San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-23

against the measure, while Senate
| Clark insisted it should be adopted
as he had many requests from ovei
the state urging repeal of the text
book amendment
Hidalgo County Tax Exempt.
The Parr bill TO exempt HidalgC
county from taxation for period OF
% years, was passed finally, re
ceiving the necessary twO-thirds vote
The Turner bill. establishing the
TexGrkana court at law was alsC
passed finally.
Major J. Lewis Thompson, HouS,
ton banker, by invitation. addressed
both branches OF the Legislature dur.
ing the afternoon session and re,
pudiated alleged slurs upon the mill.
tary services of Texas and Oklahoma
troops of the Thirty-sixth Division in
France. The criticism of the soldiers
was made by Brigadier General Eli,
in an address at Kansas City, No.,
recently. Major Thompson urged that
concurrent resolution be adopted by
the Legislature calling upon the Senate
of the United States not to confirm
the promotion of Eli as a major gen.
eral. now pending in the United States
Senate. Such resolution is to be
introduced, it was stated.
An open hearing will be held next
Thursday night. March /. before the
House committee on appropriations,
when consideration will be given to
the ROuntree House bill carrying an
appropriation of 100000 for the pur-
pose of establishing a state forest in
Texas. At this hearing representa-
tives of the Texas Forestry AsSocia-
project will be given an opportunity
to be heard. This bill is being spOn-
SOred by the forestry association that
held its annual convention here. 4
strong effort vii. be mad TO secure
the final enactment of this measure.
Oil Tax Bill.
The House committee on revenue
and taxation has given a favorable
report TO the Patman-SimpSOn bin pro-
posing tax of ) per cent on the
gross receipts of refineries or all COM
panies engaged in the business of buy
ing crude petroleum and refining it
into coal oil. fuel oil. gasoline. ben
zine, naptha or any other mineral oil
refined from petroleum: Two amend
ments have been suggested. however.
by the committee which are that the
tax be . per cent instead of 3 per
cent and that the tax not apply to any
company within the provisions of the
intangible tax law. proposed by Pat
man in another bill which has al
ready passed finally in the House and
is now before the Senate. In the
event q successful attack is made in
the courts upon the cOnstitutiOnality
of the intangible tax law. it is pro-
vided that the law taxing the refin-
cries on their gross receipts be eff
fective.
Supports The Measure.
In support of the refinery tax law.
Representative Patman pointed out
that the Legislature i. 1905 passed a
law placing tax on products of
refineries and although this law was
eventually upheld as constitutional.
the Legislature in the interim passed
another law defining what was meant
by wholesale dealers relative to re-
finerips. This definition. in effect.
said that q wholesale dealer was one
who bought refined" products and
sold them. This definition relieved
all refiners from paying the tax aimed
at them and since that time it is Cs-
timated that the state has lost mil
lions Of dollars in taxes it would
otherwise have gotten under the court