Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1913-03-06
BOLENs PROPERLY AND JUSTLY
REBUkED.

MADISON, WIS, FeD. z4.-darry
w. Bolens, former mayor Of Port
Washington, twice repudiated Demo
cratic candidate for Lieutenant Gov
ernor and Would-be chief medicine
man for the 'told guard" politicians Of
both parties, is taken to task by E.
NJ Wing, vice president of the Bata-
Wan National bank Of La Crosse, Wis
for alleged misstatements of fact in
a speech delivered by Bolens before
the Minneapolis Chamber Of Com
merce and given wide publication
by the Commercial West, a Twin City
publication.
For the edification of the politi-
cally unsophisticated let it be known
that Harry w. is the selfsame Bo-
lens who last fall presented to the
Democratic state convention results
of a post card census taken again
st the income tax. At that time Harry
refused to divulge to John A. AyI-
ward, progressive leader of the De-
mocrats, the name of the ''angel' who
footed the bills in the attack on this
piece Of progressive legislation.
Bolens' most recent plunge into the
limelight was when he was request
ed to leave the floor of the state sen
ate by Sergeant Leicht. Bo-
lens come sto Madison as a lobbyist
and his forced withdrawal from the
chamber prompted an attempt by Nil
waukee -partisans'' to revoke
the present rule cuurbing the privi-
leges Of lobbyists and to restore to
them their old-time freedom. >
In his Minneapolis speech Mr.. Bo-
lens attacked about every piece of
important legislation enacted in Wis
consin in the past decade and sought
to give the general impression that
the state was going to the dogs.
Among other things that he charg
es was that no railroad had been built
in the state in the past seven years,
that investors in railroad stocks
were not permitted to earn more
than 6 or per cent on their invest
ments and that the valuation of rail
road property is much less than cost.
Mr.. Wing takes occasion to prove
that since 1905 railroads have in
stalled ,627 miles of new road, much
of it double tracking; that more in
fr,~, low
uction than at any time heretofore;
that within the last two or three years
some of the largest interurban rail
way projects in the state have been
authorized and will be built within
the next two years. The valuation
of the steam railroad property in thii
state since 1905, asserts Mr.. Wing,
backing up his assertion with data
from the state railway commission,
has increased sos, 900, 900 partly due
to the unit prices used in the valua-
ton, as we'll as in the increase of
line built.
Mr.. Wing, in his answer, which
was published in the Commercial
West, goes into great detail and sue
cessfulIy disproves the claims of
Bolens
In attacking the latter's statements
in regard to lamentable tax conditions
in Wisconsin, Mr.. Wing says as fol-
lows;
In the adjustment of the Unequal
tiles of taxation the railroads pay
twice the taxes they paid in 1900 The
individual tax payer in the city of
La Crosse in 1912 paid for state tax
es sixty cents on each thouand of
assessment where in 1900 he paid
S1.00 on each thousand of assessment
The income tax adds nothing to the
revenue raised. In fact the amount
amount raised on the peronal prop
erty now exempt under the income
tax law The income tax did equal
ize the burden and put the burden up
on the men who can best afford to
pay the tax, where it belongs. Of
course this appears unjust to the
tax dodger, and some of them may
be fitting to Minnesota, but if the
legislature is wise they will soon.
fit again.
Mr.. Bolens, in his speech, pictur-
ed Wisconsin as a tate from which
all employers of labor were seeking
tons under which they were forced
to operate In reply Mr.. Wing says: