Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1900-05-17
TO MEET RAILWAY MEN.
State Tax Commission Gives It's First
Hearing Today
Madison, May 10.

Madison, May 10.
The state board of tax commission
ers will begin the hearing on the sub
ject Of railway taxation this afternoon
at 2:30 o'clock. in the senate chamber,
and it is expected that representatives
of the several railroad corporations
will present their views on the vari-
Gus questions propounded. The
principal object Of the hearing is to
get railroad people and others to dis
cuss the principles on which the mat
ter of railroad taxation should be
based so as to result in an equitable
distribution of the burdens Of taxa
ton.
Chief among these questions is
whether the present system Of lavying
a per centage tax on the gross earn
ings Of railroad companies shall be
abolished and in its place a system
of taxation upon the value Of rail
road property be adopted, so as to
correspond with the method OF taxing
other property. If such is advisable
the commission also asks what means
can be best used to determine the
value of railroad property and it's pro-
portion to the other taxable property
| of the state.
The commission also asks VIII Their
| there is any constitutional objection
to a plan of railroad taxation which
| would have the total amount of rail
road property determined by a state
| board of assessors. Another ques-
ton is. if the present system is main
| tanned, what made shall be adopted
to determine the percentage of gross
earnings to be paid to make the same
equal to the rate Of taxation imposed
on other property.
The hearing which begins today
will be continued from day to day as
long as any person desires to be heard
on the subject. The commission de-
sires to avail itself of the opportunity
to get all the different opinions which
may be held on this difficult subject
Some Of the leading advocates of 6
change in the method of taxation OF
railroad property have been heard
from and say that they do not intend
to present any arguments to the com
mission at this time. Judge Philo A
orion and Senator Whitehead al;
among this number.
Everybody appears to be waiting tt
see what arguments the representative!
of the railroad companies will presen
and after that is determined it is likely
that there will be an appearance on The
part of the state or of the people 81
that both sides of the problem may b.
laid before the commission. The mem
bers of the tax commission are sup
posed to represent the interests of th'
state, and they can call in the attor
ney general if they choose to aid then
in their work. In fact this is all th
provision that is apparent at Dresen
for taking care of the interests of tn
people.
1t is reported nat the railroad PEG
pie are not prepared to present an!
great amount of information just now
Quired. There is no doubt that they
are carefully watching what is going
on and will see that their inter
ests are well guarded. The railroad PEG
pie insist that they are already paying
their full proportion of the tax burden!
of the state if not more, and that while
they would not object to a decrease il
the tax imposed upon them they viii
strenuously object to any plan by
which their burdens shall be increased
The evident position of the corpora
tons is that the present system of g
tax on gross earnings is the most
equitable way of taxing railroad com
panies, and they will probably antag-
onize any attempt to substitute another
| system.
Gov. ScOfeld said that he would
probably be a listener to what is ad-
yanced at the hearing.