Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1922-03-31
RETAIN TAXLAW
SECRECY CLAUSE
SPECIAL SESSION OF LEGisLA.
TURE 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.

houses of the legislature in special
session rejected Gov Blaine's 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 vote of 10 to - adopted the
Skognno substitute, opening income re-
turns to all public officials in their
official capacity.
The assembly, by a 81 to 80 vote,
defeated a motion to reject the Catlsn
substitute to the Dahl repeal bill. 1t
adopted the substitute by a 81 to 80
vote and the amended bill was then
passed, S. 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.
cono+o,, cSax1o~co,, 49, ;,,+,o7,,ac17
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 10, to reject
the Severson amendment to the Skog-
mo substitute. The Seyerson amend
ment provided that "the income re-
turns, or a 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-
tions of public records generally"
Political Move Charged.
Opposition legislators asserted that
Gov. Blaine's veto Of the Chaplin bill,
giving all public officials authority to
review income tax records, will estab-
Iish 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
teal fight was under way, with every
member of the legislature on record.
They assert that tie amendment ac-
copied 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 a
period of six years, and is provided
with an appropriation Of $4,000 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 al
view to recovering additional unreport-
ed taxes for the soldiers bonus fund,
and soldiers educational bonus fund
and the general income tax fund, 70
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 inyesti-
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,000 of
the $3.50, 900 needed to complete this
project is available from the service
recognition fund.
Under another measure passed by
the special session, assessments will
be doubled where it is evident that
attempt has been made to withhold
report of earnings.
Where corporations have gone into
bankruptcy. still owing taxes to the
state, stockholders are liable for full
payment, the tax commission reports.
The commission plans a sweeping in
vestigation now that broad authority
has been granted it by. the legislature.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars
of additional tax will be paid into the
treasury through the investigations to
be put under way, the tax commits
sion believes. Special attention will
be paid to the income reports of cor
porations for 1917, 1918 and 1919, the
war period, when earnings were. ex-
ceptionally large.
Legislators expect that increased
funds for income tax investigation
work will likely be appropriated to the
tax commission at the next regular
session should the present probe re-
suit in the discovery of large amounts
of additional revenue.
Gasoline.