Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1908-10-31

for highway purposes would be levied.
The proposed amendment in the first
instance authorizes the appropriation
of money in the state treasury for
highway purposes, and the main
object of this amendment is to
authorize the appropriation of money
in the state treasury that is not raised
by taxation at all to the improvement
of the highways of the towns of the
state. All of the expenses of running
the state government with the ex-
ception hereafter mentioned) of what
ever kind are paid from monev derived
from railroads, insurance companies,
etc. Not cent of such expenditures
is raised by taxation. Look at the
last blue book (19O7. page $50, and
you will find that the general fund,
out of which all state expenses are
paid, has been wholly raised from
1908 with the exception of tax for
charitable and penal institutions,
which in 1906 amounted to 1888 OOO)
from the railroads, insurance COM
panies. trust Companies, etc. The
total amount paid into the general
fund in 1906 was over S.. 261, 600 This
is the last year given in the blue
book. Deducting said 1888 600 de-
rived from taxation and So 600 re-
ceived from tax on suits from the
total of SIS 261 600 received into the
general fund in the state treasury,
and we would have 81, $40. 600 paid
into the treasury by the railroad
companies. insurance companies, etc.
Not cent of it raised by taxation.
The total expenditures of the state for
the year 1906 as you will see by
looking at pages 666670, blue book J
amounted to s., sos, 175 So the money
in the state treasury derived from
other sources than taxation paid all
of the states expenses and left a
balance of over 1914 600. Allowing
for. a fair increase in the states ex-
penditurt the balance from the fund
derived by the state from the rail
roads, etc., is hound to grow. For,
observe that in round numbers the
sum paid into the treasury by rail-
roads in 1905 was ST.. 900. 600. and in
1905 it was So 400. 600.
We have in this county over 100
miles of railroad track The state
tax commission averages the value
of right of way and track of the rail
roads of this state at $50, 600 per mile.
This would make the value of the
railroad track in our county So 000,
600. Now it is provided by law that
the highway tax of a town shall not
be less than one mill. nor more than
seven mills ON the dollar. A 1-mili
highway tax on the value of the
railroad property in this county would
yield So, 600; a 7-mill tax, $21, 900.
But the railroads pay nothing to the
town for highway purposes. or for
that matter any other purpose The
law requires that all taxes levied
upon them shall be paid into the
state treasury. This being the situa-
tion, ought not the legislature to
have authority to authorize some of
the general fund in the state treas
ury-so largely paid in by the rail
roads-to be expended for highway
purposes? have more faith in your
self and other Legislators than you
seem to have, and have no fear that
if the people adopt this amendment
you members of the lawmaking body
will provide for the wise expenditure
of the money appropriated for the
betterment of highways, and not de-
vote it, as you fear, to the making of
automobile tracks.
1t is raining hard today, the roads
are muddy and tomorrow you will
not be able to take your customary
tramp. I suggest that you devote
some of the day. after reading the
Bible. to a study of the pages of the
blue book I have named. If you do
SO in the right spirit, believe that
in the next issue of the Times" you
will advice your readers that it is
not only right but tor their best in
terests to vote for the amendment to
Section 10 of Article VIII of the con-
stitution. Truly yours,
GEO. CLEMENTSON.