Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1903-02-26

the Census Returns.
ISSUED in Behalf of Wisconsin Railways.l
In article number we stated that the
estimate made by the Tax Commission of
the true value OF the non-railroad propertv
or Wisconsin was at least 81, 900, 600 600 too
low. In the present article and in several
OF IT'S Immediate successors we shall point
out some of the most important of the er-
forS made by the Commission
In the report that has just appeared the
lax commission on page % SAYS: The
commission from the Investigation of facts
and statistics covering Il period of seven
years from 1895 to 1901. has aSccrtained
and determined the true cash value of all
the taxable property Of the state to be the
sum of Sl,0O4. 34e, COO On the next page
or page PIG of its report the commission
says: The lowest amount of the market
value of the stocks and bonds of the rail
ways OF the state on the average of seven
years 1eS9-19UD after deductions OF lands
and collateral bonds. is $2l7.S54 .C2G." HAY
ing given these two sums the commission,
although 1t does not draw this conclusion
Itself, presents and discusses these sums
in such Il way that the reader will say
the railway companies have approximate
ly one-eighth of the property of the state
therefore they ought in justice he called ON
TO pay a Ike proportion of the taxes"
II the railway companies believe that
their property represents oneeighth of the
property of the state they would he wiling
to bear One-eighth of the taxes Rut thew
do not believe that S1S04, 34c eco fully rep
resents the cash value of the non railroad
property in Wisconsin nor do they believe
that their properties can on any equitable
basis he valued as high as S21T S54.026
If 1t is possible to show that the taxable
non-rairoad property of the state exceeds
S2,uOO, Cuo,o00. then even If it he conceded
that the railroad properties are worth
SIT ,SI4 026, the railroad companies can in
Justice only he expected to pay a little
more than one-twelfth of the taxes
We will now show that n very large part
of the taxable uOn-railrOad property was
entirely overlooked by the commission in
making its estimates mad the property 1t
ala find il greatly undervalued. The farm
ing industry will be considered first.
In discussing the value of farm property
we have the results of the national cen
sus of 1860 to guide us. The census re-
turns show very conclusively that the Tax
Commission has great deal of work yet
to do. While ii has succeeded better than
many anticipated in getting property on
the tax rolls that formerly to Il greater or
less degree escaped taxation its work along
this line is, however, but half done.
Let us now compare the value of farm
property of Wisconsin as determined by the
Tax Commission with the census returns.
of course it will be remembered that the
valuations of the census are for the year
1900 and that even the census enumerators
did not find all the property in the state.
The very first items compared show star
thing variations. The census gives the
value on June l. 1900, of the 10, Sd2. 727
acres of land in the 1G9795 farms of Wis
consin as $3.50 I42G ESQ This equals an aver
age value of SOC 70 ner mere and no fair
minded man Will contend that this is more
than the farm lands of Wisconsin, arc
worth The cpnsus gIvcs tho voira on Inne
/ 1900 of the buildings on tbe farms Of
Wisconsin as S155. Goa go Adding tho two
sums lust given we and tbe yoi3e Of tbe
farms and buildinrs on limo 1000 WIS
$3.50 IA. eco - ' vas
The Tax Commission ranortad Tho value
in 1900 of the 70 $50 3O7 acree Of land in
Wisconsin. together with tba voIne Of tho
buildings on If MS Sf55 395 990 Viii,go ana
city land, regardless of whether or NOT If is
subdivided into lots. is of course NOT in.
/ ie sin
value of the acre land outside of yiil,yas
and cities and of the buildings upon this
| land "POn '"iS
| Those who have comnorad +bo oo,s,, &C.
ures and the voInotiops Of tbo Tav Sd nS
mission Inf have NOT eyo,nina1 +b g III
| closely have iu,nnad to tbn conoI,isiom7 the
the farm lands If Wisconsin ro ,,i, 'ila'
spssed Inv tbn state hooTd ~ %. -, nv w Ms
their fuil volra pnt snnb nor &C. ~ 10y
failed TO note that the censns RETURNS npIv
in farms, or ~ SEQ 797 ocres whi,n t Ih.ieT ~