The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1908-02-06
Counties Received More for
School Taxes in 1907 Than
in the Preceding Year
STATE TAX is EXPLAINED
Secretary of State Frear Issues State
ment Showing Manner in Which
Monies Of State Were Elk
pended During Past Year.

In response to inquiries the state de-
partment at Madison has prepared the
following statement respecting items
composing the last state tax levy and
the proportionate part borne by the
several counties of the state as com
pared with the 1906 tax;
The state tax levy for 1906 was limit
ed to one-half Of the tax ordinarily
levied for common schools and amount
ed to $643,680. All other. taxes were
RENTED. A brief statement of the re-
ceipts and expenses by the state for the
fiscal year 1907 and it's relation to the
1906 state tax levy is presented in this
connection. The balance in the general
fund of the state treasury on June Both,
1906, was ST ,225, 1926.
The total general fund receipts by
the state for the ensuing year were
$5122, BALI. These receipts were con
tributed from various sources including
the railway taxes of $2,673, 771.12, in
surance tax and fees amounting to
1868 1879 and smaller sums received
from Inheritance tax, licenses, corpora
tions and other fees all of which CON
tributed to the total of 1922, 344.17.
During the same period the total state
disbursements from the general fund
amounted to $5,634655.70 or half
million dollars in excess Of the receipts.
These disbursements included 1919, AL
46 paid by the state for maintenance
of charitable and penal institutions to-
gether with innumerable other items, all
paid out under specific legal provisions.
These items covered the cost of main
tanning the state government, including
the courts, departments, and different
bureaus; all the direct appropriations
by the legis' allure, and monies contri-
buted toward educational institutions,
which latter items amounted to sub
stantially one-half of the entire state
disbursements.
No state tax levy was made in 1906
for any purpose whatsoever excepting
for one-half of the common school tax
above mentioned which amounted to
$643 $50. This amount was charged
against the different counties and after
ward distributed among them together
with the additional amount of $643,680
not levied, the annual appropriation of
100000 required by law to be paid out
of the general fund for common schools
and the sum Of $187115, interest on
school trust funds, making a total of
$1,674,475 distributed among the coun-
ties. In other words, in 1907 in addi-
ton to paying all expenses of state
government, the state paid back to the
different counties $1,030,795 more than
it received from them in taxes for the
year 1906.
This was possible owing to the large
treasury balance arising from unexpect
ed receipts from the national govern
ment, increased railway and corporation
taxes, together with amounts recovered
by the state in suits for railway back
taxes all of which swelled the general
fund to an unprecedented amount OF
this state tax levy Kenosha county paid
the sum of $8,280.75 to the state toward
the support Of the common schools and
received back from the state the sum
of $20,262.94 for the same purpose in
addition to the other payments and ben
efts mentioned for educational pur.
poses.
When the commissioners met in 1907
to ascertain if any remission of taxes
would be possible, it was found thai
the extraordinary drafts upon the state
treasury for the preceding year render
ed it inadvisable to remit taxes fol
educational purposes and such taxes
were therefore levied as follows:
Graded schools .........$ 10000
Free high schools ........ 125,OO(
University ............ 644,65'
Normal schools ...... 100000
Common Schools ......... 1.379.41(
Interest on state certificates
Of Indebtedness. .. 1881
Making total of ....... 2,656, So
Under sec. 5, art. x, of the constitu
4;oy +Lo ;+o,,, y g A1 oz0 ~ n e.