Evening star., 1927-11-07
STATE LEGISLATIVE
BODY MEETS HERE
Legislatures Delegation
Plans Appeal to Have
Estate Tax Repealed.

Heralded as marking the beginning
OF new era in the history of gov
ernment in this country, the National
Council of State Legislatures began a
thIee-day session at the Raleigh Ho-
tel this morning. The immediate pur-
pose of the 40 or more representatives
of State governments who are attend
ing the conference is to appear before
the ways and means committee of the
House and ask for the repeal of the
Federal estate tax. A permanent or
ganiZ3tion of the council is to be
formed to consider other questions
which may arise in the future between
the Federal and State governments.
The burden of the speeches made at
today's session was that too much
power is being concentrated in the
Federal Government, and the States
should resist further cncroachmentS.
The members of the council called
at the White House and were re-
ceived by President Coolidge at 1890
o'clock. They plan to appear before
the ways and means committee to-
morrow morning.
Delegates Welcomed.
Lee Satterwhite. former speaker in
me i SAIiS Is>l'tt tliit t. iBltSittu >tl tAiN
session this morning. y brief address
of welcome was made by j. Ronald
HorSey of Maryland, chairman of the
reception committee.
Never before in our history" said
Mr.. HorSey, have so many States
sent special representatives to con-
ference of this kind to make de-
termined effort to stop further GEN.
traliZation of power in Washington.
l believe this conference will go down
in history as marking a new era in
the history of our Government"
John Henry Kirby of Texas, in
vigorous address. declared that the
conference, in his opinion, would go
far toward resisting the modern ten
dency to "federalize every activity of
the people" He said he had no fault
to find with the Constitution, but
Congress was stretching it in order
to add to the powers of the Federal
Government.
I'VE are banded together" said Mr..
Kirby, to fight against encroach-
ments on the reserved rights of our
citizens and the States"
Both Parties Interested.
The present question, Mr.. Kirby
explained. is not partisan. but one in
which the people of both big parties
are interested. =.
LET us get away from politics,
he urged. "Those who come to Wash
ington lose their balance. The very
atmbsphere in Washington is feder-
allied We must repulse the efforts
to federaliZe everything. For our
Government. magnificent as 1t is, can
die. But, as Lincoln said, il it dies,
it will be because of destructive forces
within 1t will be case or suicide.
The fault in the case of the estate
tax lies with Congress. l do not
want to denounce Congress. The
trouble is that few boys up there
do not know what the people want,
and it is our business to tell them.
"If our country dies it will be for
all time. There will be no angel to
roll away the stone from the tomb OF
our liberties. There will be no Easter
morn for a crucified Constitution"
Gov. Sorie of North Dakota. spoke
briefly in favor Of repeating the Fed
era estate tax and leaving that field
of revenue entirely to the States. He
said the Federal estate tax is not
row revenue measure, but Is IN
tended to regulate large fortunes. He
thought that was a field into which |
the Federal Government should not
go.
DenOunces Law Surplus.
I'VE have too many national laws
and too many laws in the States,
especially too many regulatory laws,
declared Gov. Sorlie.
Mr.. Satterwhite suggested that Will
liam III. Blodgett, tax commissioner OF
Connecticut, be appointed to manage
the procedure before the ways and
means committee tomorrow. and this
was approved by the council.
Eve are here to consider the best
way to present our opposition to the
Federal estate tax to the committee
said Mr.. Satterwhte. THE estate tax
was originally adopted as a war
measure, but Congress later developed
the idea of keeping it as means of
breaking up large estates. A provi-
SION was also adopted for an SO per
cent deduction for States which have
an inheritance tax. This is an effort
to force the States to enact the sort of
inheritance tax which Congress thinks
sthey should have. 1t is an encroach.
Anent upon the rights of the States,
which we should resist. Congress
might as we'll tell us what kind of an
income automobile or gasoline tax we
should have"