The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-05-02
n. p. Haugen of State Tax
Commission Not Ready to
Approve Income Law.
CHANGE SHOULD Be GIVEN
Chairman of State Commission Declares
That While Not Satisfied with the
Law lie Believes it a Big Improve
ment and Step in Right Direction.



Keuosba men of affairs poured out
their sentiments in regard to the in
come tax at meeting held at the
common council chamber at the city
hall on Tuesday evening at which
Niels p Haugen of Madison, chair
man of the state tax commission, was
the principal speaker and it can be
said without any expectation of con
tradiction that the discussion of the
tax from its various phases was one
of the most complete and interesting
discussions ever heard anywhere in
Wisconsin Men who had made a deep
study of the tax were on hand to urge
it's inequalities and Chairman Haugen
was kept on the defensive all the even
ing. The discussion was a general one
touching nearly every point of inter
est in the law and among the men
who took part in it were Attorney G.
d. Barnes, w. l.. Yule, z. G. Sim
mons, A. H. Buckmaster, Il. R. Head,
Frank Marx and W. T Marlatt, chair
man of the finance committee of the
common council, who acted as chair
man Of the meeting.
The various speakers brought out
the fact that the income tax was I'M
fair and un-American. That it would
drive industries from Wisconsin by
making it impossible for them to com
pete with industries in states where
there was no income tax assessed; that
it was class legislation in that it did
not provide for the taxing of all the
people who had incomes; that the
graded scale of rates did not go far
enough; that the cost of collecting
the tax would be large and that it
would bring chaos to cities in making
up the annual budget that the TAX
ing away Of the tax on monies and
credits would more than Offset all
monies collected from the enforcement
Of the income tax; that the tax forced
men and corporations to reveal the
secrets of their business in such a
manner as to give valuable informa-
ton to their competitors; that the
method of self assessment had always
been found unfair and unsatisfactory !;
that it was unfair between eorpora-
tions and individuals and partnerships
legislating against the interests Of the
smalf corporation; that it openly in
cited tax lodging and, lastly, that it
brought a system which was unsatis-
factory to the great majority of the
people Of Tho state.
1t would be impossible to put in
print The arguments that were made
in The four hours that the fifty men
informally discussed the ms,gter with
Chairman Haugen, but the men who
were 50 fortunate as to attend the
meeting came away with a new and a
better understanding of the theories
Of taxation Mr.. Haugen declared
that this was the first real active op.
position that he had met to the tax
and he answered the arguments of the
many speakers by declaring that the
lax was not perfect in its present
form land that many features Of the
law which were obnoxious to many
people had been put into it against the
wishes Of the state commission. He,
nowever, made strong plea for the
trial Of the law and urged the people
70 withhold their decision on it until
after it had been given thorough
rial
Mr.. Iiaugen paid high compliment
10 Kenosha county, declaring that it
was one Of the three best assessed
counties in the state and he insisted
hat the passage of the income tax
rad been forced on the state on ac-
count Of the inability Of assessors in
many counties to assess monies and
credits aud other forms Of intangible
property
Declaring that the old system of
assessing property has corrupted the
public morals Of the state and has
failed to provide an equitable form
Of making valuations, Mr.. Haugen
declared that the system Of the per
sonal property tax should be abandon-
ed and no taxation placed on mer-
chants and manufacturers stock be-
fore the company or firm had been