The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1900-02-05
WORK ON THE TAX BILL
win Begin 10 The House This Week 10
Earnest.
NO CHANGES HAVE YET BEEN DECIDED ON
But Many Amendments VIII he OF.
fored Toward Making the Measure
Nearly Perfect one.
Austin. Texas, February 4.

Austin. Texas, February 4
THE REAL STRUGGLE over the tax bill will
be begun during the coming week. After
considering 1t for eleven days. the commit
tee on revenue and taxation reached the
conclusion that the best thing that could be
done with the proposed statute was TO send
IL back 10 the house without attempting TO
change it's most important features. thus
shifting the responsibility for It's ultimate
fate 10 the shoulders Of the aggregated
membership. Taking the differences of opin-
ion expressed in the committee as an index
OF the views entertained by the remainder
OF the house with regard TO the bill. it may
be said without fear of violating any ones
confidence or OF m,staking the situation that
as yet no unanimity OF sentiment exists as
to the shape in which the bill should finally
be passed. No member OF the committee be-
trayed the least desire for the defeat Of the
contemplated measure. but no two members
thereof could be found who agreed that the
bill should pass as submitted or even agreed
exactly as TO what It should contain. when
sent to the governor for his approval.
THE METHODS It provides for the taxation
OF railroad and other corporate property
cdAlEF1 tNt ulOrf NlFlhlOIs ana u was us
tinctly understood when IL was 8nally agreed
that a report be made recommending the
passage Of the bill as amended, that said
report was meaningless in so far as 1t re-
lstes 10 the matter OF corporation taxes.
As whole the committee was positive that
the corporations must pay their proportion
Of the taxes, but it was not certain that the
tar commission had not gone too far in
trying to determine what that proportion
should be. And that's about the way the
other members Of tho house feel about It.
AT THE BEGINNING Of the session attempts
we're made to excite antagouism To the tax
bill by inHaming the minds OF the mem
hers with stories OF tine alleged exercise OF
executive pressure in its favor. II was the
intention Of the authors Of those stories to
produce a coldness between tho governor
and the legislature that might result in tho
latters absolute renunciaton Of the tax
commissions bill. Time has told on this
scheme. though and there is no member Of
either house but now realizes that the re-
sponsihihty IL with himself and that the
governor is not interested beyond the point
reached I'm the matter by every good cti-
zen Of Texas. There Is no politics in il for
him. The convention which nominated him,
tho party which elected him and the logis-
lature AZ present sitting in extra session
ara on record as committed to reform OF
the existing system Of taxation. As chair
man Of the tax commission created by said
legislature, he contributed his share to the
Dill at issue. That bill was prepared at the
Instance Of the men who are now laborinE
herewith and who alone nave the authority
70 place Il on the statute books. II Il
doesn't satisfy them they can change II "a
meet their views, and that's all there is 10
Il. and no one can hold them TO account
not their constituents. Recognizing this
the governor has Invariably declined 10
even discuss the bill with any member o,
the legislature, much less endeavored to
bring any kind Of pressure to bear in IT'S
favor. His part o. tho work IN connection
Herewith has been performed and he is sat
isaed TO leave it to tho hands now in charge
10 wind 1t up.
FOR SOME REASON II has been figured out
that the senate ia nlmical to tho tax hi,
in It's present shsps and that n II is much
changed that body will he responsble for
Tue changes. Casual conversations with
members Of the upper house have developed
the existence OF an entirely different senti-
ment among them. On the contrary. the in.
dioatons are that TIM sonata viii make
quick work Of the bill whom II gets that
document. and that no knives are being
sharpened over there for use on its yitais.
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