The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1924-04-03
A. L. Kreutzer Accepts
Call to Become Candi-
date for Governor.
OUTLINES PLATFORM
In Accepting Call, He Outlines
His Platform, Calling for
Tax Reductions.

Declaring himself solidly in favor
of reduction in taxes, a business-l1ke
administration of the state affairs,
fair and reasonable gasoline tax and
for a fair, reasonable, common-sense
and fearless administration of the
laws, A. L. Kreutzer, of Wausau, came
out openly as candidate for governor
of the state of Wisconsin today when
announcement was made that he had
accepted the call extended to him by
a majority of the county chalrmen OF
the state. He will seek the nomination
as the Republican candidate for gov
ernor and has announced that he will
make an active campaign for it.
His statement in reply to the call
extended to him by the county chair
men of the state is most comprehen-
sive, autlining in full the platform on
which he will seek the governorshlp.
This statement follows:
To the committee representing the
chairmen of majority of the county
board of Wisconsin.
Gentlemen:
You presented to me yesterday a
call, signed by majority of the chair
men of the County Board of Wisconsin,
requesting me to announce myself as
candidate for nomination as Govern
or of Wisconsin, at the coming primary
election.
Your committee informs me that
since your annual convention. held at
Wausau last January on which occas-
ion l addressed the convention of the
Wisconsin County Boards association
on the subject of Taxation in Coun-
ties in Wisconsin," this call has been
voluntarily circulated among the mem
bers and most generously signed by
them.
Call is Representative.
! The signers of this call are chair
men of the county boards of your res
pectice counties. You are also chair
men and representatives of your res
pective towns, villages and cities.
Your position as such places you in
closer contact with local government
and with the taxpayers and citizens
of the state generally than any other
public officials. With the exception of
the state government, county boards
are the largest and most important
governing units in the state. Aside
from the state and few Of our larg-
er cities, the county boards administer
the expenditure of the largest part of
our taxes.
I am also aware that as members of
county boards you have a clearer UNI
derstanding of the needs, problems and
y.cen 80 +ha 10 Of WicnOn-
sin chan any other public officials.
This is particularly true as to the
taxpayers from the farms and in the
towns and smaller cities and villages.
For this reason feel I have right
to construe your call to me as repre-
senting the sentiment and rejecting
the political wishes of your constitu-
ents in your home counties.
l need not inform your committee
that consider the call which you have
presented exceedingly gratifying, in
that it manifests the trust and conf
dence which its signers have in me,
but also 1 appreciate the great respon-
sibility which it imposes upon me.
Call Presents Issues.
Your call presents the vital issues
now confronting the voters and tax
payers of Wisconsin. l can not i'm
prove upon the clear and precise pres
entation of these issues as embodied
in it, In your call to me you have said
that these issues are:
1. "The reduction of taxation which
has become almost unmbearable and is
fast approaching the point of confis-
cation.
2. "a radical reduction in the num-
Der of Offices, office-holders and state
and local employees
8. Restoring and placing the adj
ministration of all political units of
the state on a common-sense and bus
iness-like basis.
a. "a sound, comprehensive and
business-like management of the high
ways and highway finances Of the
state, present and prospective, to the
end tina ia state and county program
may be planned and revenues provided
that will lower the burden of general
property taxes.
5. "The adoption of fair and reas-
enable gasoline tax in order to place
at least a part of the heavy burden of
maintaining our great highway system
upon the users of said highways and
not as at present upon the entire pub
lie, whether users or non-users to any
degree.
6. Continuation of all progressive
themselves sound and beneficial to the
state activities which have proven
public and the elimination on the 9TH
er hand of such activities as should be
purely local or such as experience has
demonstrated to be unwise, unsound
and expensive to the state and its peo-
pie.
Z. "For fair, reasonable, common
sense and fearless administration Of
all laws"
Comments on Issues.
agree with your statement of what
constitute the issues before the peo-
pie at this time. Within the short
limits of this response to your call
will not make an extended discussion
of them. l think it proper, however,
for me to comment briefly upon the
several issues as stated by you in the
order in which they appear in your