The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-07-17
r. w. Davis, President
County Boards AssOcia-
ton, Raps Governor.
GIVES OUT STATEMENT

letter follows:
In view of the fact that in your
platform issued a few days ago you
completely faced about and repudiated
your own position on the gasoline tax
question. AS president of the Wiscon-
sin County Boards association, feel
it my duty to present the facts to the
public, whom you are attempting to
mislead. l do this more especially,
because, when a committee of that as
ISOLATION called on you early in the
session of the legislature you
promised to sign gasoline tax bill
and later broke faith with them. In
your recent platform you sum up your
present views on the gasoline tax as
follows:
"There is no issue on gas tax II
it is imposed as a privilege tax on
gas used on all highways and streets
and distributed on such highways and
streets on mileage basis"
You then go on to state that the
bill you vetoed did not meet these
conditions and this was the reason
of your veto.
Challenge Blaine Statement.
I challenge that statement, Cover
nor Blaine, as being piece of sheer
and reckless misrepresentation. In
discussing public problems the Exec
utive should at least adhere to the
truth, That this challenge is justified
propose to briefly show from the
records. l first refer to the senate
journal of Thursday, June 2Sth, 1928,
which contains your veto message, in
which you cite the following reasons
for vetoing the gasoline bill:
/. That it is not a privilege tax
but property tax. This is palpable
absurdity as any boy in the first years
law class would know.
2. That it is a tax on the con-
sumner.
8. That it Is capable of evasion.
4. That each dealer Is his own as
SCISSOR without any assurance that the
state will receive the tax.
s.. That the dealers will not only
pass the tax on to the consumer, but
add an additional amount.
6. That it imposes an additional
burden on users of automobiles which
is unnecessary and uni ustifable.
Z. That the conservative newspa-
pers of the state are in favor of it.
8. That it will be an excuse for
an agitation in favor Of federal sales
tax.
8. That the distribution of the
funds it not proper.
Now Change Stand.
You now say that there is no issue
on the gas question except the mat
ter Of distribution. A year ago you
raised eight other issues, will you ex-
plain this to the public.
Every one Of the objections you
urged against the gas tax in your veto
message is just as true Of the gas
tax under the method Of distribution
which you propose-which incidentally
is absurd. If the proceeds of the
gasoline tax are distributed over all
the roads, as you wv advocate, it is
just as much of sales tax as if the
proceeds were distributed over a limit
ed mileagej it is just as much tax
on the consumers it is just as cap
able of evasion; it is just as difficult
Of collectionj it is subject to the
dealer adding to the price; it is just
as much of an additional burden on
the users of automobiles and un-
doubtedly is just as much subject to
being supported by the conservative
newspapers.
If this is not an attempt, Governor,
TO deliberately mislead the public, will
you characterize it as it should be ?
Blaine's Course Zigzagged.
It may be said you have changed
your mind. You have done this SO
often that your political course seems
to zigzag like ship endeavoring to
escape from submarine. If you have
charged your mind it is very recent.
At the annual road school last Janus
airy, which / attended, you dehantly
told those present that you would
veto gas tax if passed by the legis-
lature and proceeded to argue that the
automobile was being taxed too high
now. In doing this you challenged the
right of the people to determine their
own legislation, as the election Of
members to the next legislature will
be practical referendum on the gas
oline tax question. This was, to say
CiS lSdSCy d Oh 6ACCublNe duLOCEdCys
Even SO late as March 21st, this
Year, you sent letter to all the town
ship and county and village officials
Of Wisconsin in which you proceeded
to give some fatherly advice Oh mat
ters which they were. far better equip
ped to determine than you were. So
late as that date you said, speaking
of the gasoline tax:
Blaine's Earlier Stand.
"The proposed gasoline sales tax is
one Of those painless taxes that filches
your N 2ney little by little, but it
takes it just the same. There may
be one reason for a gasoline sales
tax and that is to reach the non-resi-
dent users of our highways. That will
not prove to be much relief. The cost
Of collecting the tax will largely eat
Up anything we may gain. Besides,
it will be a difficult tax to collect
without fraud and losses creeping in"
That was little over three months
ago. Now you are willing to fitch the