The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1922-07-06
Governor Blaine Sheds
Huge Crocodile Tears

jment of the crime against property
should have born a good reputation
in the community in which he lived
A crime against property, as we
take it, would include moonshining
bank robbery, arsen, destruction od
property of others, forgery, and dowr
4 through the list of crimes involving
property, and we would like to in
ouire of Mr.. Blaine if he would par
don any young man for these of
fenses, if previous to the commits.
sion of the crime the young mar
had good reputation?
Although the Governor and Legis-
lature of Wisconsin have nothing
whatever to do with the Esch-Cum-
mings law passed by Congress and
have nothing to do with changing OF
modifying it, yet Mr.. Blaine devoted
much of his time in denouncing the
law and laid up against it all the
evils the country has saffered. In
his remarks he said that the Esch-
Cummings law had piled freight
rates so high that it cost farmer
in Barron, Wis, $79.95 to ship a
wagon from GAINESVILLE, Wis.
Bayfield, county dealers and farm
ers who have purchased wagons and
who were present at the meeting and
heard Mr.. Blaine made the state
ment, knew there was something
wrong with the figures as given in
his effort to catch votes. The or
binary farm wagon weighs from 500
to 1000 lbs. The. freight rate on a
single wagon from Janesville to
Washburn is CSC per hundred, max
| ing the freight on wagon cost from
1884 to $3.50. This is present day
rates which may be obtained from
the Omaha today. Before the recent
cut the rate was $1.061s from James
vile to Washburn on wagons, and a
farmer or dealer could get carload
for about the price Mr.. Blaine quot
| ed in his fgues. The price of a
Deere -Webbe farm wagon, so we are
informed by dealers, is from $4,000
to $1,000, delivered. Quite a con-
trast from the figures given out by
the Governor.
Governor Blaine explained to the
Injecting his veto of the bill passed by
the special session of the Legisla-
| ture pertaining to the corporation
income tax. returns and attempted to
build up a defense for his action by
endeavoring to chow that the Legis-
lature had placed a "veil of secrecy
around these returns which prevent
Fed examination by the Governor.
The Catlin bill as passed by the
State Legislature, and which was
vetoed by the Governor, extended the
| time the Tax Commission. could in
vestigate income tax returns from
three to six wears, placed a double
| tax upon corporations or persons
found attempting to defraId the
state of income tax, and in the evend
of fraud extended the time for In
vestigating the returns back to the
time the income law was inauguart-
ed. 1t went even farther. 1t pro-
vided that tax returns of corporations
were subject to review by the Gov
ernor, the State Tax Commission
county or local taxing officials, dis
trict attorneys, ETC., but it did pro
hibit your business and mine from
becoming commoll property of inquisi
tive. people. The Catlin bill provid
ed for the appropriation of the sun
of $65,e0O with which to employ ex
perts to investigate these returns
but Mr.. Blaine evidentally did no
want to strengthen the laws in ordel
Ito catch the tax dodgers he com
plains about, but rather to build VI
4 for himself a political issue on which
to make campaign. He vetoet
this bill which would have PLACED
| in the hands of every taxing official
as we'll as the Governor, weapon
with which to deal with dishones
corporations and make them pay thei
| just share of the taxes of this Estate
i He criticizes the Senators and AS
semblymen who voted to Strengthen
the raxing law, but he waits till cleo
tion time to do it in the hope tha
voters will not take the time an
trouble to look into the facts.
j During the entire address M
Blaine side-stepped issues in Wis
consin but played on the Sympathie
and prejudices of his listeners, an
it is doubtful if anyone present ca
tell you just where the Governo
stands on the issues of the day j
Wisconsin politics.