The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-04-01
Legislature to Take Up New
Scheme Soon.
10000 CARS ESCAPE TAXES
Bill by Senator Ridgeway Provides
Certificate of Ownership" for Car
Owners-WouId Prevent Theft
of Automobiles in State.
BY FRED /. HOLMES.

Wisconsin may be taxed upon a new
system. At the present time these
machines are taxed as personal prop
erty and the taxes are collected To-
cally.
An investigation which has been
made by state authorities shows that
approximately 10000 automobiles that
were on the rolls of the secretary OF
states office for auto licenses last year
were overlooked by local assessors
when it came to taxing them.
Two plans for taxation of automO-
biles are now being considered. One
plan is to assess the automobiles
when the license is received at Office
of secretary of state, according to
value of the car and the tax money
shall be made payable to a fund for
highway construction. The other plan
which is under consideration is to
have the person pay his taxes on his
automobile to the. state when he re-
ceives his automobile license Such
a plan would not permit the use of
set against income tax returns. 1t
now seems quite certain that this ses-
sion of the legislature will work out q
definite scheme for taxing autOmo-
biles.
The legislature is considering dras-
tic steps to prevent the stealing OF
automobiles in the state.
Through the Ridgway bill, it is pro-
posed to establish a statewide check
ing system which will make the "get-
ting away" with stolen motor vehicles
practically impossible. The bill will
come before the senate state affairs
committee for hearing Wednesday af-
ternoon.
Senator Ridgway is the sponsor of
the measure. Under the provisions
Of the measure, each township asses
sor is provided with a list of cars in
his district, their owner, description
of the vehicles and all identifying
numerals.
The owner of a car, after receiving
his license, will go to the county clerk
and procure from him certificate of
ownership" This certificate, to be
furnished by the state, must be car
ried at all times when driving. 1t will
establish a situation parallel to that
Of carrying hunting licenses.
The certificate will be in card form.
1t must be exhibited whenever de-
manded by any officer.
All foreign cars will be put on a
separate record. A fine of not less
than So or more than 500, with jail
more than three months, is provided
The law is considered by highway
men one of the most effective fOrmu-
lated to counterfeit organized automO-
bile thievery. It's enactment, its au-
thor claims, would spread over the
state web of contact with all motor
vehicles and enable the tracing Of
stolen cars with facility and ac-
curacy
One of the indirect results of such
a law, 1t is declared by Senator Ridg-
way, would be the lowering of the
rates on automobile theft insurance.
Many cigars labeled pure Havana"
contain a sprig of Havana and much
Wisconsin tobacco.
Wisconsin tobacco is sent from the
state labeled binders" and comes
back into the state labeled wrap
pers."
Tobacco growers are being beaten
out of thousands of dollars each year
because of an improper grading Of
Wisconsin's products, the joint finance
committee of the legislature was told
by G. M. Pulley, representing the to-
bacco growers of the state.
wisconsin tobacco is the only leaf
grown in this country having neu-
trail flavor" Pulley told the commit
tee members. "Tt is therefore mixed
with Havana and Porto Rico tobacco
and sold as foreign produce. Our
short tobacco is resweated until it be-
comes dark and heavy and then passes
onto the market as foreign tobacco.
The tobacco grower sells Wisconsin
tobacco, but the middleman sells Wis
consin tobacco IS foreign tobacco and
gets the higher price.
buyers tell Wisconsin growers
they cannot realise wrapper tobacco
here" Pulley said. "They say that
Connecticut is the only state in the
Union that can produce this variety.
Yet Wisconsin wrappers are sold on
the general maSket. In the East there
are quotations on Wisconsin wrap
pers. yet none are sold by growers in
this state. All our tobacco is sold as
binders at 55 cents per pound. Wrap
pers bring $3.50 per pound
Pulley said Wisconsin growers
were injuring themselves by trying to
beat the buyers. He said it was com
mon practice in some localities to
'swet down" cured tobacco to make II
weigh heavier.
"These growers evidently don'i
know they are locked for every pound