Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1921-01-15
TAKING PROBLEM !:
UP To S0[ONS
Lawmakers Must Find More
Sources of Revenue.
MESSAGE DUE ON THURSDAY
Sow. Blaine Expected to Recommend
Repeal of Personal Property Off
set to income Tax-To Rush
Work at This Session.
BY FRED /. HOLMES.

lens loom rs the largest question be-
fore the legislature in order 10 pro-
vide funds TO meet the increased ex-
penses of government it will be neces-
sary to find new sources of taxation.
Until the taxation problem is settled
and it is definitely known exactly what
the funds of the state will be it will
be almost impossible to work out the
enainder of the legislative program.
Governor Blaine will present his
message to the legislature on Thurs
day. In his campaign speeches he adj
vOcated an increase in the income tax
rate, which has remained stationary
since the law was enacted in 1911. 1t
is believed that he will also recon-
| mend the repeal of the personal prop
erty offset. In asking for the repeal of
the personal property offset to the in
come tax Governor Blaine is not alone.
He will have the support of the state
tax commission in making this recon-
mendatiOn. Under the present law, if
! a person has been assessed on his per-
E0nai property and also on his inconz.
| the amount Of taxes assessed against
Is personal property may be used as
an offset against his income tax. This
| provision of the law has nulified in
part The operation Of the income tax
law. The tax commission SAYS that
| since the enactment of the income tax
law only % per cent of the taxes lev
led have been collected in cash. Forty.
three per cent of such tax has been
offset by the personal property tax.
| The total amount of the tax levied
from 1913 to 1920 Inclusive was $53.-
! l42,233.14 OF this amount 500 697,-
299.l6 was collected in cash. In view
of the present demand f.. revenue to
meet public expenditures this seems
10 he an oppOrtune time to repeal the
Offset provision. In 1920 the offset
amounted to $5.5716 0G41. With the
repeal of the offset provision this
amount would have been aided to the
revenue Of the state
The income ia, is largely On urban
tax The total offset in 1920 vas So
| 511,G06.41. OF this amou1s1 S4,G66. III.
a. was used in cities and only 1904.
| s. G2 in towns and villages.
The commission recommends that
he family exemption Of residents be
extended to nonresidents of the state.
to comply with the United States ST..
preme court decision rendered on the
same feature in the income tax law Of
| New York The commission refrains
from recommending any increase in
the exemptions now provided.
At present dividends from banks are
not subject to the income tax In the
hands of the stakeholder, hut the com
| mission recomm5 nds that in the event
hat the personal property effect provi-
Ion be abolished that such dividends
be taxed.
The hotel Hobbies are crowded with
people who are here for the CD 4slng
of the legislature. Th1 prediction has
been made that. owing to the recent in
crease in railroad fare, members of
the legislature will be inclined 10 1e-
main in Madison and TO push the work
OF the session to an early close. There
Is spirit prevalent among the mem
bers here today that such a policy may
be followed
Temporary bids for legislative print
ing have been let by the state printing
board. The Democrat Printing con!
pany Of Madison was awarded the
temporary bid for al legislative print
ING. with the exception OF the enroll
| ment bills and the senate and assem-
bly, calendars. The latter will be print
ed by the Billed Printing company oil
| Madison. The Democrat company bid
is GG per cent above ghe maximum al.
lowed by the law and the company is
now doing this same work under CON
, uact for 80 per cent above the preSem
maximum. The Democrat cou5Ianv
was the lowest bidder.
The Cant0eIl Printing company get.
the WORK for the printing of consider
7 able work not classified. Their bid
was 80 per cent higher than the maxi
/ mum fixed by law No contracts were
let fo' tie printing OF pgtuph'ets and
bound volumes. These large increases
have been due to the large increase; ia
the cost of Operation.
State officials and employees. con.
prising q committee taking In ever5
classification of stare WORT are compi-
ing data for an acturial study on tht@
possibility Of work ng out a plan tor
pension FUND for si2!e employees.
Members of the committee are Or.
Charles Mccarthy. chairman: Supreme
Court Justice Rosenberg. J. ID. Bor-
den, state board If education: Plat
Whitman. state insurance commission
RI :;~Miss Maud Nepud, state board 81
/ control Miss Caroline Hunts TAX com
mission John a. Hazelwood, score
tary, state board Of public 4rairs.
During the year 1920 deputies az
the industrial commission Investigated
26i6 Incidents 'to determine whether
the injured employees or theT depend.
ents were entitled to IN increase In