The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-11-28
County Board Urges the State
Legislature to Change Pro-
visions of Inheritance Tax
KEEP MONEY IN THE COUNTY
Board Again Lays Over the Matter of
Highway Commissioner. and the
City Attorney is to Take
Whack at It

The County Board took an impor-
tant step Saturday when a reso-
luton was passed urging the next SEES
sion Of the Legislature to take some
steps to change the law in regard to
the collection of inheritance tax in
the state and to make a new law
which would provide for the payment
Of a large amount of the tax to the
county treasurer of the county in
which the tax is collected. The
movement for the amendment of the
law was started by the County Board
Of Racine county some time ago aud it
is being generally endorsed among
the counties of the state. The pro-
posed amendment sent to the Legisla-
tnre from this county provides that
ninety per cent Of all the inheritance
taxes collected shall be paid into the
county treasury of the county IN
which, the tax is collected and that
the other ten per cent be forwarded to
the state treasurer. Under the pres
ent law the county gets just five per-
cent of the tax collected, the remain
der going into the Golfers of the state.
Since the inheritance tax became
operative in 1908 there has been col
1ected through the county court of
this county inheritance taxes to the
amount of nearly $4,000 and of this
amount but $500 has been left in the
county, the remainder going to the
state treasurer. In some of the coun-
ties of the state the inheritance tax
collected has been many times the
amount collected in this county and
for this reason it is thought that the
protest against the law will be a un-
animous one.
The county clerk will send the reso-
luton of the Kenosha Board to the
secretary of state at once and when
new member of the assem- bly, is elect
ed he will be urged to take up this
matter and see to it that some change
in the present law is made by which
the counties of the state will get
fair portion or the amount collected
as taxes on inheritances.
The city members of the Board are
still sparring for wind in regard to
| the levy of a tax for the building of
county roads and on account of
their determined efforts consideration
of the road matter has again been laid
over until next Monday and in the
meantime the city attorney will be
given a chance to take whack at the
law. Opinions have been secured
from the district attorney and the at
torney general but the city members
are not yet satisfied. There was
spirited debate on the matter at the
session of the Board on Friday after
noon and an effort was made to bring
the matter to a vote but no vote was
taken. 1t was stated that it was pos
'sible that the eight city memb ers
would decline to vote on the matter
aud that if this was the case the
Board would be deadlocked. Nearly
every member of the delegation from
the city has registered a protest
against the levy.
The committee on justice accounts
made recommendation to the Board
this morning asking that the
Board take steps to cut off many fees
which have been allowed in the past.
The fees2were those allowed to police
officers of the city for services in
drawing coroner's juries. It is claimed
that this work is ali covered by the
sheriff's contract with the county and
that it is the duty of the sheriff and his
deputies to draw all coroner's juries.
In the past the coroner has turned the
matter over to the first officer he
found, but If the county gives notice
that the fees for this work will not be
allowed it is pretty certain that in
the future all of this work will be left
for the sheriff.
Joseph g. Dalton, of Silver Lake,
recently elected supervisor of assess
ments, was present at the session of
the Board this morning and ad-
dressed the members thanking them
the confidence they had shown IL him
for and giving the assurance that the
key word of his administration of the
Office would be "a Square Deal' for
every man. Mr.. Dalton will begin at
once TO familiarize himself with the
work of the Office so as to be ready to
take up the work with the retirement
of Mr.. Harrison the first of the year.