Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1907-01-12

lrv 70 ptII..t tho erection Of q new
state ca.Gto' w.ti.out tie necessity Of
r.-stc..ag 10 s,a.e tax FOR that pur-
rose.
Taxation.
Since t,e passage of tie mortgage
exemption iaw in 1893 the united ef-
forts &c IL tax commission aud Of
many a}le ana conscientious super.
visors of assessment have been eZ-
crted in vain 20 secure proger assess
Ilent of personal properly The rca-
son for tbs failure is the great Gif,
faulty experienced il listing It. IF
3Il properly We're reach Ell by tie as
SCISSOR and assessed 1t uniform
though inadequate rate, no SERIOUS ~
Justice would ensue, hTt when IT p
trty is entirely left from the assess
merts rolls or is assessed u great
differentiation. the defective work oS
the Local assessor results in tie punish
mont OF the innocent f0r the guilty.
The fundamental principle 0f {: Xation.
that each citizen should contribute to
the cost Of government in proportion5
to his ability 10 pay, finds little prac-
teal demonstration in the present
method Of reaching personality.
THE governor here urges the i'm
portance of the constitutional amend
Inent providing for an income tax, and
recommends that the administrat lion Of
the inheritance tax law be transferred
to the tax commission.]
The experience Of the last two years
with this law has emphasized the fact
that some effective state supervision is
essential to q proper collection Of the
tax. There is a general belief that
through the differentiation Of estates
by local officers and the concealment
Of property, the state has been de-
frauded Of large sums. Local author
tiles have not exercised sufficient vigi-
lance. and there being no officers pres
ent in the interest Of the state, bene-
ficiaries have been quick to take adj
vantage Of this fact. The state should
be represented by an attorney at coun-
ty courts when estates subject to this
law are in process Of administration.
Legislation authorizing the employ
lNent Of such an attorney for this pur-
pose is recommended.
State Railway Commission.
The work accomplished by the state
railway commission during the brief
period Of one and one-half years since
its creation pursuant to chapter 362
OF the laws of19O5, more than iustifies
the long struggle for its establishment
The dispatch with which this commits
sion has proceeded to unravel the
many problems growing out of our
intricate transportation system, the
painStaking thOroughness which has
characterized its labors, and the speedy
relief which has been granted to all
interests in answer 10 complaints as
varied as they We're numerous. must
challenge the admiration Of the entire
state.
TIP 70 Dec. !, 1906, ninety-two formal
complaints we're made and fled with
the commission, of which number six
ty-two were disposed Of without a
ruling Of the commission. In addition
to the formal complaints. 557 informal
complaints were considered. Trans
portation rates on grain. cattle, coal.
lEmber and cheese have been reduced
resulting in material savings to the
public. Extensive original investiga-
tons have been conducted in the field
of passenger charges. maximum freight
rates, classifications. weights and ac-
cOmmodations, furnished 10 the travel
ing public. which will be the basis Of
important rulings in the future.
While their operation under the law
has revealed no Serious weakness in its
structure, but on the other hand has
demonstrated the excellence and con
scicntiOusness Of the work done in its
preparation. vet the commissioners de-
sire legislative action to meet certain
conditions not existing at the time the
law was passed or not then antici-
pated. to harmonic it with other
statutes relating to corpora tons and
which have been upon the statute
hooks for many years.
BY far the most important recon-
mendation for the legislatures atten-
tion is the request for more explicit
definition Of its powers and duties con
corning the regulation Of street rail
ton by the attorney general and the
com mission the law at present c0nfers
jurisdiction TO regulate any street
railway company whose lines pass
beyond the limits Of the city in which
it operates This right of regulation
extends rot only to the urban business
of the company but also to the bust
ness Of the company outside of the
city. As q result the commission ap-
pears 10 have the right to regulate the
entire business Of a street railway
company where any part OF its lines
extend beyond the limits of the city
bit no power of supervision where the
operations of the company are con
fined strictly to urban business. In
o.her words the jurisdiction of the
commission is made to depend entirely
upOa the fact Of part Of the line ex-
tending beyond the corporate confines
Of the city wherein it operates. Mani