The L'Anse sentinel., 1922-06-30
LENNON ADVOCATES
STATE INCOME TAX

The Hon. Peter B. Lennon, state
representative from Genessee district,
was the speaker at the Pomona
Grange meeting held at Skanee last
Saturday.
His subject was "The State Income
Tax" In the we'll delivered address
he showed his thorough knowledge Of
the subject and brought to his hearers
q fund of information of facts and
figures to support his stand. He is
known as the father" of the State
Income Tax Resolution introduced in
the legislature at the last session and
fought for it's passage in the House.
Representative Lennon will speak in
several counties of the upper peninsu-
la at Pomona Grange meetings and
has been in almost every county be-
low the straits in the support of the
proposed constitutional amendment
which will be submitted to the vot-
ers on November z, and which, if
passed, will give the State Legisla-
ture authority to enact State In
come Tax law. Already eighteen
states have income tax laws and in
every progressive state in the Union
such law is being agitated, and
Representative Lennon stated as his
belief that within few years a uni
form income tax law will be in force
in all the leading states, as it is uni
versally conceded to be the fairest
tax ever conceived by man for the
reason that it taxes persons accord
ing to their ability to pay.
He declared that $3.50 only Of the
wealth Of the state is being taxed and
that as result real estate is over
burdened, and because our state tax
laws distribute the burden Of taxation
so unequally men Of wealth do not
pay their just share. He cited in
stances of men worth forty million
who were not paying a dollar Of tax
es for the support Of state and local
government, and of the head of one
of our largest educational institu-
tions with salary of $4,000, housed
by the state, who does not pay one
cent in taxes to the state.
He quoted a former member of the
tax commission who asserted before
hearing in the House of Represent
atives hall, that the total valuation of
all the real and personal property on
the tax roll in the state is in round
numbers five billion dollars; that
there was over six billion dollars
worth of property in the state not on
the tax roll. The only practical way
to put this property on the tax roll
is trough an income tax.
This he considered a sufficient an
swer to the one forceful argument put.
forth by the opponents to an income
~, hot xxth<
paying the taxes now would pay the
income tax. Zone thing is certain.
we have run past the danger signal
on taxation on real estate and we
must back up Immediately or we will
have tax panic in Michigan. While,
he stated, that he had gone into the
Legislature with the intention of
slashing every appropriation in sight
as he believed that not so much money
was needed to properly maintain our
institutions, his experience in two
sessions of the Legislature and be-
coming conversant with conditions in
all Of our state institutions, he would
say, without hesitation, that not one
of them received more than it needs
and some of them are getting along
on funds greatly inadequate. "The
time has come" he said, when it is
not only question of keeping up our
institutions, but it is a question Of
saving the homes of the great rank
and file Of the people of the state. The
iniquities Of our present tax system
were brought out glaringly in the
year 1921. Thousands of men in the
cities were thrown out Of employ
ment. many of whom were in debt
on their homes or had purchased
them on contract and with no income
of any kind they were called upon to
pay the highest tax on record. The
same condition existed among the
farmers who were operating their
farms at loss"
"Within the last year." said Mr..
Lennon. "many big corporations have
sent eloquent speakers out among
the farmers in an endeavor to pull ag-
riculture out of the rut. They realize
that prosperity can never return until
the farmer regains his buying pow
er. All these men talk is more pro-
duction, more production. The mo-