Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-03-16
OFFERED BY SENATE COMMIT
TEE FOR PASSAGE.
IN LINE WITH GOVERNOR
Follows Spirit of His Recommendation
and Has Similar Effect to the Bill
Killed in Upper House of the Leg
islature Two Years Ago-Recom-
mendations Made.
Madison, March y.


The change in the One-mill schOo;
tax advocated by Gov. La Toilette two
years ago and killed by the senate was
embodied in a new bill introduced last
night by the senate committee on as
sessment and collection of taxes, with
a report recommending passage. Inc
change is to reduce the school tax TO
seyen-tenths OF the amount which
would be raised by a one-mill tax ana
of this $350,O00 is 10 come from the
money received from railroads ana
other licensed corporations. The bill
repeats the statute of the One-mill tax
and substitutes the following:
There is appropriated annually to
the common school fund income an
amount equal to seven-tenths of one
mill for each dollar OF assessed valua-
ton OF the taxable property OF the
state as determined by the state board
of assessment, exclusive OF the prop
erty of interpretations which pay IL
cense fees, or which are assessed for
taxation by a state board of assess
ment, to be derived annually as fol
lows:
Three hundred and fifty thousand
dollars from license fees, or taxes paid
by said corporations, and the balance
from a tax which shall be levied on all
other taxable property"
The pill was accompanied by long
report from the committee explaining
the necessity for a change in the law
The report quotes the present law
which was enacted in 1885 when under
the valuation there was raised for
school purposes $476,S96. 1t says in
brief that the per capita tax at that
time was SO cents for state school
purposes on the school population and
SLAB on enrolment. 1t gives in tabu-
lar form the amount raised each year
since and continuing says in 16 years
the gain in assessed valuation was
only Sal, 81O,S36. The school popula-
ton increased from 556,O93 to 1853
the enrolment from 331, 01S to 453, I'll.
1t reviews the way the board of assess
ment worked so that the mill TAX, IN
stead of being progressive, yielded
practically a fixed income and the eX-
penditure for schools was adapted to
the notions of expediency OF the mem
bers of school boards.
The history of legislation for support
of state university and normal schools
is stated at length, showing conSoll-
dation of university taxes in 1898 so
that seven-fortieJhs was levied for that
institution and the consolidation OF
taxes for normal school income fund
int nineteen-sixtieths of mill tax. The
report of the tax commission IN
1899, laying stress upon necessity OF
reforming the way of assessing prop
eTty, awakened the interest OF the leg
islature in taxation. 1t became EVIL
dent the mill and fractional mill taxes,
instead of supplying a constantly in
creasing income for their funds, had
become an evil.
The report says the legislative move
ment for better assessments began in
1899. 1t shows that the mill tax was
increased from $63O,OOO to $1,456,0OO
in 1901 and 1,5O4, 346 in 1902, and con-
tinues:
1T is not surprising that a general
discussion of the tax question arose.