The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1921-02-22
HOUSE TO IMPOSE
TAX ON GASOLINE
BILL SENT TO THIRD READING
AFTER HOT DEBATE
Ways and Means Committee Making
Effort to Shift Tax Burden From
Property Holders
The State, 18th.

The State, 18th.
After two hours Of terlpestuous
and at times humorous and ludicrous
debate the house of representatives
last night passed to third reading the
gasoline tax bill, an aye and nay vote
on the motion to strike out the enact
ing words Of the bill showing that the
house stood 80 to q in favor Of the
new revenue measure.
This bill, which was introduced by
the ways sand means committee, is
one of series of bills designed to
reform the tax system of the state
by lifting a part of the burden OF tax
alton from the shoulders of the prop
erty owners. The measure will, ac-
cording to Chairman Hughes Of the
ways and means committee, raise ap-
proximately s650,O00, reducing the
state levy by 1 1-2 mills. Other bills
to further reduce the levy on prop
erty are the state income tax and the
state business tax. The house this
week passed the first bill of the Sc
ries, measure imposing tax on IN
heritances, and the ways and means
committee now has under considera-
ton a soft drink tax bill, which it is
expected will be introduced in the
near future.
One Cent Per Gallon
The bill passed to third reading
last night imposes a. tax of enc cent
upon every gallon Of gasoline and
kerosene or gasoline substitute sold
in the state and a tax Of two cents
per gallon on all lubricating or other
oil derived from petroleum sold with
in the state. This tax will be paid
by the oil companies shipping oil and
gasoline into the state, these compa-
nies being required to file q monthly
statement of their business in the
state. A penalty Of ten per cent ad-
ditional tax will be imposed in case
this provision is not complied with,
the tax commission estimating the
amount of business done and the tax
es due.
Proponents of the measure were OF
the opinion that the bill would oper-
ate to tax the luxury automobile
drivers" thereby relieving the burden
from the property owners, who now
finance the entire state government.
The federal government, it was point
ed out last year took out from the
state in taxes such as these new
measures impose, a sum of S28,000,-
600. The tax on kerosene aroused
considerable opposition, opponents
of the bill contending that it would
result only in shifting the tax from
the farmers land to the gasoline he
used in running his tractor. An
amendment proposed by Representa-
tive W. P. Robinson to exempt kero-
sene from the tax was killed by
vote of 38 to Sc.
Restore Property Rights
Representative T. P. Dickson's
bill to automatically restore discharg-
ed inmates of the state hospital to
former status as to property and
contractural rights, after being the
subject of heated debate for two
days, was passed to third reading.
The bill to make the official cotton
standards of the United States, as
promulgated from time to time by
the secretary of agriculture, the Off
cial cotton standards Of the state,
was passed to third reading without
debate. A $5 license fee on the first
thousands bale~ and IS license on
each additional thousand bales
bought will be imposed upon persons
engaged in the business Of buying and
selling cotton, under the provision
of this bill.
Paul A. Cooper last night introduc-
ed a bill in the house authorizing
towns or cities to levy annually tax
on the taxable property in the city
sufficient to pay the principal and in
terest on the city's bonds or to pro-
vide for a sinking fund to take care
of the bonds upon the maturity. This
tax, under the provisions of the bill,
can be levied Notwithstanding any
limitation prescribed by law on the
taxes to be levied. The bill was re-
eo,s,I IN tho iudiciary cnrn poitfao