Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1921-05-05
Annual Meeth,| the Sauk Coun-
ty Assessors Held at the Court
house on Thursday
DOLLAR OF TAX MONEY
TRACED TO IT'S LAIR
Assessor Of Incomes Says the Peo-
pie Themselves Are Response
BILE for High Taxes

Taxes will be no lower in the i'm
mediate future was the prevailing
opinion at the annual meeting Of the
assessors of Sauk County held at the
courthouse on Thursday They dis
cussed their plan Of action, the chief
speaker being Charles H. Stone, the
assessor of incomes.
Where Tax Money Goes
At the outset Mr.. Stone showed
where the money of the Sauk county
tax payer goes. He took a dollar and
traced it to it's destiny and found that
it is split up as follows:
For university & normal schools &c
For other state institutions he
For general county expenses &c
For local expenses ---------- 26c
For schools 38c
For roads and bridges ------ 27c
Mr. Stone made it clear that the
schools, roads and bridges took the
bulk of the taxes, as will be seen by
the above. He said that taxes were
in the control of the tax payers, that
the people were more extravagant or
want better and more things. The
records show that the people have
voted for them.
Voice in the audience: How can
we cut down taxes when we cannot
pay less than 500 to a teacher?"
Mr.. Stone: Some schools are even
paying more than the minimum. The
laws are made by the people or their
representatives"
Voice: HAS the legislature right
to fix minimum wage for cne class
and not for all?"
Mr.. Stone: Gas I said before some
schools are paying even more than
the minimum, which shows it cam
not be otherwise"
Another voice: "The superinten-
dent says we cannot pay less than
800. think &at is going some"
Mr.. Stone: Who elects the superin-
tendent? It is the towns and villages.
The cities have no voice in the mat
ter. If not satisfactory the towns and
villages can elect ianother superin-
tendent. In this country the minority
must bow to the will of the majority.
This applies to schools and roads and
all government. Many in the min
ority think they are right; possibly
some day they will be on the right
side.
Mr. Stone then discussed the ques-
tion of whether or not taxes would be
higher in the future. He said that ex-
penses were creeping up, that the
people demanded more, and that it
was only a conjecture, yet he thought
they would not be less. He would not
be surprised if on the whole they did
not increase.
Business of the Assessor
AS to taxes the assessor has little
to say. He has an important task,
however, in determining how the
amount to be raised in his district
shall be distributed.
y There may be some real estate ad-
justments but on the whole these val
ues will remain the same as last
year He advised the assessors that
once the valuation has been fixed not
to change it. People do not like It.
In one town the board has been
meeting with the assessor for several
days in order to consider valuations.
Mr. Stone thought this an excellent
idea. Land is taxed on an average of
the sales for five years.
Last year but few towns failed to
reach the average. A few were re-
duced The average in the county was
80 per cent and the following stood as
indicated: