Iron County news. [volume] (Hurley, Wis.) 1913-1950, 1925-12-26
Tax Situation Will
Be His Platform
Governor Blaine Expected to An
nounce Candidacy for Senate
After the Holidays.

Madison-Political campaigns will
be launched shortly after the holi-
days with the expected official an
nouncement by Gov John J. Blaine
of his candidacy for the United
States senate. Gov. Blaine has
already indicated that his campaign
will be waged mainly on the present
tax system with the belief that his
tax record is his chief source of vote
getting strength.
Governor Blaine has written
number of articles for labor publ
cations in which he declares that
under the Badger inheritance tax
law few, if any, estates would pay
less in other states than they do in
Wisconsin and he includes Florida
in this assertion. His satisfaction
over the tax situation, as expressed
in signed articles, indicates that he
will take his tax administration as
a cornerstone on which to build his
campaign.
In his latest signed article on the
tax situation, not yet published, he
discusses all phases of the states
revenue raising measures and stress
es that with the credit for state in
heritance taxes, which is allowed
under the federal law, few, if any,
estates will ever have to pay a
larger inheritance tax in Wisconsin
than in any other state in the union,
not barring Florida"
The governor also emphasizes that
he can see no unjust burdens in the
income taxes as revised. He points
out that even now the income tax is
small as compared with the general
property tax, its total yield being
but little more than one-tenth as
great as that of the property tax
He justifies the shift of burden from
property to incomes by saying that
no one needs pay an income tax
except where there is an income to
pay it while property taxes fall due
regardless of whether there is an
income from property.
Because of our income tax some
prosperous corporations possibly
have to pay more taxes than they
would in states levying no income
or corporation taxes; but it is GER
tainly not placing too heavy bur
den on such corporations to ask
them to contribute not to exceed 6
percent of their net income, and av-
eraging far less, to the support of
the state and local government,
Governor Blaine asserts. "For strug-
Cling and but moderately prosperous
corporations and business men and
for the farmers and home owners,
the Wisconsin income tax is a posi-
tive boon; since it serves to some
what reduce the tax burden on real
estate"
Governor Blaine has written a
summary of what he thinks of the
tax and financial condition of the
state and it is believed that these
views will be frequently expounded
when he takes to the stump early
next year.
in Wisconsin, the great increase
in state expenditures occurred in the
three years Immediately following
the close of the war" Gov Blaine de-
clares Since 1921, state expendi-
lures have increased but slightly
The total net disbursements of the
state were but percent greater
in 1925 than in 1921.
Almost all of the increase, more
over, occurred in the two items,
highway construction and main
tensnce and support of the state
university The first of these items
represents mainly capital invest
ments while the increase in the ex-
penditures Of the university has
been rendered necessary by increased
attendance.
Wisconsin is today in at least as
good shape financially as any state
in the Union. Its state government
does not have one dollar of bonded
Indebtedness and its treasury has
q favorable balance that it IS