Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1931-02-05
SOLONS THREATENED
With TAX BLOCKADE

Third Of Session Gone and No
Important Legislation Yet
Enacted.
Six FAX Measures Conflict - ohlec.
tons to 8 Per Cent Earninss Tax
Governor Hartley Active - Educa.
tionaI Funds vexlns Problem = Re-
apportlonment Measure Up - Dump
Ing Of Foreign Products Protested.
Olympia, Wash. - Lawmakers Of
Washington were one.third through
their session in point of elapsed time
when they adjourned for last week.
end, but hardly started as far as &C.
tual results were concerned.
No budget requests, no highway
construction appropriation, no tax meas
ures and no executive measures had
been made into law.
This weeks doings promise to de-
termine the course of the legislature
on many Of the tax proposals that have
come from various quarters. In all
probability the people of the state,
within short time, will learn whether
or not this session is to produce any
legislation that will be effective in
relieving the tax load on real prop
erty.
Nothing is more apparent just now
than that members OF both houses who
are presumed to be friendly to Gov
ernor Hartley and his administration
on most issues, are widely at odds
with respect to the measures that deal
with taxation.
Some of the minor measures of the
advisory tax commission seem to be
adopted, some are already dead.
But interest centers about six meas
ures, at present involved with each
other like logs in a jam.
Skillful political artisans may be
able to pick out the key log and dis.
engage it, otherwise the barrier
threatens to grow, blocking the work
of the rest Of the session.
Six Tax Proposals.
The measures at present involved
are the personal and corporate income
tax bills, the per cent gross earnings
tux on municipal utilities, the budget
control bill providing county tax su.
pervision committee, the bill provid-
ing for a reassessment of all real
property by the state in 1884, and
finally, the Showalter bill for reor-
ganization of educational finances.
While there is general praise among
legislators for the report of the adj
visory commission, as a diagnosis of
the states tax problem, the bills SUBJ
mitted as remedies have not been
received SO enthusiastically.
The bill for budget control started
with the strongest sentimental sup
port of any measure in the group, but
specific objections raised by cities and
other political subdivisions, besides
being voiced by speakers at public
hearings, are now pouring in on legis.
lators from their home localities.
With the exception of Walla Walla,
with its mayor, Dorsey Hill, chair
man of the advisory tax commission,
as its spokesman, every city repre-.
sented at the public hearing on the
subject denounced as unfair the bill
for S per cent gross earnings tax on
city-owned public utilities.
Object to 5 Per Cent Levy.
Most of the speakers compared it
with the per cent net profits tax for
private business, and claimed 1t would
make the burden on city.owned utili.
ties higher than the total tax paid by
privately owned power plants, even
counting the latter's direct taxes.
If the corporate income tax bill
should be dropped, 1t would make the
levy on the cities still more unrea-
sonable.
Meanwhile, the Showalter education
bill is already caught in the jam. 1t
was recommended by the advisory
commission only If the measures to
provide new revenue to meet the
states share of the added expense are
passed along with 1t.
Legislators are already generally
agreed that either rates or exemptions
In the personal income tax bill will
have to be revised. AS presented, the
bill would impose taxes on all incomes
above $500 year for single persons
and S1,25O for married persons, as
contrasted with federal exemptions of
$1,000 and $4,000.
A considerable share of business al.
ready is opposed to the corporate In
come tax, and IL the weight of Fed.
Grated Industries should be thrown
opoingf a. ohooono