The Detroit times. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1903-1920, 1913-05-15
rODE TAX IS
deal CREATOR
IN WISCONSIN
State Senator Shows How Class
of Citizens Has I'm
proved
UNINTERESTED ONES
NOW PROUD OF STATE
Legislator in Favor of Extend
ing Provisions of Pro-
posed Law

Wtsconsin's income tax law has de-
velOped q higher type OF citizenship
In the state, and that the national III
come tax will fail In this most essen
tial phase OF success OF such law,
because OF the high exemption which
does not allow every citizen 20 do his
share toward the maintenance OF the
government is the beiief OF Stale
Senator Otto Bosshard, OF Lacrosse
one Of the committee In charge or
the framing Of the measure which Is
now In its second year or successful
operation in this state.
I'VE are proud of Wisconsin's IN
como tax law because 1t has made
the people better citizens" declared
Senator Bosshard. For the reasons
that Wisconsin citizens have been
made better citizens by the state tax.
we who had q part In the delibera-
lions at that time believe Mat the
proposed national income tax law Is
detective.
"Here Il the situation AS we found
It. and a. developments have been
seen to bear out our expectations.
When the income tax law was
passed, thousands of persons who had
never before paid any tax began to
raise q roar of protest. They COM
planned bitterly when they found they
were going to be taxed on their In.
comes. They threatened TO wipe on
the political slate the party which
had imposed such tax upon them.
But, when they came TO pay the
tar, they found 1t comparatively
small sum. Many OF the protestants
found they were forced to pay only
IS or $40 q year, and they promptly
began to take a new attitude.
Take Interest In Life.
''These people, who had never be-
\ fore paid taxes, began to display
real and active citizenship. pride
4 IN country and state they had never
felt when they were not paying any
taxes. They ceased to protest, and
because they were paying directly to
the maintenance OF state government,
began to take a more personal inter-
EFT In the work OF their public ser
wants.
1.-THE result was an instant develop
ment of q higher type OF citizenship
n wisconsin, a better civic spirit,
and we are proud Of the results.
"Now, in framing this law, we
Studied the exemption question thor
oughly. We found foreign govern
ments had exemptions ranging from
1870 In Italy to $3.50 In Great Brit
\ ain. We found 1925 in Prussia, $l1S
In Austria, and $3.50 in the Neither
4 lands. To fx the exemption In WIS
Consin we did as these nations had
apparently done, sought the actual
average cost OF q decent living In
wisconsin and made that figure the
exemption for the state tax. Thus
We achieved the figure OF $500 for q
single person, $1,000 for man and
wife, and 5000 for each minor child,
making the average q little over $l,-
as In the state.
"The national government, In hx-
Ing the exemption at $4,000. loses
. sight entirely of this equitable as
sossment OF all incomes over the
amount necessary to provide decent
living. and has assessed only the
4 right persons, instead of giving every
man Z chance to pay his share OF
I government, and developing the ma
uonal civic spirit which has SO no
Z tally been developed In Wisconsin.
"The only excuse that there can be
4 for the higher national exemption Is
the fact that there 10 limited amount
OF money proposed to be raised to
countoract the removal OF tarih
Autios. Our state tax commission e.
Inmates, / understand, show that the
$4,000 exemption, based on Wiscon.
Sin's actual experience, will far from
NEST the figure necessary. II there
Il to be IN income tar, every per-
son should pay his proportion. over
the amount needed to properly pro
vide his family with living"