Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1911-03-09
BOYD WRITES
ABOUT EAU CLAIRE
Commission
Well Known Resident of That
City Praises the Commission
System and Tells What it Has
Done and is Doing for Eau
Claire.

The following letter from R. X.
Boyd Of Eau Claire, is seIf-explana-
tory:
.'It has come to light that men
from other cities have been informed
by some Of the discontented eIe-
ment here that there is an under
current of dissatisfaction in regard
to the present administration in our
city
Men at a distance can be made
to beIieye statements which if made
openly and at home would not stand
the light of day. The easiest thing
to say is that taxes are higher than
they were a year ago. This is true,
but it is what everybody expected.
During the canvas we had candi-
dates who promised almost every
thing the voter could wish, but not
one was rash enough to say that the
first years tax would be a light one
When the commission government
took control, the city treasury
lacked $56,0OOOO of having money
enough TO pay its current debts.
During the season Of 1910 the
schools, the fire department, the
police department, the library, the
street and sprinkIing work, sewer
extensions including reservoir,
the Normal site, S12,000.00 and a
special levy of $1O,OO0.OO toward a
new school, -all these went into
tile taxes now being collected or
We're paid for by saloon licenses and
water collections.
Now every bill has been paid.
We have cleared up the $56,OO0.O0
and stand level with the world, hav-
ing money enough for present and
future needs.
THE tax levy Of 1903 was alb
normally low and left the city in
bad condition The tax levy of 1910
was what we had to make it, and
no one having knowledge of the
conditions could expect it to have
been less The fact is that not con
sidering the tax Of 1909, the per
centage this year is little below
the average of the previous five
years.
But the charge has been made
that the assessment has been raised
and that the greater part Of the ad-
vance is on the property OF the
poorer people, that some OF the cor
porations have got off with light
er valuation than in previous years.
The truth is that very few ad-
vauces were made in the poor resi-
dences. a few were advanced and
few reduced to make them more
nearly equal There was an advance
I'LL many cases on the more valua-
bic residence property, more often
on the lot itself than on the build
ings; in no case could this advance
be called excessive and it was only
done for the purpose of making the
valuable residence pay what it
should as compared with the house
Of the laborer. The largest advance
was made in the matter of personal
property, belonging to wealthy citi-
zens BY a letter system and great
er diligence of the assessors, many
OF our people with large capital
gave in voluntary statements show
ing greater amounts subject to tax
alton than were ever listed before.
In regard to the charge that the
property of the large corporations
was reduced, the facts do not war
rant the statement. OF course the
Linen Mill and Box Factory were
destroyed by fire so they are out of
the discussion, also the North Wes-
tern Lumber Company which dis
continued its lumber business in
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