Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-03-02
TOTAL WEALTH OF WISCONSIN.

Still Greatly Underestimated by Tax
Commission Com III ISIS IONS Figures
of Farm Va1ues-They Fall Short of
the Census Returns.
ISSUED in Behalf Of Wisconsin Ralways)
In article number 9 we stated that the
estimate made by the Tax Commission or
; the true value of the nOn-railTOad property
of Wisconsin was at least $1,000O00,OOO TOO
low. In the present article and in SeYeral
or Its immediate successors we shall point
out some of the most important Of the er-
rors made by the Commission.
In the report that has just appeared the
Tax Commission on page 20 says: Inc
commission from the investigation of facts
and statistics covering Il period of seven
years from 1895 to 1901 has ascertained
and determined the true cash value Of all
sum Of $1,504, 346, 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 QS95-190D after deductions Of lands
and collateral bonds, is $217,S54 O26." HAY
Ing given these two sums the commission,
although it does not draw this conclusion
itself, presents and discusses these sums
In such a way that the reader will say,
1.-The railway companies have approximate
ly One-eighth of the property of the state.
therefore they ought in justice be called on
to pay a like proportion of the taxes"
If the railway companies believe that
their property represents one-eighth of the
property of the state they would be wiling
to bear one-eighth of the taxes But they
do not believe that S1,5O4, 34cO OO 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 be valued as high as %217, S54.02G
If it is possible to show that the taxable
on-railroad property Of the state exceeds
$2,5C0 ,000, 0C0. then even if it be conceded
w
$217 ,S54, 026. the railroad companies can in
Justice only be expected to pay little
more than one-twelfth of the taxes
We will now show that very large part
of the taxable non-railroad property was
entirely overlooked by the commission in
making its estimates mad the property 1t
did find it greatly undcrvalued. 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 1900 to guide us. The census re-
turns show very conclusively that the Tax
Commission has great deal of work yet
to do. While it has succeeded better than
many anticipated in getting property on
the tax rolls that formerly to a 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 1, 1900, of the 1852, 727
acres of land in the 1G9,795 farms of Wis.
cOnsin as $500, $50 This equals an aver
age value of $26.1O per acre, and no fair
minded man will contend that this is more
than the farm lands of Wisconsin are
worth. The census gives the value on June
1. 1900, of the buildings on the farms Of
Wisconsin as $155, G04, $40. Adding the two
sums just given we find the value of the
farms and buildings on June /, 1900, was
| 1856, AT geo.
The Tax Commission reported the value
in 1900 of the 329S2,3 acres of land in
Wisconsin, together with the value of the
| buildings on it as $500, 1925, $50. Village and
| city land. regardless of whether or not it is
| subdivided into lots. is of course not in
| Guided in this item. This is simply the
value of the acre land outside Of villages
and cities and Of the buildings upon this
land.
Those who have compared the census fig
| ures and the valuations of the Tax Com
mission, but have not examined the figures
closely have jumped to the conclusion that
the farm lands of Wisconsin are now as
SeSsed by the state board at very nearly
their full value But such persons have
failed to note that the census returns only
cover the land of the state that is already
in farms or 10, 800. 1877 acres. while the Tax
| Commissions figures cover the whole area
| of the state that is outside of villages and
| cities, or 32982, 307 acres
Now let us make Il comparison of the
| valuations of the Tax Commission and the
| returns of the census after the latter fig
| ures have been supplemented by an esti-
| mate Of the VI ne Of the acre lands Of the
! state outside { cities and villages and not
| found in farm, and after all the values
| have been brought down to 1902, the date
| Of the latest estimates made by the Tax
| Commission.
| CENSUS RETURNS.
| Farm lands and improvements
other than buildings $500: $3.50, 600
| Ten per cent for increase in
in value from 1900 to 1902. -. SO, 054, 269
| Farm buildings $500. ......... 100, 604 $40
| Ten per cent. for increase in
value from 1900 to 1902. 800. 1850, 497
! 13, 119,5S0 acres of standing tim
/ Der, ore lands cut-Oyer lands,
| etc ........... ....... 131, 1876, 800
Total ....... ............ 1885. 958, 226
! TAX COMMISSIONERS VALUATIONS.
| Tax Commissioners valuation Of
| the acre land of the state and
| of the buildings on the said
land was in 1860. .......... $500, so, $50
! Increase in value from 1900 to
| 1902, it being assumed that
! country, city, village lands and
| buildings have Increased at
! the same rate. Observation-Disclosures. 18,4090S9
These statements show that the Tax
! Commission valuations instead of being
! nearly as high as the census returns fall
! short of the latter by S212, 223. 907, when
! the valuations are made to cover the same