San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-25
LETTERS FROM A LAW-MAKER


LIGHT remarked that the authors and
supporters Of such measures seemed to
be moved mainly by the consideration
that the state government needs the
money" Economic principles were
manifestly ignored, and apparently the
proponents of the wild and weird tax
. bills were unconcerned about the effect
which the proposed additional burdens
( would have upon the commercial, in
! dustrial and general economic life of
the state.
Since then The LIGHT has received
from E o. Garrett, secretary treasurer
of Elliott Jones & Co., Inc, copies Of
some correspondence he had with a
member of the Legislature regarding
pending tax bills. This correspondence
will be interesting to the public, not
as confirming The LIGHT's estimate of
the situation at Austin-because sub
sequent news reports have made such
confirmation unnecessary-.bu as indl-
eating the part that ignorance and if
responsibility are playing in the admin
istration of public affairs in this state,
The first letter in the exhibit APP
prises the legislator addressed OF the
fact that the oil companies are opposed
to House Bills Isl and '152 on the
ground that they will tend to throttle
industry and drive it from the state"
and expresses the hope that he will vote
and work against them"
Replying, the legislator says that he
voted for one Of the bills mentioned
and made talks on the floor to secure
] its passage, provided the exemption of
no industries from the operation of the
law was made" This was the Intangible
Tax Bill. The letter Continues: .. ....
"This Legislature was confronted
with the necessity of raising great
amount of revenue, and this was one
of the tax measures that met with
my approval"
Then Mr.. Garrett wrote a second let
ter to the legislator, saying:
Il am wondering if you could give
me any information as to why the Leg
islature is confronted with the necessity
OF raising such a large amount of addi-
tional revenue.
Can you tell me the approximate in
come of the state for the fiscal year end
ing August 81, 1922, also what the in
come should be for the fiscal year end
ing August 81, 1923, since our state rate
of taxation has been raised from 62 to rs
cents per hundred Has there been
any budget made up showing the ap-
proximate needs of the state for the next
two years, and if so, what is the amount
needed"
The letter closed with the assertion
that in the writer's opinion the infor-
nation he sought was such as every
member of Our Legislature should have
at his finger tips before voting any un-
due burden Of taxation upon the indus
tries of the State of Texas"
The legislators reply to Mr.. CARROTS
request for specific information is very
. brief, and written in a tone that might
politely be called distant"
Il had no intention" it reads, "at
the time l wrote you, to enter into any
controversy on the tax measures gen
orally, nor had l prepared, with the
J limited time at my disposal and the great
] number of communications l am COM
PEELED to answer, to explain by letter
the things that brought about the pres
ent condition of Our State Treasury"
The evasion is rounded off in the old
way-the seeker of information is ad-
vised to search through the news re-
! ports for the data he requires.
Does the legislators final letter create
the impression that he knows as much
as he implies he does? Doesn't it rather
sound like yelled confession of ignor-
ance?
A law-maker who knows what he is
, doing is not likely to draw back into
. his shell when constituent asks him
the "why" of state affairs. If he really
was too busy with more important mat
tiers to give information first hand. he
would at least refer inquiries to specific
sources speech delivered on the sub
ject in question, or perhaps the report
. of the board of control, if the inforrna-
ton to be obtained from such sources
. would uphold his own position.
But no speech had been made that
would justify the enactment of the tax
hflls 70 x4-t;rt II 1