Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-07-19
LONG SESSION ENDS
LABORS OF WISCONSIN LEGlSLA,
TUFE FINISHED.
Observation-Disclosures
Exceeds by Twenty-Seven Days the
Longest Previous Sitting, That
of Two Years Ago-Inherit-
ance Tax Vetoed.

Madison, July 1S-Ffnal adjourn
ment of the longest session of the
legislature ever held in Wisconsin
was reached at 1915 o'clock Tuesday
night, all business having concluded
and the last measure reported by Gov.
Davidson as being disposed Of
The session convened on January
and has continued for 1S9 days, eX-
ceeding by 27 days the session of
two years ago. which up to that time
was the longest session ever held in
the state. A total of 6S3 acts were
passed, Gov. Davidson attaching his
veto to 26 measures.
The resignation of Senator John c.
Spooner and the election of his sue
cessor contributed several weeks to
the length of the session.
Inheritance Tax Vetoed.
Just before final adjournment the
governor sent to the assembly a mes
sage vetoing bill No. 932A relating to
inheritance taxes. The governor says
that the bill is defective In that it
amends a section Of the statute which
does not contain the section numbers
as adopted by the bill. The bill is We
toed, however, on the ground that it
would entail large expense in en-
forcing it, would deprive the state Of
It's fair share of taxes collected under
the act, and provides an excessive
fine for violation Of the law. The
present law allows the county in
which the inheritance taxes are col
lected to retain five per cent. of them,
and the bill increases this to 20 per
cent. THE large percentage of the
taxes authorized by this bill to be re-
tanned by the counties WILL" the gov
ernor says, seriously reduce the
amount to be received by the state
from Inheritance taxes and lessen its
revenues to an extent to which | am
unwilling to give my approval at this
time. Under the provisions OF this
bill, the increased percentage author
lied to be deducted by the counties
would also apply to the payment of
taxes which are now In the process of
collection and which amount to
large sum. Several estates are Ia iiti-
cation at the present time involving
inheritance taxes amounting to many
thousands of dollars. This litigation
has already cost the state about $10,-
0O9. If 1t is successful, the counties
under this bill would receive one-fifth
of the sum collected. l feel that this
would be unjust to the state
May Fight Two-cent Fares.
1t cannot be ascertained what the
attitude of the railroads will be in
reference to the new two-cent fare
law. Those most active along politi-
cal lines to secure the passage of the
bill express the view that the railway
companies will not contest the meas
ure and will conform to it's require
merits. Others state that the roads
will begin suits in the courts to test
the validity of the act. One report is
to the effect that the Wisconsin Cen
tral, and possibly some of the other
roads, if not all the companies affect
ed, will unite in test suit to deter
mine the legality of the enactment
The members of the railway rate
commission refuse to discuss the mat
ter Commissioner Barnes is in Mil
waukee and Commissioners Erickson
and Meyer declare that they have
nothing to say about the bill
Complain of Valuation.
Representatives of the principal rail-
roads operating in Wisconsin ap-
peared before the state tax commits
sion and complained that the commits
M in al of hni
property was too high and the valua-
tion Of the general property of the
state, upon which the average rate of
taxation is based was too low The
representatives OF the Chicago e
Northwestern and Chicago, Burling-
ton & Quincy especially protested
that the valuations of the property of
their companies were too high, while
the representatives of the Chicago.
ST. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha tried
to show that the average rate of tax
alton Of the general property of the
state was too high.
Lower Rate of Taxation.
The total increase in the prelim-
mary valuation of railroad property in
Tic Sldlc IllS year over last is IJIie |
more than $17,OO0,0O0 The average
rate of taxation is less this year than
last, being s10.95 per $1,000 of valua- !
tion as against s1138 last year. The !
protesting roads were represented as
follows: Chicago, Milwaukee & ST. |
Paul, Tax Commissioner A S. Dud- |
ley; Chicago & Northwestern, Tax !
Commissioner Frank H Crandon; |
Chicago, ST. Paul, Minneapolis & |
Omaha, Tax Commissioner Thomas A |
Polleys; Chicago, Burlington & Quin.
cy, w. w. Baldwin, assistant to the
president.
Tax Commissioner George A Kings
ley of the Wisconsin Central appeared |
before the commission and asked for |
a reduction in the assessment of the |
property of his company. The com
mission will announce the final assess
ment of the railroad property for this |
wear within the next month