The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1902-01-17


taxable property of the state" This
newspaper is behind in it's legal stud
les. Under present laws the only
state fund which is biased on a GER
tain rate on the taxable property of
the state is the 1 mill tax for the sup
port of the common schools. AS to
all other funds the laws requiring them
to be raised by "a certain rate" were
repealed prior to the session Of 1901.
The newspaper referred to assumes
that the increased taxes of which it
complains will produce an unneces-
sary surplus, and asks What will be-
come of the money!" Isn't this too
much like crying over spilled milk?
Would it not be more pertinent to in
quire what remedy may be applied to
cure the evil, if evil there be, of so
large state tax for the support of
common schools? For instance, should
not the legislature abolish the percent
age method and fix a definite amount
to be raised by state tax for the sup
port Of common schOols-just as YVES
GOne in respect to the taxes for the
university? If it is insisted that the
state school tax shall continue to be
fixed by a certain percentage of as
sessed valuation should not the legis-
lature at least change the law which
],n 10 10 ofo
ment in making their determination
of the relative value of taxable proper
ty in the several counties, to fix the
same Eat the full value according to
their best Judgments? 1t is true that
this matter was up for consideration
before the last legislature and they
were urged by the tax commission to
limit the l mill tax or relieve the situa-
ton i'll some way, attention being
called to the large increase in such tan
if the state assessment were made at
full value. The legislature of 1901
apparently did not share the fears Of
the tax commissioned least nothing
was done. But in view Of the dissat-
isfaction now existing in various parts
CT the state, the next legislature may
be induced to see the matter in diff
ferent light. At any rate, it seems
to be a matter which can be remedied
only in the Legislature, and those who
consider the tax excessive should ap-
tn bO ic1o
further ills of the same sort rather
than ask what is to become of the
money!
Wisconsin Mineral Far from Home.
One Of the side Industries of the
state is graphite, which is taken from
mines at Junction City, in Wood coun-
ty. Already 10000 gallons of graphite
paint are contracted for 1t will be
used to paint part of the underground
railway in New York city. This paint
will be the black graphite ground in
oil. The company also expects to fur
nish the dry black graphite pigment
to be used in painting the new suspen-
sion bridge across the East river from
New York and Brooklyn.
Effort to Get Milk Pure.
Water is not the only beverage
which cities insist ON securing as pure
as possible Milk dealers are pitted
against each other in the assurance
to customers of the latest scientific
devices to eliminate impurities. One
of our Madison dealers reports that
his milk passes through absorbent
cotton during the process of milking
Ga layer of this fine cotton covering
each milk pail, thus excluding quaint
passed through separator, which sep
crates from the milk a peculiar mass of
mucous, germs and dirt which the fin
est straining fails to remove. The milk
is then cooled and aerated (aeration re-
moves bad gases and foul Odors), aft
er which it is pasteurized under the
rules as laid down by the Wisconsin
dairy school, which process destroys
all disease germs"
Reaction in Belgian Hares.
Everybody knows what prolific
animal the rabbit family is and when
a few years ago the Belgian hare be-
came popular there were whispers
that the pretty little animal might be-
come a nuisance, but already there is
loud rumble of protest and fear In
| Australia three English rabbits were
let loose thirty years ago. Within
fifteen years they had so multiplied
as to Overrun the country. Millions of
dollars were spent in the effort to sub
due the pest. The San Francisco EX-
miner wants the federal government to
/ prohibit the further importation Of
hares and to prohibit interstate COM
merce in them. One calculation is
that 1000 hares turned loose (as they
are when the novelty wears off will
! in Ton wars if NOT intnrfprpd with