River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1903-03-05
Tax Commissions Estimate Of MARKET
Value Of Personal Property in Wisconsin.
II Was Based on a False Assumption.
The Commission Cut Down the
Vaiua ion of the Local Assessors.
ISSUED in Behalf Ct Wisconsin RaIIwaysN .

Vaiua ion of the Local Assessors.
ISSUED In Behalf Ct Wisconsin RaIlwaySN
In the preceding article we discussed the
Tax Commissions report of the true value
or country real estate. We showed that It's
estimate was very much less than the
census returns. We shall next consider the
true value of personal property But be
Tore we say anything IN criticism OF the
ttollilission $ estimates OF the true value or
the personal property In Wisconsin we
snail state, largely In the commissions own
mates.
On page 66 of its first biennial report the
lax Commission very briefly explains the
plan on which 1t computed the value OF per
sGEal property. Speaking OF its own acts
tue commission said: I'm their CompIta-
lions the commission first calculated the
total value of the personal property, by TAX
ing the average ratio of assessed valuation
TO actual value shown by real estate In
each assessment district Ut was deemed
fair presumption that the assessor applied
TO personal property, or that part OF IL dis
covered by him. the same ratio that he APP
piled to real estate), then adding the total
assessment of personal property In each dis
trict for five years and taking an average
of that and applying to it the real estate
ratio"
Stated in other words the commission arbi.
trarfly increased the values of personal
property fixed by the local assessors In the
same ratio that it had already increased the
values of the real estate fixed by the same
local assessors The commission assumed
ton prevailed in the case of personal prop
erty that the commission had found to exist
In the case of real estate. For example, III
the average assessment for five years OF the
personal property of certain assessment
district amounted to $4,000 and the cora.
mission had previously found that the real
estate of this district for the same hve
years had been assessed at but one-half It's
true value. the commission would double the
local assessment of $4,000 to get It's SO
called true" value of the personal property
of the district.
We do not concede that the true value OF
the personal property of the state can be
found in this way. First, because we he
lieve assessors undervalue personal prop
erty much more than they do real estate,
especially In large cities and secondly, be.
cause they find practically all OF the real
estate while they find but small part OF
the personal property. The latter contcn
tiOn the commission comedies In measure
for 1t says "it was deemed a FAIR PRE-
SUMPTION that the assessor applied to
personal property, OR THAT PART OF TT
DISCOVERED BY HIM, the same ratio
that he applied to real estate" In making
ITS valuations however, it proceeded as III IL
had not made this admission.
We protest against the rough ana ready
method adopted by the commission FOR hnd
ing the true value of the personal property
in the state; and we insist that the esti-
mates of the commission are not n safe
guide for action The whole controversy
OF whether or not the railroads are paying
their fair share Of taxes depends almost en-
tirely on the valuations placed on the other
to go unchallenged the Tax Commission
estimate of the value OF personal property
based entirely on presumption" which
any support In experience.
The halfhearted attempt OF the commits
sion to discover the personal property when
every one knows escapes taxation Is TO say
the least both surprising and disappointing
for here lay It's greatest field Tor usefulness,
and the position of the commission Is not at
all strengthened by the apology 1t makes
Foil, tn
of getting personal property on the assess
ment rolls.
which the Tax Commission based Its est
mate Of the true value OF the personal prop
erty In Wisconsin and we have also present
ed some objections to It's methods OF yalua-
ton and have called attention to the utter
lack of zeal displayed by the commission
In the discharge of this It's most important
task. Having discussed It's methods we are
now free to discuss the statistical matter
submitted by the commission.
1t requires but very superficial examina
ton of the valuations made by the local as
SCISSORS and those made by the TAX Com
mission to perceive that there was some
thing radically wrong with the method OF
valuation adopted by the latter WheIeyer
a local assessor made an effort 20 ma tue
nersonal property In his district he was
able to discover much more or TINS ciaSs VI
property than the commission Wouiu ~ ~
Lnnuledee the district contained. In us
6rst renort the commission made an esti-
mate which 1t raised SIG ,213 IN lts see
ond report, Of the total Yalue OF Tue per
sonal proPgtf6 assessors in 80 Of the II coun-
tics OF the state have discoYefea anu us
sessed much more or TINS CLASS u PI"Pcig
@hon tho ray Commission Will admit to be
IN existence Notwithstanding the fact tnat
the local assessors have actually found tne
property the commission SUN refuses ~ 20
convinced Where the local assessors "
turns Of personal property were hlgher tnun
its own estimates the commission scaaea a
down the assessors returns until tney W WIZ
= m re
II has calmly taken the position that II tne
facts conflict with the theory IL mas an
nounced. or more accurately the p reeuiHSp
tion 1t has stated so mucn the WORSE IVf
the facts The Tax Commission mas prhcs
tically given notice that the Valuations non, To- ".
personal property in the dlnerent coun ,rha
shal not exceed its own estimates; nv ~
acts of the commission suggest the Story o.
Trocruste. the tabled highwayma9 ~, ~
Attica, who Is said TO nave orf the limbs
of iii those whom he found TOO long Ior
the bed he had prepared, os.ossors over.
,oirod tho nronerty of their constituents
Of the last assessment. Such metam0r-
nbosis Of the assessors Is not conceivable
1t would be fully as easy i 20 sDot be'1 or The
ethiopian his skin. Even the ni sa,I shnrt
turns made by the local assessors ran snorL
of the full value of the property IN the'r
I'VE We can see no ground on which the com.
mission was justified In scaling down tue
valuations OF the locdl -. to,u,
the II counties of the state by the large
sum of S45, 1O5, 732. 1t would pc interest,"
Inc to hear from the Tax Commission as TO
the basis on which It reduced the assess assess
ment of the personal properly o 1I aSi th
county from So, 374.0S9 to $1.696. 926 ana tne
assessment of personal property IN dip MP
pewa county from $4,000 to SI nTo3s sgs;
and the assessment of the pep So naz
465. ses and the assessment Of the person nal
property in Waupaca county from 81 ,o32,S6O
to 50, 25s. 502.