Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1903-02-28
TOTAL WEALTH OF WISCONSIN.
sin Greatf UHasrestimaisd By Tex csmmis-
sion. Commissions Figures of Farm
Vsdes. They Fall Short OF
the Census Returns.
nsnd b BeIali 81 NNlseons' . RAILWAYS. !,


In aaicle number . we stated that the
estIIase made by the Tax Commission OF
the rue value of the non-railroad property
OF Wisconsin was at least 81 900 600, 900 too
low In the present article and in several
of is Immediate successors we shall point
on some of the most Important of the en-
roI made by The Commission.
the report that has just appeared the
TX Commission on page 2l5 says: The
cnmlssion from the investigation OF facts
ad statistics covering q period of seven
vars from 1885 to 1901 has ascertained AMI
stermined the true cash value of all the
sXahle property of the state TO be the sum
4 Sl;594 $4,000" On the next page o.
page ZIG OF Its report the commission SAYS:
Ihe lowest amount of the market value Of
1he stocks and bonds of the railways of the
(ssltaate on the average of seven years dS95
Ehll after deductions of lands and coilat-
/ cfat bonds. is S2l7S3f. 026. =" Having givea
these two sums the commission, although X
Goes not draw this conclusion itself pre-
Sehis ana discusses these sums in such Il
way Jnat the reader viii say, the railway
.9mpan!esshatse approximately one-eighth of
INC propertF of the state, therefore they
ought N Justice be called on 10 pay q like
proportion OF the taxes"
II the railway companies believe that
tn,!r properly represents oue-eightb og the
piopeIt! or thP state they would ha wiling
70 heal one eighth of the taxes: But thcJ
40 not believe that $I.5J4 34G.ts0 fully rep
itSFhts ~" casa value of the nou-raiiroat
property IN Wisconsin nor do they believe
thai thcir properties can on any equitable
ba>ts he vained as high as $217.S54.02G
II is possible to show th't the taxable
noh-fa3 uoad property of the state exceeds
S&'@nNb,OOo. then even Il it he conceded
mat the raiiroad properties are worth
i@lt,So4126. the railroad companies can in
Justice onlY be expected to pay Il little more
than one.twelfth of the taxes
we Will now show that a very large part
OF lhe taxable non railroad property WAS
entirely overlooked by the commission in
making its estimates ana the property !,
did fnd 1t greatly uEdervalued The farm
lhS industry Will lie considered first
Is,sr ha E,.s
we nave the results OF the national census
OF l3uu to guide us. The census returns
show very conciusvely that the Tax Com.
mission has great deal of work yet to 10.
= Nhlle 1t mas succeeded better than many
anticipated in getting property ON the tax
rolls that formerly to a greater or less de
gree escaped taxation its work along this
line is however, but half doae.
Let us now compare the value Of farm
property Of Wisconsin as determined by the
1dN commission with the census returns.
OF course 1t will be remembered that the
valuations Of the census are for the wear
1900 ANA that even the census enumcr6tors
Old not find all Tue property IN the state
The very first Items compared show star
Ting variations. The census Gives the valap
on Jane ], 1900. of the l9.SG2.121 acres Of
land ia the l69, 40 farms OF Wisconsin rs
SJ5i.11Z U'lO This equals an average value
of $2G.1O per acre. ana no fair minded man
will contend that this IS more than the
farm lands OF Wisconsin are worth Tho
census gives the value on June I. 1900, OF
the buildings on the farms of Wisconsin as
$l10,64,@I0. Adding the two sums just
given we find the value of the farms ana
buildings on June l, 1900, WAS $GSdl4I $50
The Tax Commission reported the value
In 1900 of the 32,9S2,301 acres of land in
Wisconsin together with the value Of the
buildings on II rs $6JI,32J, 230. Village and
city land regardless of whether or not il is
subdiyided into lots is Of course not in
cluded In this item. This is simply the
value of the acre land outside OF villages
and cities and of the buildings upon this
land.
rrboen WIN bavo cornnarnd tbn ,c,,s,,s s.
ureS and the valuations Of the Tax Com
mission. bat have not examined the figures
closely have jumped TO the conclusion that
the farm lands of Wisconsin are now as
S2SSed by the state hoard at very nearly
their full value. But such pprSuns have
failed to note that the census returns onlv
cover the land of the state that is already
In farms, or 10, SGD. T2T acres, while the Tax
Commissions figures cover the whole AREA
of the state that IS outside of villages aul
cities or 32.9S2.20T acres.
Now let uc make comparison OF the vaii,
ations Of the Tax Commission and the re,
tutns of the census after the latter figures
have been supplemented ny an estimate IL
the value of the acre lands of the state out.
side Of cities and villages and not found In
farms; and after all the values have bae,i
brought down TO 1902. the date Of thp ,atgsr
CENSUS RETURNS
Farm lands and Improvements other
than buildings tl9o0l. ......,..,., $3.50, a.. $50
Ten per cent. for Increase in value
from 1900 TO 1902 ................. 53.u-4 oG.,
y'ar'n bindings u90o) ............... 15sGlj.951
from 1900 to 1902 Observation-Disclosures. Il 5at a.
II. iI9.5so acres of standing tialher. ''''' -
ore lands. cutoyer lands. etc.. 1@I,ta5,aoo
Total. ............... $ss5.9as. -
Tax commissioners valuation Of the
acre land of the state ana Of the
buildings the said land was in
Ip Kge in value from 1900 to 1ooo.
it being assumed that country. city.
village lands and binding, Nave
increased at the same rlte..,...-. lS.413. 0S1