778 



WISCONSIN. 



under the general laws of the State daring the 

 yew ending September 30, 187:1. In 1*7^ 

 miles of railroad wore constructr<l. iniik'n 

 total length of railroads operated in tin 

 nt the end of that year, 1,810 miles. The cou- 

 dition and operations of the railroad co:n- 

 pames of the State are shown in the following 

 statement : 



on the gross earnings of the companies. The 

 aggregate amount of the gross earnings, re- 

 ported by all of the companies operating lines 

 within the State for the year ending December 

 31, 1878, was $8,696,518, which yield in rev- 

 enue to the State, at three per cent., $257,866. 



The question Is, says the Secretary of State, 

 whether this amount is the same percentage of the 



actual or full valueof this class of pn>|Hrty, thatother capital stock r 



taxes are of other classes of property upon which Costof road, iud equipment?:::::::'.::" IW.HTslflM 86 



they are levied. If less, it is not enough; if more, it Dividends paid ........................... J,i3,4 77 



is too much. Three methods suggest themselves - 



by which the correct valuation of railroad property ROADS. mi. i - :-. 



fur the purposes of taxation may be determined: - - --- 



1. By taking the actual cost of the roads and equip- Receipts ................... f 16,998.078 JO 18,758,89 70 



menu. Karnlues In Wisconsin ..... 7,6&J,904 60 i3,K,18 36 



. By adding to the total indebtedness of the roads S^lf?? 1 , 111 " 8 .............. $;!0 ' 4 ! <J ;!1 , |18|3 !. 7 ?.i5 



the aggregate market or quoted value of their stocks. .'P.'" . i '', tOD h i " 8 ' 597 ' 191 '""-'" 



8. By taking an amount, the interest of which, at p^ed . 130 131 7 161 



even per cent., or any other assumed rale, would Hugo and sheep transport',! MT.MT 



produce a sum equal to the not earnings. Passengers transported.... 8,300,904 8,589,109 



The cost of the roads and their equipments, lying Persons kllk-d .............. 3-, 85 



wholly, and the proportionate cost of those lying Persons Injured ............ _ 29 _ Ml 



partially within the State, reporting to this depart- 



ment is stated at 161,459,374.81, or (85,566.36 per The total license paid by railroad compa- 



mile, which is $19,550 per mile less than the average nies in 1873, three per cent.' on cross enrnin<'s 



cost of roads and equipment, in the United States. in the State was $ 2 10,374.99, as follows : 



It is admitted that this cost may be cither more or 



less than the actual value, according to the peculiar Chicago A Northwestern ..................... $42,68887 



circnmtanccs of each road. If a road be cconomi- Sf, e ?*}? ,*, Lake Pepln ................ , 7,". ; ,"? 



oally built, prudently managed, and located so a. to gS J l -&^""""\\\""\"\".\ S'.e* 



command sufficient business to make it a profitable Milwaukee 4 Lake Shore ................... 17^ -Jl 



investment, it would bo worth its cost or even more ; Milwaukee A St. Paul ........................ 135.989 79 



but, if the reverse be true, depreciation would be the Northern Wisconsin ......................... 167 85 



result. Assuming that the roads in Wisconsin are Plri dn Chli-n * McGreor ................ 103 81 



worth what they cost, and by taking 8.23 per cent., Si 1 "" 1 ?,* ? ond da ^ .................. <* " 



which is the rate found levied upon other property. wSSln Strai ........................... s % 



as the correct tax ratio, it will appear that raUroaM wSsfwiscowin! . '. ..... '. .............. '." 6*5 



property, at the same rate, should pay $1,370,544.06, 



winch is over five times the amount now rocviv.il The total number of persons in the State in 



by the State from this source. Or. if only one-half 1873, between four and twenty years of ape, 



the cost be taken as the correct valuation, the WM 430 001. Of these, 281,708 attended the 



State would even then realize, at the rate named, the ,,.1,1;., --u_ i- i KIT* j 



sum of $685,272.03, which is $457,406.48 more than P u .^ c 8chools > besides 575 under four, and 



what is now realized, and is equal to 7.97 percent, of J.* 89 ov e r twenty years of age, making the 



the gross earnings. total attendance 7s::. 



By adopting the second method there would The State contains4,957 pnblic school-houses 



he realized $1,133,788, which is equal to over which will accommodate 316,111 pupils. The 



18 per cent, of the gross earnings. valuation of school - houses was $8,996,488; 



Governor Taylor suggests that the time hns sites, $425,788 ; apparatus, $181,32(i. The 



come for levying a tax on telegraph and ex- amount expended for school purposes durini: 



pres companies, which are now exempt from the y ftr was $2,073,449, of which $650,486 



taxation. was for male, and $700,959 for female tenehers. 



The amount and value of property assessed Wisconsin hns three normal schools; one at 



in 1878 are shown in the following statement: Plattevillo which had 498 students in 1878; 



- one nt \\ liitewuter, with 224 pupils; nnd one at 



ARTICLES. Nntar. vomt. Ar "M Oshkosh with the snmc numhcr in attendance. 



_ \ ___ Y ****- The Superintendent of Public Instruction, 



MS.67S $18,001.M| $* M ^amuel Fallows, thinks that the natural xd* 



081.967 9,fiBl.os 11 t ences should be taught in the public schools, 



uwS I.BM.IW 4 iS ** ohoota honM be matataiiod for eight 



.vii8t s 18 months or more instead of five, and that t 



18&SS 

 Wl968 



418.917 

 1.0W.M6- 

 ji 0116,817' 



'( > ;;-,;".'! . 1 .".';" 

 furen" Uiock ." 



ouier personal prop* rtV 



ToUl personal property ~ " ~isOBlS~M8 



l.<r.d ................... : si.'sVam 17S:T:S4R 814 



Cltr sod village lols ............... 86.WI.961 ........ 





Icn railroad companies were incorporated 



f . 



State to be instructed in the rudiments of the 

 common English branches. 

 1 declaring in favor of compulsory educa- 



tion, he says: 



^ >K conv i ot ' on '" becoming quitfl general among 

 the most careful and conservative thinkers nml c.lii- 

 oatora in our cnuntry, from the alarming statistic* 

 of illiteracy givi-n l>y the lout oenRiiw. tlmt i-nnipul- 

 ory educntioii, in some form or other, if tin !>r>luto 

 necessiiv for the Rafcty of our ropuMipnn in-titn- 

 tions. 1 have come to the conclusion from a careful 



