The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-03-29
BLAINE URGES
MANY CHANGES
Lengthy Legislative Mes
sage Hits atlTax Problem
and Many Others.
TO CUT EXPENSE
Proposes Not Only New Tax
Bill but General Looping Off
of States Expenditures.
fBv Associated Pressl

/
| Madison, Wis. - Fundamental prob
lens confronting the Wisconsin legis-
lature, including taxation, the nation
al guard, highways, governmental and
! prohibition, were dealt with by Gov
ernor J. J. Blaine in a comprehensive
/ special message personally delivered
to joint meeting of the two houses
today, in which he forcefully outlined
the executive policy.
The following five recommendations
were made by the governor in his
5000 word message, replete with sug-
gestions of vital concern to the pub
| lie:
| l. Complete revision of the present
income tax law to transfer $6,648,236
/ of the present tax on real and per-
sonal property to incomes by a read
IJustment of rates that he believes will
not place an unjust burden upon any
class of individuals or industry Re-
peal of the personal property offset on
| five-sixths of the income tax is pro-
vided. The governor urged in addi-
tion a one-man tax commission in
place of the present three-man COM
| mission, and asks an interim legisIa-
tive committee to study personal
property taxes with a view to CLASH
| fication.
Repeal National Guard Fund.
2. Repeal of the 100000 special
appropriation to the national guard
Awith expression Of the opinion that
/ +Lo ,,arJ oox h. ,,,,;x.+o;,nJ "a - -
nual cost to the state of less than
100000. Favor is expressed for
abandonment of compulsory military
training at the University of Wiscon-
sin, as provided in the Sachtjen bill
before the legislature.
8. Rigid economy in highway ex-
penditures, with enactment of a high
way program that will raise no more
than $8,OO0,OO0 for state trunk high
way purposes. None of this amount
should come from a tax on real or
personal property.
A. Economy in governmental af-
fairs by abolition Of the state board
| of education, reduction in the APP
preparations to the university for OPP
Grating expenses Of 100000, restric-
tion of the amount the emergency
board can appropriate to departments,
and reduction in the membership of
the civil service and conservation COM
missions to one-man bodies.
5. Enactment to the search and
seizure section of the prohibition law,
which now "hangs as threat and
menace over every home, SO make
this law no more restrictive than the
national enforcement statute. At
tack on the eighteenth or prohibition
amendment and the Volstead act as
duly restrictive.
Makes Direct Proposals.
Dealing with each of these prob
lens that have tangled the legisla-
ture into complicated alignments Sc
riously affecting all major legislation,
Governor Blaine made direct and spe-
cifc recommendations for their solu-
ton. Except for a detailed explana-
tion Of the tax bill he proposed to
the legislature, the governor explains
his stand on the other important sub
jects of legislation in a brief sum-
mary fashion.
Taxation was the principal concern
of the message. The governor outlin-
ed to the members provisions of
measure that would raise $12,600,OOO
annually from incomes in the state
by imposing rates on individual in
comes varying from one-half of one
per cent on. the first $500 of taxable
income, to 10 per cent on taxable net
incomes over $4,000, and on corpora