Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1914-01-27
A. L. KREUTzER AT MERRILL

Hon. A. l.. kreutzer cf this city,
spoke before the annual session of the
Merrill Commercial club last Tuesday
evening. 1t was the largest gather
ing in the history of the club, there
being l75 present. John Van Hecke
was POSTMASTER of the evening.
Mr.. KreutZer gave very interest
ing and instructive address upon the
tax problem and how it affects the Sc
curing of industries by cities. Mr..
KreutZer's address was in no sense
political or partisan. He called par
ticular attention to the increase in
state and city expenditures during
the past fifteen years, and also to the
increase in assessments and bonded
Indebtedness of cities, which in many
instances have been accompanied by
an increase in the tax rate. These
increases, as he proved by official
figures, have been all out of proper
tion to the increase in the population
of the state and to the increase in
the actual value of property. He
stated that the first thing manu-
facturer thinks of after getting good
location, cheap power and good dis
tribution point, is the cost of produc-
ing business, and high taxes are one
of the elements to be considered.
Mr.. Kreutzer stated that the states
expenses have been growing at a
rate exceeding 10 per cent a year,
and that state expenses have increased
over 400 per cent since 1900; while the
wealth of the country increased Il
per cent from 1900 to 1910, Wiscon-
sins wealth increased by Is per cent
or nd hn YAnrIrlo finr nnlu 10 R0nf
In 1901 the state. tax commission eSti-
mated the true value of all taxable
property of the state at 81, ,444, 591, ,273.
For the year 1911 its estimate is ST.
s76, ,47S, ,266, AN increase of S432, ,0O0, 600.
The commissions assessment for
1914 is 50, 9gS, 1877, ,705, an increase of
more than 81, 500, 100000 or 109 per
cent in twelve years.
Unnecessary TAXATION is unjust
taxation" sad Mr.. KreutZer. "Un-
| Just taxes are the result of loose
methods and public extravagances
and are ali unfair burden likely &c
breed dangerous discomfort and create
opportunities for corruption. Every
problem of taxation is a moral bur-
den."
Mr.. KreutzeT called attention to
the appropriation provided by the
last legislature for 1914-19l5, which
amount to S36, ,598, 100, four and one
third times as great as the cost OF
running the state in 1901 and 1902
and 1902, and three times as great as
it was in 1907 and 1908. The average
cost for running the state in the ter
years ending with 1908 was So, 263, ,695
in 1913 it will be over SIS, ,298, ,030
During the decade ending with ano
including 1908 the state collected
81 ZOO, 900 more than it spent. lT
1918, after the state had paid out
more than S16,000,000, a special tal
levy had to be made to make up {
deficiency in the state treasury.
"Who bears this burden?" asked
| Mr.. KreutZer. "We have been tolC
that the corporations bear it, but
that is blind fallacy. Corporation:
pay their taxes from other flxeC
charges and reimburse themselves
from the people. The citizen tax
payers are paying all of the new bur
dens imposed upon the public service
corporations They pay indirectl!
more for everything, accordingly a.
the corporations are forced to pa.
more taxes.
''In 1900 the state assessment wa
$3.50, 100000. This year it is nearl.
SO, 900, 900, 900. an increase of almosi
40 per cent. In 1890 local assessment
raised SlS,030,S72 in revenue; thi!
year they will raise S33.000,000, an in
crease of nearly IS per cent. The in
debtedneSs of cities of this country o.
%, 900 population and over has beer
Increased at rate of nearly $1,000,
600, 900 year. The more money WI
get from taxes the more we spend
vet the deeper we run in debt. Th,
average rate of assessment in WiScon
sin is AT per cent of true value: th'
average of the United States is 36.'
per cent.
''The population of Illinois is near
ly two and one-half times that 0
Wisconsin. The appropriation TO
the coming two years are about th'
same. Wisconsin's per capita eX
pense for running the state is $3.50
while that of Illinois is s3.75."
Mr. Kreutzer's remedy for the sit
uation is rigid economy-''stop spend
ing more than your income" HI
also advocated publicity: frequen
statements from the state official
should be published in the press s
that the people may know what i
going on. He suggested state audi
tor whose business it would be &
check all state finances. He also sug
gested the establishment of stat
budget.
In closing. Mr.. Kreutzer called al
tention TO the fa.liacy of the Law
which prohibits any stockholder in
public utility corporation from hold
ing office and showed how il kept tn
active men i'm every community from
taking part in city affairs.
A. ]. Sollie and A. c. Schmidt 0
1.-The Wausau Advancement associa
tion of this city and II. @. Flietl
were also present and made. brie
talks.