Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-06-25
TAX COMMISSION ISSUES PAM
PHLET OF INSTRUCTIONS.
ACT MUST BE ENFORCED
No Other Alternative for Local As
SCISSORS and Boards of Review
Commission Flooded With Cues
tons and Expressions of Doubts
New Law Fully Explained.

The mortgage taxation law passed at
the last session of the legislature is
perfectly constitutional and the only
thing for local assessors and boards of
revied to do about it is to go ahead
and enforce it,
This is the essential substance of
voluminous statement issued by the
state tax commission yesterday morn
ing. The statement was prepared as
information to the assessors and local
officers who have in great numbers
written to the tax commission regard
ing the new law and it's enforcement.
Some of them even went so far as to
question whether or not they ought to
ttempt to apply the law. Parts of the
tatement are as follows:
This circular is written for the pur
Nose Of explaining the general feat
ares of the law so far as they seem to
require explanation, and to aid assess
ing officers in the administration there
of, and with the view also of answer
ing so far as practicable the inquiries
above mentioned. Inasmuch as the
act in question deals directly with the
private relations of mortgagors and
mortgages some discussion of ques-
tions affecting their rights will be I'M
avoidable, in so far as such questions
relate to or affect assessing officers in
their performance of their duties, al
/ 4 hOr oh &c of hn
commission to advise private indiyidu-
ais upon matters affecting their per-
sonal rights and obligations
What Mortgages Affected.
''Under the statutes in force prior
to the enactment of said chapter 37S,
mortgages held by banks, trust COM
anies, insurance companies and vari-
Gus other associations or corporations
assessed by state board Of assess
ment or taxed by license fee or other
special method in lieu of direct taxa
! ton upon a valuation made by local
assessors, were not liable to assess
ment by town, city and village assess
ors. AS to all mortgages which were
thus or otherwise exempt from direct
assessment and taxation, the law has
not been changed, but such mortgages
continue to be exempt as heretofore.
! under present laws the properties
of railroad, express, sleeping car,
freight line and equipment companies
are required to be assessed by state
board of assessment, and are not liable
to assessment by local officers. Such
state assessment, however, covers only
such property of the companies named
as is used in the business of such
companies respectively. Such of their
real estate as is not so used is subject
to assessment by local officers under
the general assessment laws; and
mortgages upon such last mentioned
real estate are subject to the special
method provided in the new law, pro-
vided,-of course, that the mortgages
themselves are not excluded.
"Under present laws, street railway,
telegraph and telephone companies,
life and fire insurance companies, trust
companies and some other organiza-
lions are taxed by license fee or other
special method in lieu of direct taxa
ton under the general assessment
laws. AS to some of such companies
the exemption from taxation by local
assessment under general laws, by rea
son of such special method, extends to
all their property. AS to Others, such
exemption extends to part of their
property only. In cases where the real
estate is thus exempt, mortgages
thereon are not subject to the special
method of assessment provided by the
new act of 1908; but if any such rea
estate is not so exempt such special
method of assessment is applicable tc
mortgages thereon, provided Of
course that the mortgages themselves
are not exempt.
I'm addition to exemptions on account
of some special method of taxation
mentioned IN the preceding paragraph
there are various other exemptions o.
real estate from taxation. These ex
emptions are so well known that the
. laws granting them need not be re
ferred to in this connection. As to al
mortgages upon exempt lands III,
special method Of assessment pre-
scribed by the act of 1908 does not ap
Iply. 1t could not apply without de
stroying the exemption in part at least
The last clause of section 9 was evi
!, IDENTIFY designed to prevent such result
! as well as to declare the rule in the
, case stated in this paragraph
) There is class of mortgages no
liable to taxation under former laws
which become subject to assessment
/ under the special method provided b,
, said chapter 37s. These are mortgages
! held by non-residents of the state OIL
r lands within the state liable to taxa
a ton under the general assessmen
2 laws. Under former laws, such mort
E go res were deemed to be and coul,
}, be considered as personal propert,
e only, and as such were taxable only il
the district in this state when owne,