The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1903-05-22


governor depends on his success in
leading people to believe that only
through him can they get it and on
the opposition taking o. being forced
into the position that the railroads
need no pressure in order to treat
everybody justly aud reasonably.
The shippers of the state, and there
are 300 big concerns in the State
Manufacturers association, are op-
posed to commission and by their
influence on the assemblyman from
their districts defeated the measure
This manufacturing interest LaFoI-
lette notifies he does not need, which
shows how strong he thinks himself to
be with the man in the blouse.
Success of AID vaiorem.
The enactment of the ad valOreIn
system of railway taxation is one of
the most important enactments in the
history of Wisconsin. 1t proposes the
listing of all railway properties, every
rail and freight car and baggage truck
in the state. to be assessed as your
watch and house are assessed. The
total to be multiplied by the same tax
rate for you and the Northwestern
railway company. The railway repre-
sentatives say that this system means
less taxes to be paid by them than I'M
der the present license fee system a
per cent. on gross earnings.) This,
however is doubted. The expectation
is that railroad companies must turn
into the state $1,0Qo,0O0 additional in
taxes. 1t is likely the railroads will
contest the law if they can find any
constitutional OR other flaws. This is
the history Of the introduction of the
ad valorem in other states. But it
will soon be in operation and every
laWmaker who had a hand in bringing
it about may feel gratified in the same.
The change will remove one cause of
friction and put stop to the repeated
cry that railroads are not paying their
just share of taxes. This is the one
big bill of the session. The great
names of Whitehead and LaFollette
will ever be associated with this law.
Other Legislation.
Superior failed in it's effort to get
state grain inspection, the second bill
to that effect meeting it's death in the
senate by identically the same vote
that killed the first measure. What is
true of this measure is true of all dis
puted measures, the vote was on fac
tional lines. It seems absurd, but it is
ia,
and routine matters, large and small,
as to which nearly everybody agrees.
whenever there was contest, no mat
ter what was the BILL it was on lines
Of administration and anti-administra-
ton. In such turmoil is Wisconsin to-
day.
Large Appropriations.
1t has been an expensive session,
though the feeling is that the money
has been we'll placed. Senator Hage-
meister, the Green Bay brewer, at the
head of the claims committee, is gen
orally approved for his distribution of
funds.
The total approved by the joint COM
mittee on claims in the legislative SEES
sion of 1901 was $1,755, 263.O2. There
was an increase in the amount recon-
mended by the committee in 1908 over
the amount recommended by the COM
mittee in 1901 of $500 BLISS.
Looking over the items the biggest
one is $995,OO0 for the charitable and
penal institution. which carries them
IL IaI ~
stitution at Chippewa Falls also re-
ceiveS $4,000 for a new building The
veterans home gets $4,000 for inn
provements. One of the big items is
$4,000 additional for the st. Louis
fair.
The sum Of $4,000 is given for the
installing of the ad valorem system. It
will be expensive business to hire eX-
pert accountants, engineers, etc, to aid
the state tax commission in making
the assessment TO educate our youth
at the state university is always a
large item-this year $221 900. The
industrial school for girls at Milwau-
kee gets $4,000; county training
schools for teachers get $4,000, and
county schools of agriculture get $10,-
600; 100000 goes into the common
school fund. The refund inheritance
taxes Ito accord with the supreme
court decision which knocks out the
law amounts to Il trifle under $50, 600.
The Banking Bill.
The longest bill of the session is the
banking bill, which fills over a page
of the official paper and $4,000 are APP
propriated for getting it under way.
The Vicksburg monuments get $4,000
now and more later. 1t costs $4,000
to keep the fisheries going. The nation
al guard gets $1,000. The monument
at AndersonvlIle will cost $10,50O. 9th
er university appropriations are $1O,-
600 for farm stock and $4,000 for the
paolopical and natural history survey