Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1903-03-05
Tax Commissions Estimate Of Market
Value Of Personal Property in Wisconsin.
u Was Based on q False Assumption.
The Commission Cut Down the
valua ion Of the Local Assessors.


Tax Commissions report Of the true value
or country real estate. We showed that Its
estimate was very much less ehan the
census returns. We shall next consider the
true value Of personal property. But be-
Tore We say anything In criticism Of the
COMMISSIONS estimates of the true value OF
tne personal property In Wisconsin we
shall state largely In the commissions own
mates.
On page &c Of Its first biennial report the
TAX Commission very briefly explains the
plan on which Ii computed the value of per
soral property. Speaking Of its own acts
the commission said I'm their compata-
lions the commission first calculated tire
total value of the personal property, by tax
ing the average ratio of assessed valuation
10 actual value shown by real estate In
each assessment district Dit was deemed q
Iair presumption that the assessor applied
to personal property, or that part Of 1t dis
covered by him, the same ratio that he ap-
pied to real estate), then adding the total
assessment OF personal property in each DIS
trict for five years and taking an average
OF that and applying to 1t the real estate
ratio"
Stated In other wor3s the commission arbi.
trariiy increased the values OF personal
property fixed by the local assessors In the
same ratio that II had already increased the
values OF the real estate fixed by the same
local assessors The commission assumed
that only the same degree of under-valua-
ton prevailed In the case of personal prop
In the case of real estate. For example, IL
the average assessment for five years of the
personal property OF certain assessment
district amounted to $50 900 and the com
mission had previously found that the real
estate OF this district for the same five
years had been assessed at but onehaf its
true value, the commission would double the
local assessment Of $4,000 to get Its So
called true value of the personal property
of the district.
We do not coneede that the true value OF
the personal property OF the state can be
found In this way. First, because we be
lieve assessors under value personal prop
erty much more than they do real estate,
especially In large cities, and, secondly, be-
cause they find practically all of the real
estate while they find but small part of
the per~,nal property. The latter conten-
ton the commission cor cedes In measure
for 1t says ut was deemed 4 FAIR PRE-
personal property. OR THAT PART OF IT
DISCOVERED BY HIM. the same ratio
that he applied to real estate" In making
its valuations, however. it proceeded as If 1t
had not made this admission
We protest against the rough and ready
method adopted by the commission for find
ing the true value of the personal property
In the state, and we insist that the esti-
mates of the commission are not a safe
guide for action The whole controversy
OF whether or not the railroads are paying
their fair share OF taxes depends almost en-
tirely GU the valuations placed on the other
property In the state and we shall not allow
TO go unchallenged the Tax Commission $
estimate of the value of personal property
based entirely on presumption" which
neither appeals to common sense nor finds
any support In experience.
The half hearted attempt of the commits
sion to discover the personal property which
every one knows escapes taxation is TO say
the least both surprising and disappointing
for here lay its greatest field for usefulness,
and the position of the commission Is not at
all strengthened by the apology 1t makes
fN,I In fof1 RI yra ha oh IN
of getting personal property ON the assess
ment rolls.
We have now stated the assumption on
which the Tax Commission based its esti-
mate of the true value OF the personal prop
erty In Wisconsin and we have also present
ed some objections to Its methods of yalua-
ton and have called attention to the utter
lack of zeal displayed by the commission
In the discharge OF this It's most important
task. Having discussed It's methods we are
now free to discuss the statistical matter
submitted by the commission.
1t requires but very superficial examlna-
ton of the valuations made by the local as
SCISSORS and those made by the Tax Com
mission to perceive that there was some
thing radically wrong with the method Of
valuation adopted by the latter. Wherever
a local assessor made effort 20 find the
personal property 10 his district he was
able TO discover much more OF this class OF
property than the commission would ac-
knowledge the district contained. In it's
first report the commission made an estl-
mate which it raised s26 245.253 in It's sec
ond report, OF the total value of the per
sonal property In the state.
The local assessors in 70 of the II coun-
ties Of the state have discovered and as.
sessed much more OF this class OF property
than the Tax Commission VIII admit to be
In existence. Notwithstanding the fact that
the local assessors have actually found the
property the commission still refuses to be
convinced. Where the local assessors re-
turns OF personal property were higher than
it's own estimates the commission scaled
down the assessors returns until they were
approximately equal to its own estimates
II has calmly taken the position that IL the
facts conflict with the theory II has an
nonnced or more accurately the presump-
tion II has stated so much the worse for
the facts. The Tax Commission has prac-
tically given notice that the valuations OF
personal property In the different counties
shal not exceed Its own estimates. The
acts Of the commission suggest the story Of
procrustes the tabled hlghwayman OF
captiyes IL size by chop1ing of the limbs
OF all those whom he found too long for
the bed he had prepared.
We do not believe the local assessors over
valued the property OF their constituents
at the last assessment Such a metamor-
phosls Of the assessors is not conceivable
II would be fully MS easy TO believe the
leopard could change his spots or the
Ethiopian his skin. Even the highest re-
turns made by the local assessors fan short
OF the full value OF the property In their
districts
We can see no ground on which the com
mission was justified In scaling down the
valuations OF the local assessors - 53 ~
the n counties OF the state by the large
sum Of S45, los 732 n would be- lpfarcst-
ing to hear from the Tax Commission as "a
the basis on which II reduced the nsSpss-
mcnt ~ the personal property ~ Ashland
county from S.9I4oSq 10 81 CSC a2G ami the
assessment " personal property In Chin.
pcwa county from S5.oa3 Ua7 To 81 oG5 9os
and the assessment " the personal proper IS
In GEa2s- GanntN- fEs-4a 81 --sf! So a.
4G1 Sf3 and tho 4SssSsrY,.rt ~ ~. ,,rsr',,s' 4