The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-03-29
BLAINE URGES
MANY CHANGES
CONTINUED from page u

/ Slons OF the bill on incomes over
$4,000, on the basis of one and one
half per cent for the first $1,000 grad
uated to seven per cent on all over
$4,000. This is a surtax feature and
brings the total maximum tax through
operation of the proposed law up to
IL per cent.
How Funds Distributed.
Governor Blaine outlined his plan
| of distribution of funds to include a
80 per cent payment not exceeding
$3,800,000 to the state at the time of
making the return to go to the uni
versity, normal schools and teachers
retirement fund. The next payment
on July 1, would be SO and 49, per
cent, not exceeding $4,000,000, in lieu
! Of mill taxes, for educational purpos-
es, with the balance of SO and 2-S
per cent to be paid to the town, city
or village in which the tax is assessed.
| Since half of this amount may be off
set by personal property : the city
share of income taxes amounts to as
low as Is per cent.
This means that S6,645,236, of tax
would be taken from general proper
ty and placed on incomes. The gov
renor's bill in affecting this trans
fer provides for complete repeal of
the personal property Offset to the in
ceme tax return on 63 and 1-3 per
cent of the total tax, and allows the
Offset on not more than so per cent
of tho return tn Iocal 1l0ifS
By this plan the governor would
set up two plans of taxation, he said,
one of real and personal property
taxes for local purposes, the other of
incomes for specific state purposes.
In addition he asks for an interim
committee to study personal property
taxation in Wisconsin with a view
ito classification into income produc-
ing and non-income producing per-
sonal property.
Specific recommendation for cut in
the appropriation to the national
guard was made by Governor Blaine
when he asked repeal of the section
of the statute which grants to- the
states military establishment a spe-
cial appropriation of 100000 annu-
ally.
Il am convinced that an efficient
and economical administration of the
| Wisconsin National Guard can be eff
fected through an appropriation under
100000" Governor Blaine said.
Hits at University.
To bring about further economies
in administrator Of the state govern
ment and institutions, Governor
Blaine urged that 100000 be cut off
the operating expenses of the univer-
| sity, that the state board of educa-
ton be abolished, the conservation
commission, civil service and tax COM
mission made one-man commissions
and the emergency board be limited
in it's powers. He expects to save
! $250,000 annually in addition to the
100000 on the university and $780,
900 on the national guard, by these
measures.
Military training at the university,
he said, is unnecessary and should be
eliminated.
Governor Blaine urged transfer of
| $3,416,175 Of the burden borne now by
general property for highway con-
struction and maintenance, to the au7
tomobile owner. He asked that the
legislature practice rigid economy in
authorizing a highway construction
program, and let it be known that he
would oppose any plan TO tax real
estate for additional highway funds.
He said that no more than $8,00O,0OO
should be raised by the state for road
purposes. -
Then came an extended attack upon
the search and seizure section of the
Severson prohibition law, upon the
eighteenth amendment to the federal
constitution and to the Volstead act.
Governor Blaine plainly stated his
position on prohibition when he said
that the eighteenth amendment Sim
properly writes into our fundamental
law police regulations and is the first
departure from the fundamental pur-
pose of our federal constitution"
The governor said that so long as
the amendment was part of the law
Of the land he would uphold the con-
stitution and the laws enacted under
it, but believed that state legislation
provide enforcement would be mo
more restrictive in all its parts than
the national legislation on the sub
ject."
On all of the Fundamental subjects
dealt with by Governor Blaine in his
message, he was outspoken and stated
his position frankly. After placing
his ideas before the legislature, he
told tha members that it was up to
them to accept Or reject them.