San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-04-19
POISON BOOZE
/ BILL CARRIES
s...sT|FE PENALTY
If Death Results, Those Re-
sponsible Held Guilty
Of Murder.
TO VISIT OIL FIELDS
Gross Production Oil Tax
i Bill Again in Senate
for Action.
TO VISIT OIL FIELDS

Austin, Tex, April 1s.-Drastic &C
.Asipn against persons who furnish
@po;son whiskey" causing death to
the consumer, vas proposed in a bill
introduced lase yesterday &c the
Lower House of the Texas Legisla-
ture in special session here.
The measure, introduced BY Rep
resentatives Stroder and Howeth,
would make it felony to manufac'
ture, sell or give way poisonous OF
drugged whiskey, liquor drugs, mix
lures or preparations"
1t further provides that if such Ii
quors cause death, the person manu-
featuring, selling or furnishing il
shall be guilty of murder.
Oil fields of Northwest Texas will
be officially inspected by the Texas
Legislature on April 81 and 20, with
the adoption by both branches of the
Legislature of Senate concurrent
resolution by Senator Burkett OF
Eastland.
The resolution was adopted in the
Senate during the morning session
while it was adopted in the House
during the afternoon after a heated
debate, by vote of 81 to &c, with
eight present not voting.
Invitation Is Accepted.
The invitation to visit the oil
fields came from the chambers of
commerce of Ranger, Eastland, Cor
man, Carbon, Rising Star and Cisco.
These organizations will bear the
expenses of the entire trip and the
visitors will spend nearly two days
In the oil fields, returning to Austin
Monday morning, April 80. The in
vitation was accepted after the House
had voted on the Coffee oil tax bill.
When the resolution came up for
consideration Representative Simp-
. son of Smith, offered an amendment,
|. that the chambers of commerce be
{ thanked, but that the invitation be
/, decided on account of the pressing
business before the Legislature.
II am going to speak plainly" said
Simpson. "The oil interests want to
put US under obligation on account
|. of the severance tax bill that is to
xeome up for consideration. 1t won't
{ DO for US to accept this invitation.
/ However, / do not want to impugn
the motives of the chambers of COM
merce that extended the invitation"
The Simpson amendment was de-
feated by a vote of Al to %.
The Coffee gross production oil tax
bill is again in the Senate for action,
and in the same shape as it was
passed by the House in the regular
session.
S This was made possible by the &C.
ton Of the House late Wednesday in
passing finally the bill under a sus-
pension of the constitution rule, the
vote on final passage being 81 to Is.
As finally passed in the House the
bill provides a 8 per cent gross pro-
duction tax and this is expected to be
reduced in the Senate, probably to
PIP or 2 per cent.
When the bill came up for consid-
Grafton in the House during the aft
ernoon session, it provided for a 8
per cent tax. Representative Satter-
white offered an amendment reduc-
ing the tax to 3 per cent; Representa-
tive Rogers, of Harris, Offered an
amendment to the amendment making
the tax 2 ~ per cent, while Repre-
sentative Burmeister offered a sub
stitute making the tax 2 per cent.
The substitute and the Rogers amend
ment were both defeated and the Sat-
terwhite amendment adopted.
Says 2 Per Cent Enough.
Representative Gipson, of Wichita
Falls, opposed the 5 per cent tax and
insisted that the tax should not ex-
coed 2 per cent. He declared that
the oil operators would prefer pay
ing a 20 per cent net tax than a 5
per cent gross tax; that oil produc-
ton was the most expensive in the
world, and that out of every seven
wells drilled, four were dry holes.
It was insisted by Representative
Jennings of Hemphill, that no mat
ter what the tax was that it would
eventually have to be paid by the con-
SNnsr.
ain my Judgment 3 per cent tax
would be happy medium" he said.
Representative Patterson of East
land, asserted that he was opposed to
any. gross production tax. indicating
that il test was given to such law
the courts would likely hold it I'M
constitutional.
al want to say" added Patterson,
II am not interested in any oil COM
pany or influenced by any oil lobby"