Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1916-03-17

W COII0CU Judging from Sne Ua&Ss
charged against many Of the best
farms in southern Wisconsin uptc
the time the Good Roads move.
men6 commenced
| We regret TO inform Mr.. Hopkins
Ethat the compliment expressed il
his last paragraph cannot justly be
accepted by the Review publishers
Whatever credit may later accrue to
the prime mover in the Villas County
Taxpayers Association idea, must be
given to Mr.. r. I'll. Beebe, general
manager for the Sanborn Co. He was
! prompted 20 act in She matter be-
cause of numerous complaints re-
ceiyed by his company from land nur-
chasers who. found themselves about
in Mr.. Hopkins frame of mind re-
garding Villas County taxes. We do
wish to say that the columns of the
Review are always open for articles
concerning the welfare of the county
by anyone who produces evidence as
good as that given below.
Rensselaer, Ind Mar. Is, 1916.
Eagle River Review
Eagle River, Wis
/ Gentlemen: L have just been read
ing in your issue Of March 10, of the
organization Of a taxpayers associa-
Uion to meet at the court house in
Eagle River, on March 15. giving the
names of quite q number of land
owners and tax payers. also COM
ments by the chairmen Of several
towns in Villas County &nd others
whom | personally know.
/ would like TO add my approval to
this move, and to say that as matters
are going there, I had about decided
to prepare to sell my lands to the
State Of Wisconsin for reforesting
purposes, rather than pay such rate
Of taxes as am now paying. II
many OF those mentioned in your
paper should do the same, there
would soon be but q handful of tax
County would be bankrupt.
| am not in position to state the
reason for such exhorbitant taxes,
but as compared with other States,
these Villas County taxes are prohib-
tive, and no one can afford to own
lands in that County, either as fu-
ture investment, or as a proposition
to go to work and improve the lands
and pay taxes on The increased val
ues after improved
I own farm lands in Illinois, Ind.
and Wisconsin, and L now have be-
fore me the tax receipts for the three
tracts of land. The Illinois farm is
worth S25, 100000. the Indiana farm is
worth $40, 10000. and the land which
l own in Villas County might be
worth $40, 600. co.. at a high estimate,
although [ would be glad to sell it
for less. The tax receipt for the Hi
nois farm is $1,000, for the Indiana
farm of $4,000, and that for the Villas
County, Wisconsin land is S265.00.
You can see that ii / should pay tax
es on the Wisconsin land at the rate
/ am paying On the Illinois land, the
taxes would be $500, instead of $3.50.
One only has to ask himself the quesr
ton: why this difference? Ii / should
pay taxes on the Illinois land at the
rate | am paying on the Wisconsin
land, | would pay s662.o0, whereas. [
am paying S4o. as l stated.
No one could expect settlers to goto
Wisconsin to locate on lands, if they
would take the trouble to look into
such things before going; and they
would certainly not so There.
| took the two tracts in Illinois, and
Indiana, when comparatively unim-
proved and have built good houses
and barns, good fences and cross
fences, and thoroughly drained them
and was intending to do the same
with the Wisconsin land: but this
years revelation of the taxes, has
about made me decide to get rid of
the Wisconsin land, at any price, and
quit the attempt, when there are To-
calities where taxes are reasonable.
| think you are doing your county
and people a splendid favor when you
are trying to assist in Strengthening
out matter of such Importance to
the whole community, and hope
great good will come from it.
Yours very truly.
ARTHUR H. HOPKINS.
-
Every dairyman and stock raiser
should read Bankers letter in this is
sue of the Review In these days of
nverdnnp enthusiasm over the nnre