Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1925-05-28
WISCONSIN WILL PAY THE
LEGISLATIVE FIDDLER


The Wisconsin state legislature will close its
biennial session with the usual astmnute turmoil dur
ing which millions upon millions of appropriations will
be passed the meaning Of which will be recognized only
after their effect has been felt by the public and the
usual political ockeying between factions and between
the executive department and the lawmakers will be car
ried to it's full extent
Wisconsin has seldom witnessed ptabe
of political ockeying than has been done during
the present session The guilt is not to be attributed
entirely to any faction individual The Assembly IS
passing bills to put the Governor in the hole and the
Governor is promptly vetoing them. possibly with the
idea of returning the compliment.
The socialist members, who hold balance OF power
in both House and Senate in many roll calls are glee-
fully taking advantage Of their position to make life
miserable for both salwarts and progressives What
the ultimate outcome will be nobody will know until
year two from
1t would take of prophet than am to pre-
dict who will be the gamer by the performance which
has been going at the capitol this winter but no gift
of foresight is needed to tell who will be the loser AS
usual the taxpayers and citizens of the state will play
the part of the innocent bystander who always gets
hurt when free-for-al hight IS started session
which should have devoted itself to economy and sober
consideration of the needs of the state is going to END
with record of both increased taxation and increased
expenditures. AS write it is probable that gasoline
tax cigarette tax far-reachng changes In the state
tax lay which will increase the tax burden of the
state many millions, and other less important revenue
raising measures will be adopted.
The homestead exemption is to be repealed, and the
latest new idea to swell the treasury is the imposition
Of straight So income tax upon all persons having
net income who do not property tax which is es-
timated likely to add 100000 annually to the rev.
AT conservative estimates, these changes and adj
dons to the laws will require the raising of about
$100O0,000 annually from the taxpayers OF the
state than has been collected in the past.
have already warned my readers that after GER
tain limit has been reached in taxation that addl-
tiona will be borne directly indirectly, by all
of the people Of the state Those who are now decar
ing that these taxation measures will relieve the
farmer of burdens simply stating mpossbties
This additional $10O0O000 taxes will be borne by the
people of Wisconsin, and they will not replace to any ap
precabe degree any of the existing drect-property
The flourish of vetong few minor appropriations
measures will not reduce the amount to be collected by
these taxes. Neither, with the past experience In
enues will be expended promptly and that the impera
tive needs will be discovered for the use OF every pen
AS warned my readers early in the session, when
taxation problems become mixed with politics the
result is to be disastrous. have never seen any
logical explanation of why the present Wisconsin legls
ature found necessary to devote it's major efforts to
devsing ways to get more money.
Other state legislatures which have been in session
this year have been concerned in different matters.
They have searched and in many cases have discovered
methods Of reducing public expenditure and public
enues. They have the handwriting on the wall and
read correctly The public demands less taxation not
more and is not going to be an easy task Tor the Wis
consn senators and representatives to explain just
what has been happening at Madison this winter.
[ bitterly opposed to the consideration OF tax
problems and matters relating to public expenditures in
fractional light Taxes neither progressive nor
stalwart republican, democratic or socialist YET as
result of political turmoil Wisconsin is going to wake up
with added $1O000,OO0 OF annual taxation and then
enough appropriations to eat up the additional
It is not always true that he who dances must pay
the fiddler. In this it is the people of Wisconsin
who are going do the paying not only this year. but
next year. and the next and the next indefinitely Taxes
which once get the books stay there Factions and
politicians and go, but there always assessors
and inspectors
It is not too late for the assembly to reconsider
some of the taxation which seem GER
tain of passage hope of such action, however
in view of the conditions which exist The public will
pay the bill for the log-rolng and jockeying of the
present legisltive session. and it will be large
Dante NJ Pierce in The Wisconsin Farmer