The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1912-01-01


commercial failures ior the entire
lInited States id the tout teass 1906
10 1898, increased IS per cent oyer
lie total amount for n preeeding
four Fears. 1862 20 1905, hut tIle li:ls
billties III Wisconsin for me four yeais
that followed the complete progfe size
victory Of 1905 with the four years
that preceded II the business failures
in Wisconsin decreased one-tenth, but
fer the whole United States they in
creased onethird.
During these ten years OF progress
siye legislation. the expenses OF the
state have increased, but the burden
OF taxes upon the people has decreas-
ed. In tn year 1901. the first year for+
which the property was equallzed at
its true value, the average amount Of
taxes on one thousand dollars worth
Of property was $1417; the highest
amount since that time was S1t.5l In
1908; the amount for 1910 was only
s11.1S. In other words, the real and
personal property Of the State paid q
per cent less taxes in 1910 than It did
in 1901. That is, taxes have increased
less than the increase in the value 81
property. In the years 1901 to 1910
the taxes increased 81 per cent. (from
S2O. SS1 to $3O.G67S9D. But the
real and personal property increased
81 per cent. from S6,2S4OOO TO
81, 743, 1870, 4O4. The total payments
made by the State Government for all
purposes Increased from $66,Q46;565 in
1903 to $40, ,O32 in 1909. an increaxe
of a little less than 100000 a year.
But the railroads and other corpora
lions paid taxes to the State OF 81
O59,1S9 in 1900 and $4,221, 1904 in 1910.
an increase OF nearly $4,000, 600 a
year. That Is, the increased taxation
OF corporations which for the most
part had not been paying their full
share Of the taxes, took care OF more
than 6neitlalf OF all the increase in eX'
penses Of the State for all purposes
But the increased payments are not
all Of them due to running expenses
of the State. The State debt is limited
by the constitution to 100000, and the
people OF the State have recently been
paying from about 100000 to $1,000
900 year for State capitol to cost
$66,OOO,OOO when finished. Instead Of
paying for its capitol by the issue Of
bonde, the State is paying for 1t out
CT its surplus revenues and taxes
1.-THE same is true OF other expenses
which might properly be met by tssu'
ing bonds. In fact, the State spends
over $1,0OO,OOO a year for buildings and
permanent improvements and pays for
them out OF current taxes as 1t goes
along instead of charging It up TO
future taxpayers.
But the great increase In State en-
penses has been for education and
charity. In 1900 the State was paying
about $55O,OOo for the State Uniyer-
s.ty. In 1910 1t paid over $1,T0O.0OO,
large part of which was for build.
lngs. The appropriations fer iiormal
schools and graded schools have also
been enormously increased. In 1900
the State government paid 100000 for
charities, refcrmatories, and prisons,
In 1910 this had Increased to $1,l95,'
00O
Ioa Ar NOT been for tie Increased
expenses for the State capitol, for
educsficn and charity, the Increased
expenses OF the State government
would have been more than covered
by the increased taxes of corporations
alone, which had not been paying their
just proportion Of the taxes. As It Is,
the property of the State Is paying q
per cent. less taxes in proportion TO
its value than 1t did 10 years ago.
These are a few OF the conclusive
profits that progressive legislation in
Wisconsin has not been destructive,
as It's enemies predicted. Instead Of
driving capital out Of the State, It has
attracted capital more than other
States. 1t has made investments safe
! for all, instead OF speculative for a
few 1t has been conservative and
constructive as we'll as progressive.
Nc. one of the progressive laws has
been overturned by the Supreme Court
of the State, and not one has been
carried into the Federal Courts"