The Detroit times., 1912-08-14
LORD SAYS GOV, OSBORN
HAS IASUITED MANY
Peeved at Statement That De-
troit Conference is in In
terests of Tax Dodgers

Representative George Lord has
come out with reply TO Gov. osborn's
letter refusing 10 attend the proposed
conference in Detroit of Michigan tax
officials and make an address on The
relation OF taxation 10 the public well
fare"
Lord scores the governors criticism
OF the proposed conference and his
calling il gathering summoned in
the interests OF tax-dodgers, as an in
suit 10 the various cure and CONNER
cial organizations invited 70 be repre-
sented in the conference.
Replying 10 the governors charge
that Lords record in the legislature
was tricky and that his work as Sec
Rotary of the Michigan board OF state
tax commissioners was negative, Mr..
Lord said:
Il voted for all the big measures in
troduced in the legislature such as the
primary election law, the railroad
commission law, the two-cent fare law.
4 the anti-lobby bill that failed and all
the other measures Of interest 10 the
: people. | introduced four OF the big
4 bills OF the last session, the bill in
creasing the power of the state tax
commission, the bill providing for a
uniform accounting system In the
state departments, the act giving new
life and procedure TO the state board
OF equalization and the bill placing the
Insurance commissioner on a salary
I basis and placing the fees In the state
treasury.
"The governor complimented me
very highly at the close Of the regular
session. The only reason why he
changed his attitude was because
opposed his presidential primary bill
and was instrumental in defeating X
in the special session
my monthly reports as secretary
of the state tax commission show my
activity towards securing more
equal distribution of the tax burden.
Following is Gov. Osborn's letter re-
fusing 10 attend the Detroit confer
ence:
have received your communi-
cation of August Eth, inviting me
to address a proposed tax confer
ence on the subject OF the re-
lation of taxation TO public well
fare" / cannot accept your lnvi-
tation for the following reasons
First, do not have confidence
In the integrity Of purpose of the
proposed conference.
Second, / believe the proposed
conference has been called in the
interest of corporation tax dodgers,
for the purpose Of befogging the
question and further delaying
equal taxation in Michigan.
Third, On account OF my knowl
edge OF your tricky. public record
in the legislature and your mega
tive work as secretary Of the
Michigan board OF state tax COM
missioners, / have no confidence
in you or in anything you are
connected with as a principal ac-
tor. As legislator, found you
unreliable and constantly using
your Influence in opposition TO the
welfare OF the people The years
you were secretary OF tie Michi-
gan Board of state tax commits
sioners. 1909 and 1910. were the
years of the boards most COM
plete failure TO perform its duties
and when II was most generally
inefficient
AhC OllllSSfOl5 anu tOulInlS-
sions of the board of state tax
commissioners while you were
secretary and in position to do
much good work, If you had
chosen TO do 1t, have more TO do
with the present intolerable and i
unfair taxation conditions in
Michigan than any other thing or
things. You have always been a
specious talker. but very poor
actor.
What Michigan needs is less
talk and more perfect taxation OF
those who are rich, but untaxed
In brief, the thing 10 be desired
is not a tax dodgers conference.
deem it my duty to write these
things to you in frank and
public way in order that honest
people may not be entirely fool
ed by your present scheme.
CHASE s. OSBORN