose to avoid all chance
for b1unders that may give the work
the appearance of insincerity.
THOMAS 8. REED may retire from