The Indianapolis times., 1930-07-11
RAPS
PUBLIC DODGING
OF TAX BURDEN
State Bar Hears Address by
Hoffman on Study of
New System.

BIZ Times Special
BLOOMINGTON, Ind, July IL
Constant effort Of taxpaying groups
to shift the burden to other groups
constitutes the greatest obstacle to
solution of Indianas tax problem,
lawyers of the state we're told at the
thirty fourth annual meeting of the
Indiana State Bar Association here
today.
j. Clyde Hoffman, indianapolis.
state senator and chairman OF the
Governors tax committee, made
the assertion in a discussion OF the
committees efforts to devolve an
equitable taxing system.
Each taxpayer is too prone to
measure the desirability of a GER
tain form of tax by the effect it
will have on his bank account,
rather than the good of the state as
a whole from an economic stard-
point" Hoffman said.
Agrees on Principle
Although the committee, author
lied by the 1929 legislature, has ar
rived at no definite recommenda-
tions, it has agreed upon certain
underlying principles" Hoffman
said, "as an objective which the
committee will strive to attain"
These are:
1. To eliminate all property tax
for state purposes.
2. To distribute taxation equally.
so as not to penalize any class of
people, business or industry.
8. To provide a means whereby
every citizen who has reached his
or her majority may contribute di-
rectly to the support of the state
government.
"The committee is firmly of the
opinion that new methods of rails
ing revenue should be employed
only as a means of adjusting the
present burden on property and
not for raising additional funds,
and that if such revenue should be
raised by new forms of taxation, a
corresponding reduction should be
made in the property tax" Hoff-
man said.
Exemptions Criticised
The outstanding cause of high
taxes has been the ever-increasing
tendency to go on and on with pub
lie improvements, regardless OF the
source of revenue and the hardship
on the taxpayer"
The elimination or consolidation
of townships and possibly consoli-
dation of counties might effect
economies, Hoffman said the COM
mittee believes.
The committee is seeking a
means, he said, of halting the es-
cape from taxation of a tremendous
amount of property by means Of ex-
emptions. Personal property in
1929 yielded SAB 100000, or 37l per
cent of the total tax revenue in the
state in 1929, but should have yield
ed double that amount, Hoffman
insisted.
Report of the committee on legal
education, presented Thursday by
Frank N. Richman. Columbus,
chairman, recommended that the
supreme court be given exclusive
Jurisdiction to admit attorneys to
practice lGA7 in the state.
Battle Over Rules
The lawyers battled Thursday on
a proposal to give the supreme and
appellate courts the right to sim
plify rules of procedure and plead
ing.
The measure was referred to
the winter meeting Of the as
sociation," which will be some time
in January, but after the 1881 legis-
latuYe convenes.
William w. Miller, Gary, now
vice. president, is, according to Gus
tom, in line for the presidency at
today's election.
Frank N. Richman, Columbus, is
slated for the vice-presidency. He
has served on the board Of man
ayers longer than any member who
has not held the presidency.
Eyron K. Elliott, former Marion
county superior court judge, re-
viewed the progress that has been
made in laws governing aircraft. He
said this was a field for new form
of legislation involving an entirely
new property right-the air.
The meeting is being held in the
Commerce building al Indiana uni
versity. The meeting will close to-