Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-13
IMPORTANT ACTION
SLATED THIS WEEK
ON TAX PROBLEMS
Continued from Page y

! ments committee to postpone action
on any tax measures until he could
| study the bills already introduced to
find out if they suited his idea of
| tax reform, but the committee de-
clined to delay its report.
Mr. Bussey addressed the COM
mittee Friday. declaring the people
| Of Georgia will not approve an in
come tax or classification tax that
does not carry with it the elimlna-
ton of the present ad ValOrem tax,
He proposed that the state exempt
all property from taxation for state
purposes, and take over the public
| utility and corporation taxes thar
are now paid to the various cOun-
ties. This system would save the
counties million and half dollars
and reduce the states income about
u million dollars, after deducting the
fees paid tax collectors, Mr. Bussey
declared. He proposed an income
tax with a rate less than that sug-
gested by the tax commission, as
a means OF replacing the revenue
lost to the state. Such an income
tax would raise two and a half mil
lion dollars, Mr.. Bussey said.
Other Income Tax Plans
Representative Elders, of Tatnan
county, who has introduced six tax
measures ut the present session,
has offered an income tax limited to
three per cent. This is the maximum
rate suggested by the state tax COM
mission at the present time, al
though commission advised that
the constitution be amended so as
to permit a future rate up to five
per cent, il later legislatures so de-
sired
The bill called the tax commits
sion's measure was drawn by Rep
resentative Ellis. of Tiff county,
and Mcclure. of Walker county,
who were members of Governor
Walkers tax committee. 1t is iden-
tical with the committee substitute
offered at the last regular session
for all pending income bills, AMI
caused a deadlock in the house at
that time.
Representative w. r. Jones, o.
Meriwether county, has on the cal
endar an income tax bill, similar to
the commission bill, providing for an
income tax of five per cent. Mr..
Jones is chairman of the cOnstitu,
tional amendments committee, and
voted for the tax commission's
measure.
Representatives Harris and
Smith, of jefferson county, have on
the calendar q bill to provide an in
come tax limited to five per cent,
with 4 scale OF exemption differing
in,
commissions measure.
The bill fartheSt advanced in the
proceedings of the house is that of
Representative Stovall, of Gilbert
county, exempting new industries
from taxation for a period of seven
years. This bill has been favorably
reported and read for the second
time.
Senate Fav0rs Auditor
The senate has passed the bill Of
Senator Stephen Pace, of Americas.
providing for state auditing de
partment. and has advanced in com
mittee bill of Senator George w.
Landlord, of Lyons, prOVidiG for an
! income tax. the payment of which
is to be credited upon the ad ValOrem
tax paid by any individual or cor
poratiOn.
There have been several bills in.
troduced to carry out the second
provision of Governor Walkers call
free school books. However, the
disposition seems to be to dispose
OF revenue measures first. Bills to
create a state auditing department
and a budget commission are being
classed as revenue measures, since
they are intended to regulate the
expenditure of the money paid into
the state treasury.
Advocates of sales tax bills have
been organizing their forces to fight
for the passage of, their measures.
Representatives Fowler, of Bibb
county, and Moore, of Appling coun
ty, are Joint authors of a measure
to impose a tax of one per cent upon
| the actual gross sales of deal
ers at wholesale or retail in real es-
tate. GOODS, wares and merchandise
Another tax measure has been
| introduced by Representatives Gro
venstein, Of Effingham county, and
! SutliVe. of Chatham county.
STOCK MARKET OPINIONS
Livingston & Coon any dips. good
strsks with high earnings. particularly
| the market leaders are purchases for