Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1901-05-08
GOVERNOR FOR THE PEOPLE
UNWILLING TO TAX FARIEe's Dod AND
LET BIG CORPORATION 90.
Message TO legislature During the Campaign Peo-
pie We're Led to Believe that Inequalities Of Taxa
tion Would be corrected-A Ringing Doenneas

Madison, Wis, May . Gov. La Fol
lette sent to the assembly this morning.
a veto of the Hartung dog license bill In
which he took occasion to go beyond the
! Immediate subject and score the assem-
! bly, for killing the bill raising the rate
Of railway taxation Coming just before
| the consideration of the ad valorem bill,
the veto was timely The governor went
,rous eEms The message is as follows,
return herewith, without approval. bill
No 26S, originating I'm the assembly. entitled
An act o provide for licensing dogs and for
the collection OF said license"
The bill proposes 10 eXacta license fee OF
from 81 TO 50 from eveey owner or keeper of II
dog. Residents of elites and villages can es-
cape payment OF such n tax by ceasiug to
own or keep dogs. Upon the farm. however.
the Watchdog and shepherd are as much a
necessity as the other domestic animals
which they protect and guard, and the license
fee would amount to an increase In taxation:
The fee lr tax proposed may not he esteemed
by the legislature "A serious burden In ITSELF
but Ii would add to burdens borne by great
majority of the people, which are already
out of sll proportion to those borne by others
whose influence would seem to be more po-
tent in shaping legislation.
MUST EQUALIzE TAXATION.
For many years there has been wellsettl-
ed belief in the minds OF the great majority
corporations are paying less than a fair sh are
OF the taxes necessary to maintain govern
ment. That belief was fortified by the abso-
Lutte knowledge that certain corporations
were not taxed At all, and that certain other
corpol ations were paying but a nominal tax
in the form of a license fee.
In 1898 this belief had become conviction
In the public mind so strong that IL found
clear and emphatic expression In each or the
platforms Of the political parties OF this state
and the legislature OF 800 assembled under
SC. emu pledge to equalize the burdens OF tax
alton.
The corporations not taxed resisted taxa
tion in any form. The corporations then
paying taxes in the form of II license { op-
posed any Increase. IL is a matter Of leRts-
lative history that after the enactment or
the express company, life Insurance and
sleeping car legislation, and after passing
through the assembly bill increasing the
rate OF the license fee on railroads from to 8
per cent upon their gross earnings. which
was defeated In the senate. the entire subject
was committed 10 Il tax commission, created
by bill originating in the senate. That bill
was passed under the preteNt that the press
Ing work OF legislative sessions prevented
members and senators from giving the sub
| iect that thoroughness OF Investigation which
would insnre fairness to every Interest, and
| for that reason the people OF this state acqui-
esced In the establishment OF a commission
| TO determine the rights and duties OF all res
| pecting taxation.
THE PEOPLE DIsAPPot-- ed.
Thus this question of great and pressing
| interest 90 every citizen was placed I'm the
| hands Of the able gentlemen comprising the
tax commission two years ago, ana the public
| was required 10 wait upon their decision. The
| disapp0iD tment Incident TO the further delay
| was borne with patien,'e by the peOpie upon
whom fell the. added burden occasioned 10y
| the creation OF these new offices. They as
| sented however, TO the poStponement which
| this plan necessttAtad. because. aud only be-
cause they were assured aud persuaa9d to
believe that the report OF the tax commission
| would settle the disputed question. They
| submitted without mnrinur to the Increased
texation necessary 10 pay the commission to
do its work, believing that those who offered
this solution OF the controversy were acting
In good faith. They had been promised eq ual
aud Just taxation for years. and had born
| repeated disappoiDtments and delays In tins
fultillment Of those promises with great for
titude They agreed TO this form OF Iegisls
Observation-Disclosures that the righ
| would prevail, because they demanded no b
ing more than just and equal taxation for all
, They we're led 70 believe that when the dis
| in crested gentlemen comprising that com
| mission determinhd the question and mad
| their recommendations to the legislature, &C
| ton would follow In accordance Herewith
After lcug continued. arduous labor and re
| search the tax commission reported 10 tbi
legislature that there does exist gross in
| eqnaii,ies In the tax burden placed upon thu
| different classes OF property In this state ant
| they made clear and definite reasons for
| better -QuaIlEation Of these burdens II
maxim. their recommendations the taJ
| comm s,.on say Ia their fepOrts
| THE commissioners have sought TO be con
| servative. keeping in mind, while seekini
| remedies for the evils laid bare, that too rad
| icai an effort To bring re ief might tend b
| neutralize the good which would follow upol
: | an Immediate equalization of the tax bur
deu."
WORK OF THE TAN COMMISSION
How then does the case standY The legis
| lAtors two years ago deliberately declares
| they found IL necessary 10 commit the ques
tion OF taxation TO men who had time TO stud
, / and master IT, They did not think IL wise
I | annoipt a commission OF their own member
I To take the subject In hand at the commence
! ment OF the session aud report upon 1t at ths
i session even after b aying given 1t two G
. three months OF close and exclusive study
They decided that IL would require more tim
| for Investigation than me nbers OF the legis
, lature had 10 give and that men 10 90 th
work should be men known 10 possess knc W
> edge OF the subject OF taxation and skill !
Y matters pertaining thereto Hence. the
! | so wrote IL In the law. And while they pre-
| yided that the life OF the commission mlgf
2 continue for period OF ten years, II so Ion
9 a time were necessary 10 work out 10 all II
p details complete system Of taxation. "
| they forsaw that the work OF the comnssio
| would necessarily be completed subject .
e | subject and branch by branch, ana they wise
y | ly provided that the commission Should !
| the beginning OF each session recommend IN
!. changes that should be m ade in the tar law
: and should formulate legislation that !
n should prepare bills for the legislature. ~
| law was enacted and when the commtsSio
: | WAS appointed under 1t tha selection wa
| ratified, approved and confirmed by the ser
ate. The men called TO the work were cel
| talnly without prejudice. They were possess
ed of trained legal minds. They were stron
/. | In the confidence Of the people with grei
! Industry this able. independent. unOlase
commission presented an Investigation
= this one subject of taxation Their labor W.
, | not performed In the midst OF the alstfactiof
: | and conflicting duties which Deset meinbel
during the few months ot the isg gisihtlfe ~, I've ~
l. | sion Surrounded by Influences which may U
p fog and confuse, but under ctrcumstanc ~
: | -UrinR calm and dispassionate Judgmcn
I which will commend IL elf TO the public tt
: | approval.
! DIscLOaUREs WE'RE STARTLING.
+ Tfapy confit nation OF the results Of the
q | invagtfgatfon ere needed. IL Is found Ia th
! | work performe by the commissioner OF 81
y tlstics upon the same subject, the suostanc
3 ot which was or. pted in my message at - =
.x | beuiu Ming OF this session. Calling attentlp
n | 10 She figures then presented ! said that u
i DISCLOSURES made were startling, ana un -
c shown to be radically wrong, that they pr
| sented n situation calling for prompt actit
| On the part Of the law making power
IL Is true that the commissioner OF statlsbt'
! did not give TO his investigation ihe san
l. amount OF time which the tax commlssio
: had given TO theirs: but h di So % sever
Ii months upon the subject, assisted ~ P9
ton of the working force OF bis ONCE. ~
a investigation was prosecuted by MN uhu'
the direction OF my predecessor. tudepcndeh
, of the tax commission, and simply suengtl
II ans its report and enphasiIeS itS rsCDhu'ei
l. datious The period Of time covered oy u
TAI commission in It's Inv stigatipn OF Falu
b and assessments was Eve years; that oi u
commissioner of statistics one year ~
IL therefore. fhe more surpri ling ana the MOI
i convincing that heir conclusions suDsta
b | tlafIy agree In detail as 90 the tueQuhiitJ
Jr the tax burden borne by the different class
10 of pr0uerty Even 81 to the personal proper
. | where the data IL limited. there is no cohult
)" though the difference in the hsuTss has ashe. o,
cite i a. showing disagreement. But ~hsn
n noted that the tax commission gives sll
| ply the value OF personal DrOpeFty now FAX
/ while the figures OF the coIninlss.oner bict ~