Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-01-19

Grafton. If it were taken as the sole
| basis for valuation, the railroad com
panies ought not to be heard to com,
plain of unfairness to- them because
they levy such a tax upon the public
in the form of transportation rates as
will produce a certain income com
puted upon the market value of their
stocks and bonds, in addition to ex-
acting enough more to maintain the
roadbed, rolling stock, depots, and
grounds, in good condition, and pro-
vide an increasing surplus; but the
average value of the bonds and stocks
should not be taken as the sole meth
Cd of ascertaining the value of rail
road properties for taxation. The
state board of assessment would ap-
praise the actual value of the tangible
| physical property of railways. In adj
dition to this the value of the fran
chise, into which there enters many
elements embraced in the corporate
power and privileges with which rail
roads are clothed, must be reckoned.
| Supplementing all these, the earning
capacity of the property would consti-
tute most importane factor.
Michigan adopted the ad valorem
system of taxing railroads and other
| public-service corporations, estab-
lished a state board of assessment, as
certained the value of railroad prop
! erty, applied to it the same rule of tax
alton which is applied to the property
esDf individuals, resulting in an increase
in the taxes on railroad property of
that state $1,366,324.28.
The taxpayers OF this commonwealth
were very patient while investigation
was being prosecuted. They have
shown great forbearance with delays
and postponements heretofore. They
have sustained wrong and injury
which can never be repaired. They
have carried the burden of others in
addition to their own, for which they
will never be compensated. They
have paid out of their savings the
taxes of the public-service corpora
lions for many years. 1t is their due,
it is due to the state, that these
wrongs should end here and now.
| The governor recommends that the
| bill formulated by the tax commission
in accordance with their report, pursu-
ant to the law creating that body, and
| presented by them to the legislature,
be passed promptly, and that there
may be no uncertainty he says that a
measure creating a state board of as
sessment to determine the value of
railroad property, and applying to
railroad companies and other publ =
| service corporations the same rate of
taxation which other taxable property
| pays in this state. will be promptly ap-
proved by the executive, if given the
opportunity. That the tax commission
should constitute a board of assess
ment, in whole or in part, the govern
or has no hesitation in recommend
ing.
The governor notes that since legis-
lation has been pending in this state
to require railroads to pay their pro-
portionate share of taxation, freight
rates for Wisconsin have been in
creased, indicating a forehanded deter.
minatiOn to be prepared against legis-
lation to equa1ize taxation. It be-
comes apparent at once that legisla-
ton compelling the railroads, and
other public-service corporations, to
pay their prOportionate share of the
taxes will fail utterly in it's object, de-
clares the governor, unless it be sup
cd Will jc1o
the public against increased transpor-
tatiOn charges.
Control of Freight Rates.
While it has been commonly under
stood that the railways of the country
have Overridden law, and, in a meas
ure, controlled legislation, it is doubt
ful whether any considerable number
OF the people of Wisconsin have until
very recently had any conception of
the enormity of the wrong which they
have suffered in discriminating rates
at the hands of railroads throughout
this commonwealth. In Wisconsin the
railroad companies fix freight charges
without any control, regulation, or
IAA1ACC1ClOA Ill dIly ny Tile SldIS.
Several tables are here presented and
the governor adds: Thus it will be
seen that for class the Iowa shippers
are favored to the extent of nearly 40
per cent. Fer two other classes the
difference amounts to over 40 per
cent, and is in no case less than %
per cent. When all classes are includ-
ed the average discrimination against
Wisconsin as compared with Iowa is
80 40 per cent.
The comparisons with Illinois inone
table are limited to cattle, hogs, sheep,
grain, hard and soft coal and the dis
ordinations against Wisconsin are
81 21-10O per cent. in the rate on cat
tie, 81 40 on hogs and 10 $40 per
cent. on sheep. The rate upon grain is
shown to be higher in Wisconsin than
in Illinois by q $40 per cent Grain
includes barley, corn, oats and rye.