Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-03-04
Blaine OPPOSES
BOOST In TAXES
Governor Reads Message to the
Legislature in a Joint
Session.
EXECUTIVE URGES ECONOMY
Says "Under No Circumstances Should
There BE Any Additional Mill
Taxes Levied Against General
Property"

Under no circumstances
should there be any additional mill
taxes levied against the general prop
erty, nor should there be any increase
in taxation on the general property"
This was the crux of the message
delivered by Gov. John ]. Blaine be-
fore both houses of the Wisconsin leg
islature in a joint session early this
week. Supplementing the message,
which was read by the governor, were
80 financial tables showing the exact
financial condition of the state. Econ
omy was the watchword of the mes
sage.
in studying the financial conditions
of the state,' continued the governor,
''the necessity for economy becomes
to me more and more urgent. We are
now in period of depression, recon
structiOn and uncertainty. On the
other hand, there are services due the
people from the government, and it
would be an unWise financial policy it
we neglect any necessary or essential
needs of our institutions.
ITO postpone day of reckoning is
not economy. To temporize with con-
ditions that should be corrected is not
craftsmanship. To permit the states
property to go into delapidation and
decay is the utmost extravaganza, for
the old adage, "a stitch in time saves
nine, applies to state and her insti
buttons. as well as to individuals"
Governor Blaine called his financial
tables ian inventory of the financial
condition of the state" He said that
the general property tax levies-that
is, taxes on tangible property for all
purposes, including state, county,
town, city, village and school district
have increased from the sum of 3d.,
61O,975 in 1911 to S96,OOO,OOO in 1920,
end that the average tax rate for the
same purposes has increased from
OH in 1911 to .O237 in 1920.
Governor Blaine then said:
"The estimated receipts for the BIZ
ennial period beginning July 1 next
are as follows: For the year 1921-1922,
$29, 152, 695.54 for the year 1922-1923,
SIC, 349, 992.S0. The requests for ap-
preparations for the same period are
as follows: For the year 1921-1922,
1902, 161.05; for the year 1922-1923,
$34, 1904, 321.11. 1t will be seen that the
requests exceed the receipts for the
first year of the period by 81 1888, 465.-
81, and for the second year by $500.
1881.
'In my opinion, the estimated re-
ceipts are excessive, for the reason
that the railroad taxes which are
based upon the average tax rate for
the state, will be decreased on account
Of the absence of a general tax for the
soldiers recognition fund, and in times
of depression it is reasonable to pre-
sumo that other state incomes will be
less
takes on real and personal proper
ty have increased in the last six years
from $42,O00,000 in 1914 to $96000OOO
in 1920, or an increase of 100 per
cent" said Governor Blaine.
without including employees in
the educational, charitable and penal
institutions, there has been an in
crease in the last five or six years of
so per cent in the number of state elm
ployees.
1.-THE number of commissions has in
creased exceeding 30 per cent.
"The appropriations made in 1919
for the biennial period exceed the re-
ceipts by about $3,OO0O0O.
''The requests for appropriations for
the next biennium exceed the estimat-
ed receipts by about $16,000,0O0.
1.-THE funds available for highway
purposes on January /, 1921, leave
free balance in the state treasury of
about $1,OO0,O0O.
"The teachers insurance and retire
ment fund shows a present deficit of
over $10,0O0000, if the provisions of
the present law are observed.
THE university asks for new build
ings, lands, etc. Capital account) for
the next two years, four times as much
as it spent for the same purpose i'll
the last six years.
'"The board of control asks nearly
twice as much for the next two years
as it spent in the last six years, for
new buildings, lands, etc.
''The emergency appropriations and
the deficits asked amount to $1,500,000,
and there has been no money provided
to pay the same"
Governor Blaine then discussed def
cheney appropriations. He said that
budget estimates showed an estimated
deficit of 1882, 72O.3S for the biennium
ending June 80 next.
Over MiIion-DoIIar Deficit.
That over a million-dollar deficit
has been incurred by the state board
of control in the last two years was