I 
42 Wisconsin state agricultural society . 
It has long been a mooted question as to the per capita propor¬ 
tion of tax on account of the impost duties levied. That once 
determined, and it is an easy matter, under our present system of 
statistical collections, to determine the per capita taxation of the 
country. I remember to have seen but two statements with 
regard to the subject, one by the bureau of statistics and one 
by Mr. Andrews, both concurring, on a series of test calculations 
for a series of years, that collectively, by communities of states, 
the consumption of imported goods is distributed about equally. 
If this be true, and I see no reason to doubt it, the expense of 
impost tax, per capita, for the whole people, for 1872, on $216,- 
000,000 revenue from importations, was about $5.40 to each per¬ 
son. This, when applied to Wisconsin, and added with other 
known taxes, shows the following result: 
Taxes, state, county, town, etc, (1373). $7,395,131 00 
Taxes on importations, (pro rata). 5,675,018 00 
Taxes on internal revenue. 1,881,820 9T 
Total, for Wisconsin, (adding 10 per cent, to internal and im¬ 
post tax). $15,708,312 86 
The total of internal revenue (for the states). 106,255, 637 50 
Total impost revenue (for the states). 202, 715,421 40 
Total state, county, town, and municipal taxes (lor the states) 
with 10 per dent, added to above. 652,528,713 00 
Average taxes per capita in United States. $16 00 
Average valuation per capita after deducting public and private 
debts. 595 00 
Average rate per cent, on population per capita. 3J 
Total state and local debts, including District of Columbia.. .$999,385,982 00 
Total population including District Columbia. 38,690, 071 
Total valuation per capita for Wisconsin. $758 00 
Same for 1850. 136 00 
Wisconsin’s tax, rate per cent, of property per capita to population.. 1 T 9 7 
So that it will be seen that Wisconsin is above the general av¬ 
erage per capita valuation, and only live states being below her 
on rate per cent. 
So much for what may be termed involuntary taxation. In ad¬ 
dition to this, we have as a people to support railways, telegraphs, 
express companies and insurance companies, etc. 
