Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1914-01-28
MORE DISAGREEMENT OF Po-
LITICAL DOCTORS

La AOhL DI@ ONo
EDITOR CENSOR: I was very much
pleased with your editorial commenting
on my letter Of January 8. but do not
wish i to be understood that am try
ing to convince anyone that his''iIls are
imaginary" | simply attempted to
give few facts, and let the reader
draw his own conclusions. If our taxes
are too high, the problem can be at
tackled q great deal more intelligentiy
by knowing where the money goes than
by simply yelling our heads off about
thigh taxes.
had not thought of bringing the
state treasurer into this discussion, nor
mad | thought of discussing the state
tax levied upon Vernon county. But
inasmuch as you mention them. | will
simply say, with reference tc the first,
that the state treasurer dcssies ever Civ
ing such an interview, and Secretary of
State Donald, who is state book keeper
and must know where all the money
comes from and where it all goes, says
there is absolutely no truth in the state
ments attributed to Mr. johnson.
Referring to Vernon county's share
of the state tax, let Us see where the
500, 37S g really goes and in giving
these items, | do not wish to be under.
stood as defending a single one of them.
In fact, there are some cannot deferd.
neither is it my duty TODD so. The first
item to be deducted from the total state
tax is SIG, sol "a which is money Dor
rowed by the various school districts in
the county, and other debts owed to the
state. The remaining $50, ATS. AS is &C.
counted for as follows:
Money paid back to the county by
School common schooIs) s27, 523 II
Other aid to ruraIsehools.. 100 GO
Free high schools. ..........-........... LIB 90
Graded schools ...................... 1890 90
County training schools. 5000 %
Manual training. domestic economy and
ag5leai5nre s,,, ssS %
Apportionment, motor vehicle license s9s IS
Agricultural societies about .......,... 2.o92 40
State highways and bridges ............ 1888 90
Total. ..................... see. $50 81
Deducting this total from $50, AIS as
leaves Sl0,e-5 IL, or about 10 per cent
of the total state tax. Suppose all of
1t goes for administrative expenses,
does not 10 per cent lack a great deal
OF being 80 per cent, as is stated in
Mr. JohnsOn's supposed interview? In
this case it lacks nearly SIS, 900 But
this amount does not go for administrs-
tion. Vernon eounty's share for main
tanning the state normal schools is So
253. Dedueting this from the $40, 625,
II leaves S., 372. II. Nor does this, even,
go toward administration, because
Vernon county's share toward main
tanning the university is Sl1, S19 %,
which wipes out the remaining S.. 372
II and leaves balance of Sc, 447 90
which the state makes up out OF the
money it receives from corporations,
etc. This, then, naturally leads to the
question, Where does Vernon county
come in for its share of expense in
maintaining the costly commissions,
the state charatible and penal iusttu-
tions, the building of the new state
capitol, its appropriations for the sol.
diers home at Wsupaca, the soc each
to newspapers for distributing thu SEES
sion laws, supreme and circuit court
expenses, legislative expenses, exc. |
will be pleased to discuss the matter in
some future letter, if you will kindly
permit me to do so.
said at the beginning that did not
intend to defend any of the above items
of taxation. AS far as ! am indieidu-
ally concerned, not being fortunate
enough to have any children to educate,
the Legislature may wipe out all that
relates to public schools Yet, / am
more than pleased to pay M share to-
ward educating other peoples children.
had most difficult time in getting
what little education / have, and I'll
not be guilty of Sinking my share in
helping others. Besides, it is worth
considerably more to live in commun-
ity where there are good schools than
to live where there are none.
AS for the highway tax, do not be-
lieve it is high enough. | believe il so
strongly that while paid about $3.50
tax this year, will pay that much more
il the towns of Jefferson and Viroqua
will build permanent road from the
southwest corner of my farm to the
city limits, distance of 240 rods. and
then I'll add enough more to make it
$500 if the city of Viroqua will pave the
remainder of the road into the city pro-
| per. | realize everyone is not able to
do this, and herein lies one of the chief
tax problems to be solved. The income
tax partly solves it, but not wholly.
believe the man worth $40, 900 is better
able to pay 500 tax than the man worth
300 is able to pay cent. Why should
| he not do it?
believe the university, however, is
asking and receiving too much money,
more than it needs, at this time, and if
the CENSOR will be kind enough to pub
fish them l will be pleased to write a
series OF short letters in which | will
give my views on that institution, ard
also stating wherein the taxes might
be very profitably increased in some d.
rections and reduced in others.
Yours truly, j. d. BECK.
Madison, January II, 1914.
/ When, in former article, the CEN
sOR said it presumed friend Beck nos
| sessed the ingenuity to nrnve that Yer