Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-05-04
Madison. AnrlI 30.


Wednesday morning the assembly
negotiated the tax commissions limo
walton for the exemption of credits
from taxation. declared for the cleo
ton OF senators by popular vote. in
speCted the bin charging the rights
OF women in business affairs. decreed
that BARRIERS must pass examinations,
take out Licenses, keep clean shops. re-
Ceived the governors thesis on state
regulation Of railway rates and az
cOmpIished enough else to make the
meeting one of the meeting one Of the
most important thus far held
The credit bill came from the sen
ate. having passed there, and the
house committee on taxation had re-
turned il with an unfavOTable recon-
mendatiOn. Mr.. Root promptly de-
cIared i'm favor of the bin, saying that
the people OF his section OF the state,
Outagamie county. were almost Unani-
nous for It. He said ii had become
so that farmers who had undergone
all the hardships of pioneer life and
now had a mild competence and felt
able 10 retire TO the city TO enjoy il
found under the present taxing system
that they no longer had enough to live
on and must constantly encrOach upon
their principal A law like the one
proposed. eXempting their mortgages
from taxation. would afford such re-
Lief that he believed it would meet
with very general approval. Chair
man SmaIley of the the tax committee
said that the attorney general had
given an opinion that a law like this
would not only relieve notes, mOrtga-
ges and that class OF securities from
taxation. but national bank stock as
well. and he dressed himself as de
cidedIy again ii, at least till some
substitute i'm l. form Of a tax on in
comes were secured. An income tax
viii not be possible till we have con-
stiutiOnaI amendment, therefore such
legislation as this must be delayed till
that time.
Mr.. Bradford regarded the bill as
involving an innovation OF the most
radical character and the highest i'm
pOrtanCe. No other state, he said, has
veutured upon such an experiment Il
would at once wipe of the tax rolls
Of Wisconsin more than S73,O0O,0OO
OF nssessable prCperty-.n villages,
about Cnc-seventh OF the total property
on the tax rolls. in small cities one
eighth and i'm still larger cities one
eleventh. and so on, and nothing was
offered 10 Offset this great loss. He
went into quite a fun consideration of
what constitutes money, and drew an
effective picture OF the poor man with
q little home. who pays taxes on all
he has for the maintenance Of schools
and streets, which the children OF his
rich neighbOr across the way, who has
all his property i'm intangible assets,
enjoy. He declared that such a law
8ould help only the creditor and I'm no
way whatever the debtor.
Mr.. Root answering. said that at
the fall elections we had all pledged
ourselves 10 support the tax commits
sion and for one he proposed 10 stand
by his obligation. Nr. Becker de-
rlared that the present law involved
double taXatiou-Une son pays taxes
ON the farm on which the retired
father holds a mortgage perhaps for
nearly fun value and on that mort
gage taxes are also now paid. This is
the rule With reference to small mort
cages. bu. the rich men, the holders
81 many mortgages. are not caught
Yet. later. Mr.. Becker voted against
the bNl
Mr.. DIdge0n believed that opposi-
ton to this bill showed no disTespect
90 the tax commission and he was OPP
uosed to the measure. Every man
should pay his Just proportion 81 taxes
by whatever name his property may
be known, whether credits or anything
else. He thought the burden of taxa
ton should I'm every instance be put
uuou those the best able To bear IL,