The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1903-11-05
Tax Payers Get a Pleasing Surprise
From Madison and Will Pay
Only School Tax.
C0UNTY'S SHARE DROPS TO s13, 662
Money That Has Been Tied Up In the State
Treasury Released by Authority of Law
and Taxes Reduced $942,57O

the state no tax for the support or
maintenance of the state government,
or any of the state institutions, will be
levied this year. The condition Of the
state treasury is such that all charges
against it for the purposes of the ad-
ministration of the government are
amply provided for by the money on
hand. There was IN the general fund
on the first day of October $1,515, 701.
BY reason of this fact II has been de.
cided by authority of law TO wipe out
the state tax and relieve the people of
the state from its burden. From this
it follows that the only tax to be levied
generally upon the people Of the state
is that which is for the benefit of the
common schools. Seventenths Of a
mill on the state valuation is direct
ed by the statutes to be levied, after
deducting therefrom 100000 of the
license moneys received by the state
from the railroads. This tax to be
paid by the people amounts to the sum
of 81, 027, 22O. It is true that in form it
might be called state tax; in fact it is
ret SO. 1t pertains in no way to the
expense of administering the state
government, or any of its institutions.
1t includes no part Of the large appro-
priations to the state university and
the normal schools nor of the 100000
coming to the free high schools, nor
the 100000 to be paid to the graded
schools under appropriations OF the
last Legislature. 1t is collected by the
state, not for its benefit or use, hut
solely for the support, maintenance
and efficiency of the common school
system of the state. No part of it is
to be expended for any other purpose.
1t is collected for the benefit of the
schools and turned over to the differ
ent counties of the state to be distrib-
uted by them. The appropriations to
the state university, the normal
schools, free high schools, graded
schools and all of the institutions
made by the last Legislature are pro-
vided for and discharged by moneys
now Oh hand, or to come to the treas
ury from other sources than the people
this year.
Besides this, not only the sum col
Elected by this tax Is paid over to the
different counties for the support Of
the common schools, but the counties
will receive in addition the sum of
1875, 164, making total to be paid by
the state to the counties for the sup.
port of the common schools of ST. ,402,-
1874, as follows:
Tax for common schools. .... 81, O27, 22(
From license fees. ........... 100000
From school income fund -. 5,164
Total to be paid to counties. 81, 402, 1884
This action has relieved the people
of the state of the burden of direct
tax in the sum of $942,57O. To show
what this means to the taxpayers OF
Kenosha county, which paid into the
state treasury for state taxes, includ
ing its school taxes, last year $29, 729. 81
this year it will only pay the sum Of
$13, 662.85, which is nothing but the
school tax, and, as before said, goes
directly back to the counties for The
use of the common schools, and in the
case of the great majority of the coun
ties with substantial addition. The
amount to be paid back to Kenoshs
county is approximately $12, 548.52.
This great saving to the taxpayer
has been made without seriously Grip
ping the state treasury OF the DANCE
of creating any deficit which wou1.
have to be met by levying tax in tn
future.