The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1901-02-11
Representatives Believe Private
Corporations Should Be Specif-
tally Exempt From Taxation.
DO NOT LIKE SENATE MEASURE.
Voolfolk Outlines the Proposed
House Bill, Which Probably
Will Be Reported From
Committee o-MOrrOw.
81 A STAFF coRRrspoNpENr.

By A STAFF CORRESPONDENT.
Jefferson City. Feb. 10-The House Of
Representatives n preparing its own fran
chise tax bin The House does not like the
Senate's bill-the Martin-Clay measure. The
new bill Will probably be presented in the
House Tuesday. Representatives Voolfolk
and Hawthorne are now working on II as
a subcommittee Of the House Ways and
Means Committee. There will then be two
franchise tax bills in the field In place OF
the large swarm introduced since the ses-
sion began. The question then will be
greatly narrowed down. but II will be Far
from solved.
The members of the House do not like
the Martin-Clay or Senate BILL because they
believe that private corporations should be
specifically exempted from taxation The
Martin Dill does not contain such a specific
exemption Its terms are general. apply
ing 10 All franchises and giving the Board
Of Equalization the power to say whether
private corporations enjoy a franchise.
senators who favor the bill declare that
the matter OF taxing private corporations
can safely be left to the Board of Equali-
zation. They assert that the public SEN
ument against the taxation Of private cor
porations will keep the Board or EquaIiza-
ton from taxing them
Voolfolk Explains.
The measure drafted by the House sub
committee. says Representative voolfolk
speeches the classes Of franchises to be
taxed. Among those specified for taxation
are news gathering associations. There is
no DANGER or running counter to the Con-
stitution In thus specifying the classes Our
S1nstuution Is much like that OF Kentucky.
Where an effective fraLchfse-ta law ia in
force, except that the provisions of our Com
etituuon are easier to meet. Our Constitu-
tion states specifically that taxation shall
Thsz
posed by our committee meets this require
aground in the class legislation shoai.
There 10 no danger. either. of omitting any
clause after the specinc enumeration en-
braces any that may have been omitted
frvate corporations should be specifically
the senate bill does not 40 this. Tne maj.
ter should not be left to the Board OF
EQuanxation. The board takes its orders
from from the Legisiature. and II the Legislature
does not specifically exempt private corpo-
rations the board may justly decline to take
the responsibility of exempting them"
Talk Of Special Session.
The interesting question In the present
dinerence is. how will it affect the progress
Of franchise tax bill through the Assem-
biy! At present II appears tnat conference
committees appointed by Senate and House
divergent opinions This might require much
time. and some legislators are already talk
Ing OF a special session expressly for fran
Some mention has also been made of a
iformity. .'
Each side in the controversy gives every
inoicatlon CT perfect sincerity and OF an
absence Of undue influence of any kind. II
seems to be simply an honest difference of
opinion. but at the same time there ap-
pears on either side q marked stubbornness
and an absence Of susceptibility Of argu-
meht- JOHN e. LEBENS.