Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1901-02-21

value and the negotiation of a policy
Of insurance ca such property by an
assessor shall be prima facie evidence
Of such understanding CT agreement.
Also every person who shall offer or
give, directly or Indirectly, a bride 10
any assessor or member of a board of
review in order to obtain favor in the |
matter of assessment shall be liable !
to the same punishment as the asses |
sor. Provision is made for forfeiture |
OF not less than $50 nor more than |
$3.50 by any assessor who shall inten- !
tionally violate the duties imposed up |
Oh him by law, and the same penalties
are applied to members Of boards Of
review for like wrongdoing, and they
and the assessors may also become
liable for actual damages to any per
son who may sustain loss by reason
Of their violation.
= Potential Commission.
Then there is bill charging the
powers and duties of the tax commits
sion. 1t makes some amendments to
chapter 206, laws Of 1898, which was
| the original law creating the tax com
mission. By the amendments pro-
Eosed in this bill the commission is
! Il Empowered to exercise general super
.ision over assessors, town, city and
silIIage boards of review and over the
assessment as made in the different
| assessment districts to the end that
I'll taxable property shall be placed on
! the assessment rolls at the true cash
value, properly eQualized between diff
f! ferent persons and corporations in the
assessment districts and between the
municipalities in the counties. 1t is
also given power to confer and advise
with and direct assessors, boards of
review and county boards of super
yisors as to their duties, and to di-
rect that proceedings and actions or
prosecutions be instituted to enforce
the laws relating to penalties and pun
! ishment of public officers and others
who fail in or neglect their duty in re-
gard to assessment and taxation. The
commission in the execution OF these
powers may call on the different dis
trict attorneys to assist it. 1t is also
given power to require town, city and
village officers to report information
in regard to assessment Of property
and the expenditure of public funds.
as the commissioners may request
and also to require individuals and
corporations to furnish them with in
formation concerning their capital,
debts, value Of property, earnings and
other information deemed necessary,
and they may summon witnesses and
compel them to produce records, pa
Ipers, etc. They are all required as
far as their other duties will allow
them to do so, to visit the different
counties in the state for the inyestiga-
ton Of the methods used in the assess
ment and equalization of property and
the collection of taxes and to exam
inc into all cases of alleged evasion of
taxation; to investigate taxation sys-
TENS Of other states and countries and
to formulate and recommend such leg
islatiOn as may be found necessary for
the Improvement of the tax system of
the state. They are further directed
to consult and confer with the gov
ernOr on the subject OF taxation and
the administration of the laws and to
furnish him from time to time such
information as he may require, and to
transmit to the governor 30 days be
fore the meeting of the legislature the
report of the commission with its re-
concentrations to each member Of the
legislature 80 days before the meeting
thereof. The bill also amends sec
ton OF 206 so as to limit the amount
Of money that may be expended by the
commissioner of taxation for Office eX-
penses, aside from the salaries of the
commissioners, to $4,000 per annum.