The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1931-12-23
HOPE Of TAX
RELIEF COMES
after FARLEY
Leaders of Major Parties
in State Move to Draft
Definite Program.
BAN PUT ON POLITICS
Special Legislative Session
to EquaIize Burden Is
Aim of ConfereeS.

Win NO POllLlcS as a slogan,
chairmen of the two major politi-
cal parties today agreed to CO.
operate for series of conferences
to arrange a possible tax relief pro-
gram. Their aim is a special session
OF the general assembly, designed 10
equalize the tax burden.
r. Earl Peters, Democratic lead
er, and Eliza o. Rogers, Republican
manager, agreed to confer upon
representations of two delegations
from the Indiana Farm Bureau to-
day. The conference is expected to
be held late this afternoon.
A tentative program was outlined
by William Settle, Farm Bureau
president; James Moore, editor of
the Hoosier Farmer, who met with
, Rogers; Lewis Taylor, Vce-presi-
dent of the bureau and head of its
legislative committee, and L. ~
Needler, bureau secretary and treas
urer.
II tOH dm - ONNDlCu
I. A conference of the two chair
men
2. A conference to be arranged
by Lieutenant-Gove Edgar D.
Bush and Speaker Walter Myers of
heads Of various industries, mer-
chants and farmers to discuss a
possible program. Leaders of both
legislative houses to be invited
3. Presentation of the tax relief
program, if one is reached, to men,
hers of the general assembly, with
view to threShing out all diff
culties.
4. Obtaining of pledges of a con-
Stitutional majority of both houses
10 support the program and not to
introduce bills on subjects not ger
name to tax relief.
5. Upon completion of this work
The results are to be presented to
Governor Harry G. Leslie. with
recommendation that he call a spe-
cial session of the general assembly
Admit Tax Crisis
Both party chairmen declared
that the tax situation is the great
est crisis confronting the state and
that it is of such magnitude that
moratorium on purely partisan
politics should be declared while q
solution is being reached.
There must be no political
jockeying, if results are to be OBJ
tained," declared Peters, and was
joined in this, almost word for
word, by Rogers.
Settle declared that to achieve the
results desired, the conference COM
mitteeS should not be too large. He
also indicated that the conference
should begin Immediately after the
first of the year.
Peters said that to "get some
where" on the question of equaliza-
ton of the tax burden, he feels that
his party may be willing to recede
from its platform position on in
come tax exemptions.
Limit to Concessions
This declaration was for exemp-
lions not less generous than those
in the federal law.
He is not willing to recede from
the party pledge for both corporate
and personal income taxation.
The two committees conferred
with the chairmen as a result of the
meeting with the Governor Tuesday
afternoon, when Leslie definitely de-
clsred that he would not call a spe-
cial session unless a program hac
been agreed upon
Emphasis was placed by the Gov
ernor at the Tuesday conference
on the fact that the house is
Democratic and the senate Repub-
lican as being a bar to an agreed
program.
Senator Alonzo H. Lindley (Rep.
Kingman. member of the commit
tee, said he could assure the Gov
ernor of prompt passage of reform
tax measures by the senate.
Cites Horrible Examples
Leslie cited lengthy and thus fal
futile special sessions in surrounding
states as horrible examples
Some good might have been &C.
complished at the regular session
when the problem was just as acute
if the boys from outside didn't come
in with their pencils and rewrite the
. tax reform bills" Leslie told thu
committee.
1T scans to me that with divided
houses and an election coming or
there will be grave danger of tn,
session degenerating into a politica
fight with each party trying to grail
all credit for reform"
At the close he promised to issue
the call, however, if his condition:
are met.