The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1919-07-04
Gov. Phillip Would Submit Bill to
Referendum.
SENATE MAY NOT CONCUR
Executive in Message to Lower House
Asks That Question Be Submitted
at Special Election to Be
Called Aug. 10, 1919,
By FRED l.. HOLMES.


! bonus proposition to vote of the peo-
| pie at a special election to be called
| by the governor on August 10. Before
| this measure becomes law, however,
| 1t must be cOncurred in by the senate,
| and doubt exists as to whether the up
| per house is in favor of the plan. The
| senate does not meet until Tuesday,
and desires a bill which provides for
| direct three mill tax on the general
| property and a surtax on incomes. The
assembly bill refers the entire matter
to the people. The senate bill was
| nOnconcurred in by the house on Tues
| day evening by vote of 48 to %. The
Nolan bill, which follows the recon-
mendations of Governor Phillip in his
| special message to the legislature on
| Monday, was then passed by a vote of
| 81 to Is.
Governor Phillip, ia his special mes
| sage, says that the referendum vote
| and the action OF the legislature will
| in no way interfere with placing the
tax levy on the tax roll and will not
| operate to defer the time when the SOL
der may receive the bonus.
The message opened with an analy-
sis of the provisions of the bill as 1t
| has passed the senate. He says that
the income tax feature of the measure
| would raise between $5,OOO,OOO and &c.
! 100000 and that the mill tax feature
| of mills On every dollar Of assessed
valuation of property in the state will
| produce an additional $15OOO,OOO.
1T is Il safe estimate to state that
the systems combined will yield $2O,-
| 100000" says Governor Philip in his
message 1.-THE money which this bill,
| if it becomes law, will raise shall be
| used to pay bonus to the soldiers,
| sailors, marines and nurses that served
| during the world war, the distribution
to be made upon the following basis:
To each and every person named there
| shall be paid a sum not exceeding $40
| for each month of service, with a mini
| mum of $50, as a token of apprecia-
| ton of the character and spirit of their
| patriotic service, etc.
mo figures are available now which
| tai amount that the state must pay in
| compliance with the proposed statute.
| It is however, estimated that the total
| amount of the tax levy would be used;
in fact, there is q question whether il
| would. be sufficient.
| 'aThis proposed tax levy is probably
| the largest that ever was made in
1 10 of I,oJf ,,,iII
| pie, and in this connection | would re-
| mind you that we have already ap-
propriated 100000 to. care for the
sick and needy soldiers, sailors and
marines. and that another bill, which
| in legislative circles is known as the
'Nye BILL is now on the way to the
executive chamber which, if approved,
| will cost large sums 1t provides that
every soldier sailor or marine who
served during the world war may en-
ter any of the normal schools or the
state university and receive $50 per
month from the state during a period
of four years, or the term through
which he attends such school.
"Just how many soldies will take
advantage of that bill, if it becomes a
| law, is problematical. We know this,
| however, that a fOur-year term will
cost the state over $1,000 per soldier.
It seems to me that it is conservative
to estimate that 10 per cent of the
| number listed will take advantage of
this offer, particularly in view of the
fact that the law permits adults to
take special courses, which would
mean that there is no age restriction.
If the estimate of 10 per cent is cor
rect it will require $10,OO00O0 to carry
through the provisions of the Nye bill.
Therefore the amount of money re-
quired to meet the obligations created
by this session for the benefit of the
soldiers will reach over $3O,O0OOO0.
"While we all feel grateful to our
soldier boys for their patriotic services,
/ feel that we should not appropriate
these tremendous, sums of money with
out consulting the people, and should
say in this connection that the appro-
priation of $780, 900 to take care of the
sick and needy has already been APP
proved, and is therefore a law.
MAY l suggest that you deal with
this senate bill which appropriates APP
proximately $20000,000 as follows:
That instead of either approving or
disappearing the bill at this time, you
pass a substitute with the following
provisions: Refer the question of the
tax levy which must be made to meet
it this year to vote of the people. to
be voted upon at special election to
be called by the governor, through the
secretary of state, on August 10, 1919
If the levy is approved by the people
the act should request the governor to
call special session of the legislature
Immediately after the referendum vote
is canvassed and counted, for the pur-
pose of enacting the necessary legisla-
fiop to make fhH law Onerativo tba