Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1909-01-20

vided. The government now urges
the enactment of such law.
There was collected during the last
fiscal year the sum of S245, 653.32, and
since that time, there has been added
TO this amount the further sum Of
1924, 70044, the greater part of the
last amount was collected from one
estate after a long and expensive le-
gal contest This source of revenue
is constantly increasing, and the ques-
ton of proper enforcement of the
statute is a matter of growing import
ance The governor asks that the
statute be SO amended so as to require
district attorneys to assist the attor-
ney general in enforcing the collection
of the tax. In some cases these Of
| ficials are attorneys for heirs or ex-
ecutors of estates and thus disqual-
flied from acting for the state and
county. There is no statute prohibit
ing district attorneys from taking
| charge of estates for private parties,
where the collection of such taxes
are involved, and thus the estate IS
many times deprived of legal super
vision by that official. There are
cases where there is no administra-
| ton of the estate of deceased person
and no tax collected An amendment
| should be made to the statute proud
| ing that some official of the county
! shall have power to apply for admin
istration, if the representatives or
heirs of the estate neglect tor an I'M
reasonable time to do so. AS further
protection it might be provided that
no judgment determining the descent
of lands and no certificate of heirship
shall be made by any court or judge
until it is shown that all inheritance
taxes have been paid, or that the es-
tate is not subject to the tax. The
governor believes that the state, no,
counties. should get all this tax.
Telephone Taxation.
Telephone companies whose gross
earnings for the preceding year are
over 100000, pay an annual license
fee of per cent on such receipts and
of 100000, or under, a license fee of
21s per cent; So per cent of the license
fee is paid to the town, city or village
in which the exchange is located They
also pay to the state Is per cent of
their gross receipts from exchange
service. These fees are pai6 on the
verified reports of the companies made
to the state treasurer The total tax
paid during the year of 1908 to the
state was $36,62S.S9 OF this sum
$29,771.60 was paid by one company
The state treasurer's report shows
that one company reporting 9,734 miles
of wire, with IS receivers and "A
transmitters, paid a tax of s2572.
! ported no gross earnings and has no
local exchange within the state, and,
therefore, under the act pays no tax to
any town, city or village One COM
pany having 95 miles Of wire and $50
| instruments, paid a tax of 10 cents
Many of the companies are unincorpor-
ated, and the officers of the state
charged with the collection of the
tax have no knowledge of their exist
ence, and a few of them escape taxa
ton altogether. The governor sees
no good reason why the ad valorem
system should not be applied to this
class of property. Some system
should be devised that will result in
the taxation of these properties in a
more equitable manner,
| There are now, under the jurisdic-
ton of the rate commission, 81 steam
railroads, 25 street and interurban
railroads, 50 gas, 230 electric light and
power, 141 water, 500 telephone and
| Is heating companies.
| The time within which a corporation
may surrender its permit, license or
| franchise to the municipality granting
+! it, is limited by the act to July 1st,
| 1908. There seems to be no legitimate
| reason, the governor thinks, why this
limitation should be continued He
i thinks the statute should be amended
so as to permit all corporations organ
lied before the act took effect and
subject to its provisions, to surrender
their franchises at any time. and re-
| ceive, in lieu thereof, an indetermi-
nate permit.
| The governor thinks it desirable
that all crossings-steam railroads
with one another, steam and electric
railroads, steam and electric roads
and highways-be all placed under the
| jurisdiction of the commission, both
within and without cities.
That part of the act providing for
| declaration from the commission that
public convenience and necessity re-
| quires a second public utility where
there is already one engaged in a SIM
| liar service, before a license or fran
chise shall be granted. should be
amended so as to permit the commits
| sion to consider the financial ability
of the applicants as we'll as to allow
modification of the declaration after
I, it is made.
That provision requiring spur tracks,
! in certain cases, to be built by rail