The Odanah star. [volume] (Odanah, Ashland Co., Wis.) 1912-1916, 1915-06-18
income Tax Not Endangered.

! There is no disposition on my part
to destroy or even injure the present
income tax law" said Governor Phil
! ipp in an interview
The governor was asked to make
a statement because the administra-
| ton bill abolishing the present tax
commission has been heralded as d.
rect attack on this law and CAM
paign against the passage of the bill
started
The chief argument made against
the bill is that 1t will kill of the in
come tax law. Some attempts have
been made to show that a one-man
| tax commission (although the bill pro-
vides for three members) would not
work out for the benefit of the peo-
| pie. Yet in one paper, D. o. Kinsman,
a recognized tax expert, came out in
favor of one-man commission. In
| further explanation of his stand, Gov
ernor Philip said:
For the present at least it is the
policy of the people to assess an in
| come tax, and until can be satisfied
that the people want to get rid of this
form of taxation, I will not favor leg
=! isiation that will in any way nullify
the present law or interfere with car
rying out it's provisions. My only in
tent, so far as the income tax law is
concerned, is to reduce cost of admin
istration, which, as everyone knows,
is abnormally high. There seems to
be no sound reason for this.
"The United States government col
lects it's income tax through the same
agency that it collects its internal
revenue, and In Wisconsin there are
only two collectors of internal reve-
nue.. l am informed that at the head
quarters Of the eastern district at Mil
waukee all the extra expense needed
| to collect the income tax was In the
form of small sum paid out for the
| hire of eight additional clerks. For
the collection or administration of the
state income tax, however, we have
spent some $4,000, or more, in sin
| gle year. We have about forty-one as
SCISSORS and their assistants.
"Of course, as has been expected,
! the criticism has been made that the
| proposed bill will throw the income
| tax into politics. Of late, however,
it seems that every attempt to give
back to the people power taken away
from them by a bureaucratic govern
ment is criticized as political move.
Therefore I do not believe we need
pay much attention to such state
mems. The obstruction theory is
far-fetched and is used entirely in the
| interests of the present organization.
Under the new bill the tax commits
sion is given full and sufficient author
ity to make income tax administra-
ton success. AS matter of fact
the people Of the state object and OBJ
iect seriously to the idea of having
some one sent into their localities and
given such arbitrary power as is given
income tax assessors.
Phillip Renews Single Board Plan.
The central board of education plan
formed the subject of special mes
sage sent to the legislature by Gov.
E. L. Philip
In this message the governor calls
attention to what he calls growing
sentiment against the present system
of governing educational institutions
in Wisconsin. He asserts too much
time, attention and money are devot-
ed to the higher, branches of educa-
| ton at the expense of the common
schools. He reviews the bill now be-
fore the legislature providing for the
| creation of central board of educa-
| ton and asks the senators and as
| semblymen to cooperate for the pre-
vention of confusion in educational
| work in the state.
After taking up the provisions Of
the bill in detail, the governor turns
| to the working out of the plan for a
central board in other states and
| points out the degree Of success which
has been met. New York, New Jersey,
Massachusetts, Florida and Idaho are
mentioned as having been successful
in their adoption of the plan and Kan
sas and Oklahoma are mentioned as
working under plan which requires
little change to be a success.
Pleas for the advancement of the
| rural school and the common or grad
| ed schools form an important part Of
the message.
Repeal of Law Urged in House.
Madison.-The repeal of the mill
tax for the support of the state
university and normal schools was
favored by the Wisconsin assem-
bly, when it sent to engrossment two
bills offered by Assemblyman Filing
son of Rusk county to accomplish this
purpose. Both bills had received a
unanimous report from the joint COM
mittee on finance for indefinite post
| ponement. The university mill tax
bill created long debate. Assembly
man Mortenson claimed that there
was perpetuity to a mill tax and 1t
assured the educational institutions a
reasonable support. He said it was
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