Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1903-03-05

cursion trains and is thinking OF abol-
ishing this growing nuisance, though
the net profit on them last summer
was $4,000 On the Nol thwestern lines.
Mr.. Hughitt is a member of the First
Presbyterian church in Chicago and
is evidently animated by noble pUr-
poses.
Why Railroads Always Object.
Contrary TO the usual impression,
the railroads by 10 means cOnceGe the
ad valOrem Till. The fight Will lie
made i'll the senate. The railroad
companies oh, ect to changes, not
wholly because they may mean in
creased expenses, but the big men of
the company are so busy on other mat
tiers that they have not time to take
up legislative proposals until forced on
them, SO the unconscious rule is to lie
in the opposition. With net ea1 nings
Of some $40,OU000O. 1t is possible the
100000 or 100000 increase threaten
ed is not so much a factor With this
and other big companies as many sup
puSe. The four per cent. on grOs s
income seems pretty big to them, OF
course,--it would do man on $1,000
salary who nad to pay $40 taxes fiat
every year; and rather than have that
sliding scale moved up on them it is
said they prefer the assessment and
taxation of their property as other
property is taxed.
City of Superior Convulsed.
Superior is SO far off that some for
get it is a city of WiscOnsin-and one
Of the pregnant ones as respects the
future Well, the. other day Superior
one hundred Of it's Leading men to
urge land a few to oppose) the bin
setting up a system Of inspection of
grain by Wisconsin business which is
now done by Minnesota) 1t is a bit
ter contest. The $6,O00,000 invested
in elevators which are content with
the present system say that the hue
and cry is 70 saddle $4,000 a year
expense on the state, that the effect
will be impair capital which does
things and says little; that the whole
movement is by a lot of ''hurrah.
boys" and a bankrupt board of trade.
Those who say these things are the
clever attorneys OF the elevator and
railroad interests; they also say the
law Of 1895 is sufficient to enable SUI
perior people to set up inspection, if
they will. But ''the people, want the
change. AS their literature reads:
1T is now proposed to make the name
of Wisconsin Il familiar word in every
grain market Of the civilized world
IS to enact a law by which the
grain trade Of the northwest may be
emancipated from that commercial
brigandage that has of late years in
tested it.
''The total amount collected during
the five years ending the LIST of last
September for inspection and weigh
ing in Superior and Duluth amounted
to $4S2, 28S.'
Want the Money In Wisconsin.
1t is alleged that most of this is
paid to Minnesota, though 80 per cent.
of the weighing is done in Wisconsin;
and that the salaries, ETC., are diverted
from the state. Frauds in inspection
are alleged by which low grade wheat
is given a choice marking
1t is hard fight and the lobby on
both sides is very active.
Odds and Ends of Legislation.
The bill establishing a state COM
mission to fix maximum charges on
freight rates will soon be introduced.
Help has heen\ secured from Iowa Of
ficials, drastic law on the subject
having been in force for Is years, and
some sort Of supervision having been
in force since the granger days of
the early seventies.
The absurdity caused by the mill
tax for educational uses by which on
the new full assessment a third more
money is taken from the tax payers
than needed will be corrected, and the
plan proposed as new system is said
to be novel and effective.
We all live and learn and the bill
eXempting credits from taxation finds
much less opposition than it would
have done two years ago when Gov.
LaFOllette's message dealt so streni-
ously with that subject. The tax COM
missions ringing declaration that cred
it's are not only intangible, difficult
objects of taxation, but not ready
property in a taxable sense has
done much to abate excitement on that
subject 1t is understood the COVER
nor himself prefers to war about the
other bigger topics now before the
legislature. The bill specifically notes
that existing laws shall continue in
force ''for the taxation of shares of
stock of banks capital Or private bank
ers and taxation of trust companies
and all other corporations or organiZa-
lions representing money capital"
The agitation for compulsory educa-
ton and to prevent child labor is
warming and hearings have been held.
1t is said there is considerable oppo-
sition from Milwaukee manufa cturers.
The object is to prevent all employed
work in school time by children un-