Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1929-03-15
Taxation Creates Activity;
Three Plans Adopted,
Two Rejected.


yiding the liveliest tax arguments In
the record Of the Washington legisla-
tHre. Five tax plans of far-reaching
importance were considered. three new
plans were adopted and two proposals
were rejected. None of the new tax
bills has passed both houses, however,
Sd 1t ia not yet certain that the clos
ing session will yield any new form of
taxes.
Members Of the senate and house
strove toward one objective-to re-
lieve real property by shifting some OF
the tax burden to intangibles and to
some of those now escaping direct
taxation.
A drastic personal income tax bill.
designed to include practically all In
comes not taxed under present laws.
was passed by the senate. SO to s.
The bill. which was introduced by
Senator Wilmer, Whitman, provides
for taxation at the following rates:
Drastic Income Tax Bill
On the first $1,000 Of gross income,
2 per cent; $4,000. az per cent; $4,000,
8 per cent; $4,000. 81 per cent; $4,000.
per cent; above $4,000. per cent.
Exemptions would be allowed as fol.
lows: For single person. $500; for
the head of family. $500; for de-
pendents other than husband or wife,
5000.
The senate also passed, 26 to Is, the
Metcalf bill imposing s per cent
excise tax on intangibles, and defeated
measure by Senator HeItner, King,
for a sales tax on one.quarter of one
per cent Of all gross sales.
The Metcalf intangibles tax would
lay much broader hand on invisible
wealth than would the Reed-Sims plan.
Under the Metcalf bill, intangibles re-
presenting Washington property,
either private or public, would be sub
ject to tax of per cent on their
income or profits, as would intangibles
representing property outside of the
state Calculations made by Senator
Metcalf were that Washington people
held at least s2,OOO,OO0,0OO In intang-
ibles, that the average yield is per
cent or $100,000,OOO a year. which tax.
ed at per cent would be $4,000 900 to
the state annually.
Each Of the bills passed their own
houses and will now go to the other
side for action before baing sent to
the governor for consideration.
House Rules Suspended
Under suspension Of the rules, the
house then took UP and passed bill
providing for automobile light regu-
lation and other minor measures.
Because many members were absent,
an amendment to the constitution to
permit judges to comment on evidence
in criminal cases was held over until
the first OF this week.
A bill was passed to rename state
road No. IL the Columbia Basin high
way. A bill to establish feed and
hay testing laboratory was approved.
Use OF dealers automobile licenses
on for hire cars would be prohibited
under another measure that was pass.
ed.
without discussion and without a
dissenting vote. the house passed $. d
200, the omnibus appropriations meas
ure.
Appropriations totaling s1,071,354
not included In the omnibus appropria-
ton bill died last week. were filed In
the senate by Senator Dan Landon.
chairman of the appropriations COM
mittee.
Appropriations Exceed Budget
The following appropriations were
made over ard above the amounts al
ioMtu III iHt boftiutt buhttl anu
the amounts contained In the bill filed
last week:
Additional sum for state aid to In
digent patients confined at the tuber-
cular hospital In Seattle. $4,000; re-
lief OF local improvement and irriga-
ton districts. s2O2,722; refund OF tax
collected and ordered returned by judg-
ment of the court. s65,210; equIpping
the lunchroom In the legislative build
ing, $4,000; for care of state archives,
$4,000; for surveying tide lands In
Everett and Port Angeles, to Clark
Savidge, land commissioner, s1l,542:
to the attorney general to carry on
railroad tax litigation, $4,000; to Gov.
ernor Hartley for expenses incurred in
sending a state representative to ma
tional road meeting at Washington, D.
c.. disapproved by the auditor, s37s7;
and the minor appropriations.
In surprise move, the house OF
representatives Saturday night passed
the road appropriation bill by vote
of "a TO 0.
The bill had been rushed to compile
.fo, o,d pnvt 20 tIo rt.1nc oov,p,ff4,s