Askov American. [volume] (Askov, Pine County, Minn.) 1914-current, 1930-12-18
REDUCE FARM, REAL
ESTATE TAX WITH A
STATE INCOME TAX
CONTINUED from Page -


cussing a study made by DR.. Herbert
d. Simpson, professor of economics at
Northwestern University, on the SUD-
iect of taxation in Cook county, the
Daily News says:
DIR. Simpson holds that state in
come tax is a necessity in order that
city real estate and farm lands may
be relieved of part of the burden now
placed upon them by Illinois taxing
methods. Though intangibles should
be relieved of the personal property
tax, he thinks that tangible personal
property should continue to be taxed.
He derides the exploded theory that
low rate of taxation on intanglDles
would result in their being declared
for taxation by their owners.
In his scheme for tax reform Dr.
Simpson proposes nothing radical. He
does not dogmatiZe. His open-mlnded
study of the needs of Cook county and
Illinois in the thorny field of taxa
ton should help the citizens to get
together on a workable program for
existing taxing system.
There has been an appalling in
crease in delinquent taxation out over
the country, and this condition is
| bringing leaders to a realization OF
the revolt that will come unless con-
ditions are changed and the taxes on
real estate are lessened. There is an
awakening to the fact that the states
cannot continue to place an unfair
share of the burdens of government
on real estate and personal property
LaFOllette A Leader.
| Herewith are some facts on the in.
come tax from the state of Wiscon'
sin where this system has been in
vogue for some time. and which was
championed by the progressives Of
the state under the able leadership Of
that great statesman, the late Robert
NJ. LaFollette. The experience in oul
neighbor state has been as follows:
Wisconsin farmers gain more by the
income tax than does any other class
The income tax in 1929 yielded $17.
$4,000. The farmers of the state
paid only $15O,OO0 or eight-tenths o
one per cent of it. About 100000 wa
returned to the counties or localities
from which they were collected, 81
that the farmers contributed onl.
$50, 900 in income taxes towards tn
support of the state government.
The population of Wisconsin is s.
per cent rural, yet the farmers con
tribute less than one per cent of tn
state income tax. On the other ham
the farmers must pay 80 per cent o
the state tax on general property. A
the income tax has largely replace
the state tax, the farmers have bee
the beneficiaries of that system. Fo
every dollar of income tax paid by tn
farmers of Wisconsin they save So
in the remission of state taxes o
. general property.
The income tax in Wisconsin ha
enabled the state government to dis
pense largely with a state tax lev!
In two years out of the last five ther
has been no state tax levy in Wis
: consin.
Income Tax Helps Farmers.
v AS a result the state property ia
q was lower in 1929 than it was in 191
f in spite of the increase in the cost {
/. the state government of 437 per cen
v In 1911 the state tax was $3,747,OO
: In 1929 it was $2,399,O00.
n The benefit to Wisconsin farmer
g given by the income tax is best show
y by a comparison of the burden upC
). agriculture of the state government
: 1911 and 1929. In 1911 the farmer
0 of the state paid $1,S73,OOO to suppo