The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1899-04-21
SALARY TO BIZ $4,000.
Taxation Commission Bill Calls
for an Able Lawyer.
sOLONS ARE BUSY WITH TAXES.

Madison, Wis. April 18.-The new
tax commission bill is what Judge E.
w Keyes calls ''the most important
step in tax legislation in the history Of
the state. 1t makes Wisconsin a pion-
eer in this reform" Governor Scofeld
may we'll grid up his loirs before he
fills the three appointments, for before
May l Gndeed, before adjournment, for
the senate must confirm the appoint
mentS) he must name three commits
sioners who will receive salaries OF
$4,000, 81, GOO and $3,GC0 each. They will
be entrenched in office for ten years
term, though, of course, the legislature
may abolish the system at any time
These officials. with probably an expert
ographer at ST. 200 will occupy quarters
in the state capitol, and no doubt it will
take $40 600 a year to sustain it. They
will have supervision Of taxation in this
bate They Will investigate and study,
make reports and recommend legisla-
ton. Not only state, but local legisla-
ton will be within their sweep. For
instance, the commissioners may go to
Portage and subpoena the whole county
board, send for papers and learn all
about taxation in Columbia county.
About One Bill in Every Eight Taxes.
At present there is 10 head or tail
to our system Of taxation. Of the bills
introduced in the senate this session,
one in every eight is q bill taxing some
thing or somebody. In the assembly
the ratio is one to seven, and there are
almost as many methods Of taxation
as there are bills. One taxes telephone
companies SO much per mile of wire.
Another taxes corporation on its
gross earnings. Then there is the
unit" rule-ary old way.
OF course, all this means confusion
and injustice Every year the people
Of this state pay $20,000,O00 in home tax
alton, to say nothing of $10,000,CG0 fed
eral taxation. That means SEC, Coo, 0O0
taxes year. Senator Whitehead,
whose efforts made the bill a law, fol-
lowing Governor Scofeld's recommen-
datiOn, says that in ten years state,
county and local taxation has nearly
doubled-from $1,000, coo to $40, coo Coo 1t
is getting tremendous and some pub
licists like Benjamin Harrison and Bob
anarchy, revolution and all sorts Of
things unless the rate of increase is
stopped and unless the load is evenly
distributed. This new commission will
try to do this More than that, they
will look after expenditure, for it is
estimated that from Is to 20 per cent.
of the whole is wasted.
Where Is the 5000 Man..
The success Of this new law wholly
depends on the appoirtees, and for that
reason Governor ScOf1eld is expected to
get as good men as he can for the
money. The salary for the chief posi-
ton is $4,000, and there is a chance for
good man to make a national reputa
tion-to become an expert and write
books-for, after a few years, he would
know more about taxation than any
body else in the country. The chief
precedents for this law are in MaSsa-
chusetts, where the assistant state
treasurer was assigned to study taxa
ton, and finally built up a department.
That state now spends a big sum every
year in an effort to equalize taxes. In
Indiana, too, an expert board is at
work General Michael Griffin, the con-
gresham, is mentioned for the chief
position, and he might take it. So, too,
is suggested Burr w. Jones, the Demo
cratic attorney of Madison, who served
on the recent tax commission, and John
M. Olin. But these lawyers have large
incomes and it is unlikely they would
take the post, though the idea is to in
vest it with the dignity Of a judgeship
of the supreme court. George Green,
the Green Bay jurist, who is offered a
position on the supreme bench every
time there is a vacancy, would make
an ideal appointment. George KEENAN,
Of Milwaukee, who, with Mr. Jones,
served on the temporary commission,
was formerly tax commissioner of the
Wisconsin railroads, and forgets more
about taxation every night than most
men know. will likely enough go on
the commission in the second position.
He is trained to the law. Of course, an
alert tax commissioner will open up
many new sources of revenue. The one
in New Jersey in five years uncovered
more property that was not paying
taxes than had previously been I'M
covered in thirty years.
Some day the farmers themselves will
be on the griddle and the corporations
surd escape of farm land from taxation
is notorious.
Reaction to Corporation Taxes.
The bill taxing life insurance COM
panies so stiff an amount is in the SEN
ate after passing the assembly A re-
action has seemingly set in. No doubt
the high officials of the company have
been able to reach public opinion to
some extent. At all events. on a given
day a number Of leading journals of
the state counselled moderation, and
there is much talk of compromise
and IAN amicable agreement.
The feeling that has most weight is
that life insurance has. its beneficial
side. and should not be taxed too harsh
ly And while it is true the great
Northwestern has escaped a good deal
of taxes in past years. it must be con-
ceded an advance from $34, 900 to 1920
600 at a whack is vigorous legislation.
But, of course. no individual is paying
it, but concern that has one-sixth
of the whole assessed valua ton of the
state of Wisconsin-$115, 600, geo of $780,
900 00O | am authoritatively informed