The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-02-27
Treat individuals as You
Do Corporations Says
House Speaker.
ENACTMENT is DOUBTED
Refuses to Name Commit
tee Until Bill Is Passed
by Senate.


Indiana house from its Speaker
Walter Myers, served only to in
crease doubts Of enactment of per
sonal and corporate income tax bills
by the current general assembly.
For the senate has pared doWr
the per cent corporate tax pro.
posed by the house to IL per cent
a figure unsatisfactory to corporate
tax advocates, and prospect of sat
istactory compromises in confer
ences on both measures is regarded
diminishing.
Myers statement came after three
days delay in appointing a confer
ence committee to consider senat,
amendments to the personal in.
come tax bill. These amendment
reduced the rate ON incomes owe
100000 from to 4 per cent, bu
increased tremendously the burden
on small wage and salary earners
Can't Be Done in Halves
Three times in as many days, Re
publican representatives have riser
to ask Myers Has the conference
committee been appointed on the
income taxi"
ON several occasions gentlemen
OF the minority have inquired why d
conference committee has not beer
appointed on the individual income
tax bill, the Speaker told the house
soon after converting this morning
mot only the minority, but the pub
lie generally has. q right to know
the reasons.
Income tax laws begin a COM
plete and drastic change in the
taxing system of our state. Here
as anywhere, it is true that things
done by halves are never done well,
From the very outset it was my
view that individual and corpora
ton income taxes should be pro-
vided for in the same bill. III order
to be uniform, artificial persons
should pay income taxes as well as
individuals.
Throw Sop to Thousands
IF an income tax is right for in
dividuals, it is right for corpora
tons. If it is wrong for corpora
tions, 1t is wrong for individuals
To do the job halfway would be
to MAIN and cripple the system al
birth. To take attention away from
the corporation tax now is nothine
more than to throw a sop to the
thousands who honestly believe that
income taxes will cure the defect;
in our taxing system.
This is no matter for cheap pol.
lt1cs,' the Speaker continued "Tht
dollars that pay the taxes are hard.
earned and those who sweat to pay
them are not going to ask what
party makes them have to pay sC
much in these hard times. More
strictly than ever before they are
going to ask for an accounting fol
every cent.
The Lieutenant Governor is max
ing a diligent, earnest and eooc
faith effort to enact into law q
complete income tax system on boti
individual and corporation income
He is acquainted with my reasons
for not yet appointing a conference
committee and I believe that vol
viii find that he is not dissatisfied
with my action because he also
knows that / am prepared to ap-
point conference committees as
soon as the corporation tax bill is
passed and before if desired: anc
he is convinced that a corporation
tax bill must be passed"
Holds Back Appointments
Myers did not appoint his con-
1eres, however, and it is believed he
wants the same conferes to conSid-
err both measures, with possibility
Of making them one.
Representative Herbert II. Evans
Rep. Henry) supported by house
Republicans, was unsuccessful in an
effort today to force his income tax
bill, introduced Jan. II, out of 'ways
and means committee.
1t would require a state income
tax OF half the amount paid the
federal government under the fed
eral income tax. and would carry
approximately the same exemptions
as the federal statute.
Senator's spent all day Wednes.
day and most of Thursday in com.
mittee of the whole considering the
corporate income tax measure.
Leads to Stampede
An amended amendment puttins
the rate down to ! yer cent was re-
lected when vote finally was taken
Thursday afternoon. sVote was "a
ayes and 20 noes on adoption.
This caused a stampede. Senator
Lee J. Hartzell (Rep.. Allen ano
Noble), Republican floor leader. had
made a stirring plea to support the
measure as amended.
Finding himself unable to COM
mand his own forces, Hartzell Joined
with Lieutenant Governor Edgar D
Bush, and during a recess reached
a compromise with the Democrats
This provided that the per cent
amendment be withdrawn and the
amendment OF Senator j. Clyde
Hoffman Rer, Marion), setting the
rate at IA per cent, be accepted.
Reconvening as a committee OF
the whole, Hartzell took the gavel
and railroaded this plan through
the committee
Upon arising as a committee OF
The whole the senate accepted the
committee report. putting the ~
per cent measure on second reading
where It faces stormy fight against
passage