Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1922-03-31
RETAIN TAX LAW
SECRECY CLAUSE.
SPECIAL SESSION OF LEGISLA-
TUKE VOTES DOWN RE-
PEAL BILL.
BLAINE vETOES SUBSTITUTE
Political Move Charged by Opponents
of Administration - More Time
Provided for Probe of In
come Tax Returns.

Madison-Decisive votes in both
houses of the legislature in special
session rejected Gov. Blaines bills to
repeal the secrecy clause of the in
come tax law
The senate killed the Severson bill,
calling for repeal of the secrecy clause,
and by a vote of 10 to II adopted the
Skogmo substitute, opening income re-
turns to all public officials in their
official capacity.
The assembly, by a 81 to SO vote,
defeated motion to reject the Catlin.
substitute to the Dahl repeal bill. 1t
adopted the substitute by 81 to 80
vote and the amended bill was then
passed, So to 80.
The amended bills open income rec
ords to amy state, county or local
officer in SO far as the same pertains
to his official duties" and not to the
public generally, as asked by Gov.
Blaine in his call for the special ses-
sion
Gov. Blaine announced that he would
veto the amended bill and word from
opposition leaders was to the effect
that there would be no attempt to pass
the measure over the governors Veto
Seek to Alter Bill.
Defeated in the first skirmish, adj
ministration leaders offered amend
ments to the amended bills to open in
come records as all other public rec
ords.
Senator Severson, who introduced
the senate amendment, declared the
secrecy clause fight would be carried
into the next election on this issue and
described the Skogmo substitute as "a
humbug and fraud"
The senate voted, 10 to II, to reject
the Severson amendment to the Skog-
mo substitute. The Severson amend
ment provided that "the income re-
turns, or copy thereof, or any papers
or records in connection Herewith Of
any person, corporation, joint stock
company, or association, shall consti-
tute public records and be open to in
spection as such under the same rules
and regulations as govern the inspec-
tons of public records generally"
Political Move Charged.
Opposition legislators asserted that
Gov. Blaines veto of the Chaplin bill,
giving all public officials authority to
review income tax records, will estab-
lish that his motive in calling the spe-
cial session was to create political
issue for the coming campaign.
Administrative leaders in both
houses let it be known that the poll
tical fight was under way, with every
member of the Legislature on record.
They assert that the amendment ac-
cepted by both houses in no way
meets the objection of the governor
to the secrecy clause and that his
fight will be carried to the voters.
More Time to Probe Returns.
Under two other measures enacted
at the special session, the tax com
mission is given authority to investi-
gate income reports of corporations
and individuals in the state over
period OF six years, and is provided
with an appropriation of $65,000 an
nually to prosecute this work.
Eleven field auditors of the com
mission will be placed in the field per-
manently to probe returns made by
the larger firms of the state, with
view to recovering additional unreport-
ed taxes for the soldiers bonus fund.
and soldiers educational, bonus fund
and the general income tax fund, 20
per cent of which goes to the cities,
20 per cent to counties and 10 per
cent to the state.
From the returns of field investi-
gators, it is expected by Gov. Blaine,
that sufficient funds will be made
available to permit construction of
the Wisconsin General hospital. on
which establishment of a four med
ical course at the University of Wis
consin depends. Already $75O,0OO of
the $1,350,000 needed to complete this
project is available from the seryisnr
recognition fund.
Under another measure pa
the special session, asseN
be doubled where it isl
attempt has been ma
report of earnings.
Where corporation
bankruptcy, still I
ssate, stockholdeH
payment, the tai
The commissioI
vestigation no
has been gran
Hundreds
of additional
treasury thro