Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-01-22

these methods the total value of the va
rious roads were ascertained, and the
yalue in Wisconsin was computed on
the mileage proportion. The aggregate
value in Wisconsin was found to be
taking the five years ayerage) S2ls,
900 600
Without going further intodet / as 10
the method of making the comp. risoI,,
and its result, IL is sufficient to say that
il the railroads had been taxed the same
as real estate and personal property,
they would have paid into the state
treasury in 1899 the sum of e 400, 3l2 II,
instead of 81, SAC, 100 &c. which"is the
sum they actually paid 1t was upon
this showing that the tax commits ion IN
their report TO the legislature in January
1901, recommended that the tax burdens
of the railroads be increased 5000, 600 a
year. 1t was also recommended that
the present method of taxing the rail
roads be retained, at least until it were
given a trial under conditions that
would secure IRON the railroads an
amount equal to what they would pay
If taxed on the ad yalorem basis
The recommendations for an increase
in railroad taxes, with those fol an in
crease in the taxes of street railway,
telephone and telegraph companies to
the amount of $3.50 900 came before the
| legislature in the form of bills, and were
ali defeated. They were defeated in
the lower house where they were intro
duced, and where, it was believed, the
tax reform was strongest. In the hear
| ing before the legislative committees
the railroads based their opposition to
the bill on two grounds. They held
that to insist upon the tax burden of the
railroads being made proportionate to
that of property taxed on the al VA
loren basis, while a large amount OF
personal property escapes taxation en-
| tirely, would be unjust. Their second
contention was that the commission had
| taken an inaccurate and unfair method
of ascertaining the value of railroads.
| It is not surprising that the public
discussion of the question before the
! legislature, following the report of tue
tax commission last winter, has largely
increased the interest in it. This inter-
est is conferred chiefly in the railroads,
but the street railways and other public
service corporations come In for their
share of attention. 1t Is clear that
whether it is desired or not, the question
is likely to be the leading issue in state
politics for some years, or until it Is ad-
| justed. How soon such an adjustment
| may be brought about no one cares to
predict The status of the question at
this time certainly does not offer pleas
| ing prosnect The situation does not
call fol- the denunciation of any men or
| Interest,", out 1t does demand the serious
consideration of all who are interested
| 10 the welfare of the state. What both
the railroads and The friends Of the tax
reform have to fear is extreme legisla
| tion of retaliatory nature against the
railroads. The danger here does not
arise from the fact that the tax burdens
Of the railroads have not been increased,
but rather from the methods used TO
effect postponemeut of action on the
subject.
After giving the railroad interests due
credit for sincerity in making the claim
that they are now bearing their Just
share Of the public burden, it yet TO-
mains to be said that they have not
treated the orderly effort made by the
state through the tax commission to
adjust the matter with the seriousness
and candor which it deserved The de-
mand for tax reform which found ex-
preston in the creation of the tax COM
mission was, from its inception, so
manifestly conservative and fair that
the railroads mi ght we'll have taken a
different attitude toward it. Those
who were interes ted in tax reform for
its own sake have not from the begin
ming of the movement failed to appre-
ciate the serious na6ure of the problem
confronting the railroads They have
realized that it was not merely the in
crease in taxes in Visions which is
involved, but the addition 4 burden
which would surely be added in adjoin-
ing states. Beyond these. again, is the
still more serious possibility of state
supervision of rates; for the final adjust
ment of the tax problem will hardly be
made without involving in some meas
ure the question of rate supervision.
These two problems, though hut re-
motely connected now, may oevelop
very close relations iii the future. 1t is
not meant to imply that the railroad
interests themselves do not appreciate
their own problem. Their fault lies in
not recognizing that the state also has a
serious problem, and in continuing their
short-sighted and trihing policy in deal.
ing with it.
In all their contention before the leg
islature last winter the railroad interests
did not go into the merits of the questions
involved. These questions, briefly sum
med up were; ~ Are the railroads in
Wisconsin, paying taxes equal to the
amount they would have to pay were
they assessed and taxed by the same
rate and method as the other property
of the state2 (2) Should the railroads
be called upon to contribute to the state
revenues, by any method, as large an
amount proportionately, as real estate
and personal propertyY The nearest
they came TO dealing with the first ques-
ton was to assert that the railroads
Were paying relatively more taxes in
Wisconsin than in any of the adjoining
states. The second question received no |
consideration. Ii there are reasons
based upon sound economic principle !
why public service corporations should |
not contribute to the public revenues an |
amount proportionate TO that paid by |
other classes of property, they were not |
brought forward and apparently have |
never been sought for by the railroad |
interests. This is but another way of |
saying that the railroads have never yet |
in this state treased the subject as a |
we'll defined economic problem to be |
dealt with scientifically, but have CON
tented themsel' =, with the short-sighted |
policy of postponing action from one
legislative session to another.
Congressman Babcock introduced in |
the House, one day last week, his IN cas-
Irra IN MATERIALLY rad1 "a or wilma ont |