The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-05-15
SHOWS CAUSE FOR /
JUMP IN TAXES
Judge Rosa Outlines Cause
for Increases in the
State Taxes.
DOLLAR TOO CHEAP
fRy Associated Pressl

have contributed TO the tremendous
increases in taxes during the last de-
cade, including increased wealth, war
cheap dollar, roads and
schools, Judge C. D. Rosa of the state
tax commission, told the annual con-
vention of the Wisconsin League OF
Women voters here today.
The people, to large extent, are
directly responsible for the increased
taxes, Judge Rosa stated.
3 The causes for higher taxes were
outlined as follows:
Increased wealth. AS people ac-
quire more wealth, they spend more
money. The public is but a collection
of individuals. Hence, as the public
becomes richer, it spends more money.
The assessed value of the taxable
property of the state in 1911 was
So, 286 1928 FTP; in 1928 it had been in
creased to $5,313,995,710. But proper
ty assessed for taxation does not in
clude all property. The amount of
taxable income in the state in 1911
was $100,845, 900; in 1922 it was 1881,
726,000 an increase of almost four
fold in the twelve years. This in
crease in wealth and income has been
one of the contributing causes of high
taxes.
War Psychology Blamed.
''War psychology. The habit of ex-
travagant and reckless private spend
ing brought about by the war has also
influenced public expenditures. Be-
fore the war, people had fair knowl-
edge of values. They followed set
tied habits of income and outgo. With
the coming of the war, and the infa-
tion of the dollar, prices advanced un-
til people were at sea as to values.
If they desired an article, they paid
the price. This undermining of pri-
vate judgment in reference to values
has been one of the chief causes for
extravagant private spending, such as
the world has never before seen.
Inflated dollar. Statistics show
that the dollar today will buy some
where between sixty and seventy cents
worth of commodities as compared
with the dollar before the war. This
increases prices. 1t also increases
taxes, because the public must spend
more for salaries of officers, employ
ees, teachers, more for supplies of ev-
cry kind, more for all materials 60
ing into public buildings, etc. When
we think of high taxes, we must re-
member that they are fully fifty per
cent higher than they would be if
measured by the purchasing power of
the dollar in 1918.
Good Roads Another Cause.
Roads. The good roads program,
growing out of the universal use of
the automobile is one of the chief
causes of high taxes when we con-
slider objects of which the money is
spent in Wisconsin. The state and all
its political subdivisions spent for
highways in 1918, $19,858, 1928; in 1920,
$50, 10000; and in 1922, $4,000, 231,
or an increase of 1858 per cent in
the four-year period and of 1885 in
the last two-year period. Highways
consumed 30.6 cents out Of the aver
age dollar expended in the state and
all its political subdivisions in the
year 1922.
Schools. The growth of education
in the state has been large during the
last decade, and the cost has increased
trem endously Education cost the state
and all its political subdivisions a to-
tai of 3,965,973 in 1918; $31,634, 144
in 1920; and $50,030,625 in 1922. This
is more than doubling the expenditure
or an increase of 1O8.75 pre- cent in
the four-year period. The increase
was 58.15 per cent in the last two
year period. The increase was 1915
per cent in the last two-year period.
Education consumed practically 29
cents out of the average dollar ex-
pended by the state and all its polit-
0ical subdivisions during the year
1922"
Falling Behind on Loans.
Judge Rosa then outlined the in
crease in state expenditures as shown
by statistics compiled by the state
highway commission. Total disburse-
ments of the state and all its political
subdivisions for the year 1915 were
$86,718,000, he said. In 1922, this
amount had increased to $173,370, 900
or an increase of practically 100 per
cent, it was said.
mot only are we spending more
money but we are not paying as we
CO." the tax commissioner declared.
I'VE are falling behind in our borrow
ing and repayment account. The state
has not borrowed any money as it is
prohibited from doing so by the con-
stitution. Borrowing is done by
counties and localities. In 1922 $780,
276,S03 was borrowed and $2o,417, 900
paid on debt"