River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1915-01-21
UNEVEN DISTRIBUTION RATHER
THAN HIGH TAXES Chief
CAUSE OF COMPLAINT
By A Farmer.

pay taxes, is 1t not?"
Yes, why so?"
You were looking blue and | did
not know what was the trouble
What were your taxes last year,
John?"
About $3.50 and the assessed
value about $11 900 and a mortgage
of about $4,000. That means | am
paving a $3.50 tax on $4,000, or in
other words, we are paying per
cent. for taxes or IL per cent. taxes
and interest. TO be sure we agreed
to pay the taxes on the land, but we
did not expect them to double the
tax IN SO short a time, but that is
just what is being done. One of
the caus es for its doubling, | be-
lieve, is the exemption of so much
property that belongs to the better
class of people. For instance, the
man that holds the mortgage on
our farm IS said to be worth $40 900
loaned out on real estate security,
but he has no taxes 70 paw because
ne is exempt. They say he is en-.
titled to an income of $1,000 before
hey can collect ATTY tax from him,
because he has wife and six chill
dren. That gives him an allowance
of So, 400. | have six children, but
don't have the same allowances
free of taxes; that is, not that have
been able to find out, so this is the
way it appears to me to be working
out
We will say Mr. Morgan is worth
SAC, GOO loaned in real estate securi-
ty at 6 per cent. that gives him an
income of 81, 400 but no tax because
of his children. While l have farm
and equipment assessed at $11, 900
and my indebtedness is $4,000, of
this there is nothing that assures
me of any income from it, as l am
liable to lose all my crop at any
time. But that is not taken into
consideration at all and | must pay
he tax whether | have an income
or mot; but Mr. Morgan is sure of an
income from his property, because
if fail to pay he can collect and
clear himself out of the security
bad to furnish in order to get the
loan. Mr.. Morgan w t b 100000
capital and $1,000 income per year
can vote for better schools, better
roads and better forms of govern.
ment, but he does not pay one dol.
lar for the building of roads or for
the m maintaining of schools or of the
government. His children are sent
to the best of schools without one
cent of cost to him. Is this Justice
with that kind of law? say. no
Let US carry it little farther.
Mrs. Morgan has a $500 piano, a
gold watch and othe jewelry
amounting to $4,000, but pays no
tax on it, while Widow Dodds has a
$50 COW but only has $40 invested
in it, and she has to pay tax on a
$50 COW. Again, Widow Dodd's
little boy worked out and earned
I he price of two lambs. He brought
them home and was assessed SIS for
the two lambs This S. pays for
the up keep of schools, the roads
and the government. Mr. Morgan's
son had present of ST 900. but he
is exempt of any tax on it because
This 81 600 brings him an income of
$50 and the law allows single man
an income of $500; but why is net
Widow Dodd's little boy allowed
the income from the SIS invested in
sheep? That is class legislation of
the worst kind, is it not?
Uneven distribution o f taxes
more than high taxes is the greatest
trouble in Wisconsin. The assess
ors Of income taxes are not looking
in the right direction, as, for in
stance, in my one district the bank
deposits are about $5,00O,000 and it
is safe guess b a the money
loaned on real estate and person al
property and what is sent to other
states and Canada for investmen
are more than the bank depositst
but call it about $40. 900, 900, the as.
sessment of incomes shows that all
of this, including corporation tax,
amounts to only 81 $685. go. Do the
farmers of this district get out with
81 $50 go tax on over $40 900, 600
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