The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1917-11-08
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8. 1917.
The County's Unearned Increment

come before the County Board at It's
session, opening next week, 10: "Whas
are VIC going to do with the rnearned
lncraments" The fortune teller has
declared to the members Of the County
Board "you ere coming intc tor
ture" II is a heritage Tor which the
county has net done any work and to
be exact it is going to be just Ike
getting money from home. +" Some
time next spring the city treasurer is
going to turn over to the county treas
urer city warrant for something like
sixty thousand dollars. 1t may be
little more or it may re little less,
but whatever the amount may be, 1T IS
going to be a windfall for which the
ctunty has rendered no service and for
which no demand for service 10 to be
made. 1t is the part of the swag
that the county is going to get out OF
buster income tax assessed against Re
nosha individuals and Kenosha corpo-
rations this year.
1t is highly probable that there will
be lot OF places suggested to put TINS
fifty or sixty thousand dollars. Some
of the narrow-minded people will sug-
gest that the tax levy for the county
be eliminated and that the money
which is received be used to build
roads, to pay salaries of officials and
to pay for repairs on old county build
ings. 1t is possible that with this
fortune" coming in, the County
Board could eliminate county tax.
Ii is possible that it could eliminate
the highway tax, the school tax, and a
part Of some Of the other various taxes,
but the question Of the wisdom Of such
a move is one that should be consid-
cred. An unearned increment of this
kind does not come every year. 1t
may continue to pile up in the county
treasury for several years and while it
is piling up the county should save it.
The old tumbled down buildings
owned by Kenosha county are not go
ing to hold together for ever and in
few years there is going to be real
demand for the building of a. new coun-
ty center. There must be a court house
and Jail and municipal court room.
This unearned increment should be
laid aside as the nucleus for the fund
to construct these buildings If the
county goes right down to the bank
and puts this money for which 1t
toiled not--neither did it spin--into
Liberty Loan Bonds, few years from
now it is going to have a real interest
earning fund as start for a building
fund. This year and next year the
county can lay aside probably half the
amount which will be necessary to
build real county center in Kenosha
five years from now.
There is no necessity of eliminating
county taxes, highway taxes, or school
taxes this year. The men in the rural
districts and the men in the city are
not bending under load which it is
impossible to carry and they are as
well or better able to pay the reason
able county taxes this year as they
ever were. The county wants to have
a souvenir for the people of the great
war and with just little forethought
that souvenir can be splendid court
house, commodious and up-to-date
county Jail and municipal court in
keeping with the wealth and dignity
of the county.
Money in Liberty Loan Bonds is
money periodically invested. The
county should show its patriotism and
good sense the same as the city. 1t
should build up the surplus for the
rainy day which may come with the
piping times of peace so that it will be
able to meet the demands of its people
for proper accommodations. The un-
earned increment is pointing out the
easy way for this to be done. Thare
may be a lot of people who wonder
why the county should be entitled to
receive 209o of the income taxes col
lected in Kenosha There is cause for
wonder, but this provision is a part of
the state law and it has been so LONG
In operation that it is not necessary to
seek to object to it now. The real
question is: 'fWill the County Board
take advantage of this freak of for
tune and make a start for a fund to
rebuild the county buildings?'' A few
dollars and few thousand dollars
saved now will come in mighty handy
for the county in the near future. The
county has the real chance. There is
not one individual member Of the
board but what would accept the offer
if it were made to him in his private
business and it will be interesting to
see what defense he will offer if he
does not embrace the same opportunity
to serve the people of the county.
The real big problem of the coming
session of the County Board is: What
will we do with the unearned mere
mentS" The people of tine whole
county viii expect an intelligent an.
swer and patriotic answer
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