The Huttig news., 1909-03-06

| comes to the rescue and protects legitimate business from the infiu- ences of politics.
 A review of the things which Arkansas has done to discourage l the lumber industry is unnecessa- ". Lumbermen of that state know the fact only too well and in fact, lumbermen outside the state are frequently as much con- eerned. One of the most baneful forms of legislative kleptomania is directed against the property, oc- l easionally of individuals but gener- ally of corporations. from beyond the state borders. It is but a short time since Arkansas attempted to license fofeigr corporations in such a way and at such expense that it would have been necessary for all such to withdraw from the state or do business at ] loss. The ani- mus back of such action is the same. on a larger scale. as that which impels a man to take his neighbours property But Arkan- sas is unable to appreciate this fact and, therefore, it is deemed l fitting in some quarters that cor porations as a whole. and more particularly foreign corporations. should be legally footed as long as there anything left in them.
 In last weeks issue of the Amer iean Lumbsrman appeared report covering a bill recently drawn for presentation to the. legislature of Arkansas entitled An Act for the Levying of an Occupation Tax on Corporations Doing Business in This State. In this case the pro- posed law would levy a tax upon every kind of corporate business in Arkansas and the lumber trade is not, as frequently, singled out for punishment. It provides that ev- cry company, corporation or asso- citation of foreign of local origin 1 operating a saw mill, or blaming mill stave mill. handle factory. shingle mill, or any other device used for manufacturing the timber of the state. shall be compelled. be- ginning July 1. 1909, to make a quarterly report under oath to the auditor of the state showing the total amount of its gross receipts. ! collected and uncollected, from the sale of such commodities, and to pay a tax amounting to 1 per cert of the gross receipts shown by such sworn statement.
 If such a bill can receive serious consideration before the Arkansas legislature it would seem that there can be no business men in that body, or, if there be such their inf1- -ence is painfully slight Put ting aside for an instant the ques- tion of the fairness of the proposed tax. it is somewhat difficult to un- derstand why Arkansas corpora tions should be compelled to close their books four times year in or der supply a report which could as well be made on the first day of January. It is also little hard to see why an Arkansas lumber com ~any should be compelled to pay to the state 1 percent of it's un- collected receipts or, in other  words. why corporation should be compelled to guarantee to the state that it's accounts are all col lectible. The lumberman who sells lumber and finds himself un- able to collect for it usually feels that he has been well punished for any dereliction he may have been guilty of in the extention of credit without having to pay any addition al penalty in the form of per cent tax on an uncollectible ac- count. American Lumberman.
 
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