The Milwaukee Leader

PUBLICATION OF TAXES VIOLATES 'BIG BIZ' SPIRIT

-ALD. H. O. KENT

Letter From State Commission Says Roll Is Public Property.

BODDEN ANSWERS CHARGE

Answering a charge made by John H. Leenhouts, assessor of incomes, that Tax Commissioner E. H. Bodden went contrary to the spirit of the state income tax law when he recently gave to the newspapers a list of Milwaukee corporations and individuals who pay an income tax of $1,000 or over, Ald. Herman O. Kent, Socialist, today announced that Leenhouts' protest proves that the publication was "contrary to the spirit of big business."

Ald. Kent is the author of the resolution passed by the common council under which Bodden prepared the list, and gave copies to the newspapers Monday (when he sent the original copy to the council).

Says Bodden Broke Law.

In his statement addressed "to the public" Leenhouts declared that publication of the lists of the heavy income tax payers by Bodden was "directly contrary to the rules laid down by the Wisconsin tax commission in respect to the secrecy of the income act."

This contention by Leenhouts was given a knockout wallop by Bodden when he sent to his assailant a letter inclosing a copy of a letter he received in June, 1917, from the state tax commission, in reply to his query as to whether the list could be published. That letter from the state commission contains the following:

"At the time of the first income tax assessment, the tax commission took up the matter of publication of the tax roll, and concluded that in the public interest such roll must be considered a public document, and open to inspection by the public. It is in the custody of the county clerk and documents in his office are subject to examination by parties interested or the public generally. We do not believe this course should be changed."

Says Clerk Only Authorized

In a letter received by Bodden today, Leenhouts, a former chief clerk in the city tax department, declared that under the rules of the state tax commission the county clerk is the only person to give out information on the income taxpayers, but refrains from attempting to show what difference it would make whether a city or county official gives publication to the figures.

Answering a statement of Leenhouts that newspaper readers are not familiar with the details of the income tax business, Ald. Kent said:

"Tax Commissioner Bodden's report in compliance with my resolution will be before the council finance committee for hearing soon, and I shall endeavor to familiarize newspaper readers, including Leenhouts, with details in connection with Milwaukee's income taxpayers.

I sought these figures as a basis for my fight to relieve the tax burden on the smaller payers and increase the assessments on the big corporations and wealthy Milwaukeeans, who are excellently situated to make the payments."