Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-10-31
.S1,s''S,335 OF
TAXES RENTED
ANOTHER STEP FAvoRING TAX
PAYERS POCKETS.
MILL TAX HALF CUT OUT
All Charges for Expense of State
Government and $643,6eo More
Taken From Fat General Fund
Rather Than From the People at
Large.

Only one-quarter of the amount Of
taxes the law provides to be collected
from the people viii be taken, as the
result of action yesterday by the
state board of assessment. The sum
of s1,S1S,335 was RENTED by the
board, consisting Of Governor David
sen, Secretary OF Stale Houser and
Treasurer Kempf.
OF the sum RENTED, S1,174,655 is
the regular tax for state purposes, and
S643, $50 - one-half of the so-ealled
mill tax for the aid and support of
the school sytem. The school tax is
not genuinely a state tax, for it is ap-
portioned and returned to the coun-
ties. so tnat the COUNTIES get back
from the state on account of the &C
ton of the board of assessment to
day twice as Uuch as they raise for
the mill tax fund for schools.
Most Ever RENTED.
This is the farthest that the remit
ting Of taxes has ever gone in the
history of the state of Wisconsin.
Up 20 1903 there never had been any
remission of the taxes for the state
government expenses, and in 1903,
1904 and 1905 all .axes for the sup
port of the stGte government were
RENTED, but tile so-called mill tax
was collected Tor the schools. Now
the state treasury is so fat, by reason
of acts of recent legislatures, that the
secretary of state desired that all
taxes be RENTED, those for the state
expenses and also the so-called mill tax
for the schools. However, Governor
Davidson thought that it would be
wiser to leave ample funds on hand
for the building of the capital ami
for such other purposes as the COM
ing legislature might see fit to make
appropriations.
Three-ouarters Cut of.
The situation, then, as left by the
board of assessment yesterday, is
that whereas there is provided by the
statutes a tax levy of very nearly
s2,500,000 the board has paid abou.
three-quarters of this out of the gen
eral fund and has levied only about
one-quarter of the amount, t643, $50
The board has discussed this natter
for weeks. but yesterday took formal
action, as set forth in the following
document:
Official Resolution.
Whereas, 1t appears that on the
frs day Of October, 1906, there was
in the general fund a balance Of
s2,129 4fI49; ana
Whereas, it is estimated that
there viii be a balance in said gen
eral sflnd on January /, 1907, Of
81, 554, 4.114s; and
Whereas. it is estimated that the
receipts to said general fund during
1907 viii be s4,6S3.700; and
Whereas, it is estimated that the
disbursements for all purposes for
the year 1907 viii be s4,327 zoo; and
Whereas, the entire state tax to be
levied for the ensuing year for inter
est on state Indebtedness, for free
kigh schools, for graded schools, for
state university, for normal schools,
and one-half Of tax for common schols,
t~NAAVAAASS ~ eAAC oNAAt Vi pIFO LOs3OoB anu
Whereas, such sum of $1,S1S 355
can, without detriment to- tne public
service. be transferred from the gen.
eral fund and applied as a state tax
to discharge the items above men
toned and thereby ooviate the nee
essity Of levy OF any state tax for
such purposes;
Now. therefore be 1t resolved that
We, the undersigned, governor, secre
tary Of state and state treasurer. in
pursuance of section 1069a of the
Wisconsin statutes of 1898, do hereby
transfer from the general fund as a
portion Of the state tax the sum of
s SlS.335, to be applied as follows:
Interest on state indebted
ness ........... ....... S157, $40
Free high schools 100