Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1903-04-20
SUBJECT THAT STIRS UP ASSEM-
BLYMAN DAHL.
PROPOSAL OF A REMEDY
Objects to One Community Profiting
by Its Dishonesty at the Expense
of Another-Bill for a Six Year
Term for Labor Commissioner Re-
jected.

Tobacco dealers will not be able to
enjoy special favors in the way OF
lower taxation, as is sometimes now
the case, if the legislature passes &
bill which aroused some debate in the
lower house yesterday. The measure
was introduced by MIR. Dahl, the Yer
non county member, whose district is
in the very heart of the tobacco Sec
ton, and provides that whenever COM
plant is made to the tax commission
by any taxpayer of any city, village
or town that the leaf tobacco in his
place has been assessed and equalized
by the city, village or town board OF
equalization at a valuation higher
than the same grade of tobacco has
been assessed and equalized in any
other city, town or village Of the state
tax commission is empowered and df-
rected to hear complaints and evil
dence and to equalize the same by
adding to or deducting from the valu,
ations so fixed by the local boards.
The tax commission must certify TO
the city, town and village clerks be-
fore the first day of November an
nually any change made in the valua-
ton of said tobacco and the same shall
be entered and taxed at the valuation
so certified. The supervisor of as
sessment of each county shall certify
on or before the first day of Septem-
Der annually to the tax commission
the valuation of leaf tobacco as equal
lied by the city, town and village
boards of equalization in his county.
When the bill was reached on the
calendar yesterday Mr.. Dahl explained
that it so happened that tobacco COM
panies were in the habit of locating
their warehouses in those places
where they were permitted to escaple
their just share of taxation. Slough
ton, for example, he said, had the bulk
of the business at the outset but Ed
gerton, by offers of lower assessments,
had drawn off a large portion of IT..
Thus a community which sought to
have an honest assessment suffered
by the dishonest course OF another. A
company, he went on, wanted to build
in Viroqua, but finally concluded not
to do so because a neighboring place
offend a lower tax rate. This sort of
conduct was a gross injustice to all
save the favored tobacco company. In
one instance he had known of the To-
cal supervisor of assessment directing
arbitrarily reduced the amount to 81.
h..f he Of rsnxrfn
arbitrarily reduced the amount to $40.
This bill proposed that the same
grades of tobacco must be assessed
similarly throughout the state-not at
full valuation in one place and at one
third somewhere else. The tax COM
the attorney general had expressed
the opinion that it was good law.
Mr.. Dudgeon could not see why to-
bacco should thus be singled out for
special consideration in taxing, and
Mr.. Wallrich said he felt like support
ing the bill in view of the inequalities
mentioned by Mr.. Dahl, yet it was an
innovation to let the state tax COM
mission become practically a local
board of assessment, and that feature
he was so doubtful about that he
asked that the bill go over for the day.
IL took such a course.
No Six-Year Term.
The bill extending the state labor
commissioners term for two years
to six was killed by a vote of 81 to 81,
although it was on the calendar favor
ably recommended. The measure
made provision that the term now be-
gun should be thus extended. Mr..
Dudgeon explained that in its present
form the bill was, he thought, not Of
an unconstitutional nature and that
he could see no reason why it should
not pass. There was no further de-
bate. but the roll cali showed a neavy
adverse majority. ~
Assembly Bills Advanced.
The following house bills were or