Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1931-02-12
HIGHWAY LEGISLATION
KEEPS SOLONS BUSY
House and Senate Committeeman
Suggest Compromise on Flat
Rate Motor Fees.

Fall - Auto License Of So Recon-.
mended-Highway Dept. Submits 9
Measures - "cow Counties" Hold
Pcwer-Many Bills offered Would
Increase Taxes.
Olympia, Wash. AS the twenty.
second session of the Washington leg.
islature reached the midseason mark
Tuesday there was yet to be revealed
any sign or purpose OF tax reform
achievement either by the lawmakers
or by Governor Hartley.
The one recommendation of the
special tax committee accorded tho
best chance Of being enacted into law
is House Bill No. II, creating a tax
supervision commission in every
county. 1t passed the house last week
by large vote despite certain sharp
and ably presented criticisms to the
effect that 1t places too much power
In the hands Of the governor.
The bill, as 1t now stands, makes
the county tax supervision commits.
sion the creatures Of the state tax
commission, whose members, under
the present law are named by the gov.
ernor. 1t is charged that the present
bill permits Governor Hartley to vir.
tually dictate what public moneys
shall or shall not be spent by the
communities in which 1t is raised.
There is some probability that a
way will yet be devised in the senate
committee to overcome this dissension
but opponents of the measure saw
their hopes fading fast when Attorney
General Dunbar indicated that their
plan to have superior court judges in
each county appoint tax supervision
committees would be Of doubtful valid.
ity, because 1t provides for the courts
to assume nonjudicial functions.
Tax Supervising by Counties.
The only other objection that may
delay senate committee action is that
raised by the Washington State
Grange.
State Master A. S. Goss and men,
bers Of his executive committee fear
that the budget control plan might be
used to cripple power districts, organ
lied under the terms Of Initiative No.
i, adopted by voters at the last cleo
tion.
But enough demands for tax reduc-
ticn have been heard by the commit
tee to decide the majority member
ship to report the bill, as the best
plan so far submitted, and then 60 on
to the consideration of the more de-
batable plans for raising new reven.
ues.
A new proposal along this line, the
resurrection of the poll tax, was
placed before the committee by ]. E.
Frost, former state tax commissioner
and now president of Federated In.
dustries.
Frost is leading the battle against
a corporate income tax, and suggested
the poll tax as possible substitute.
Income Tax Doubted.
The bills for individual and corpor-
ate income and for sales taxes are
high in the air and nobody predicts
that they are coming down until such
a time as may be too late in the SEES.
sion. In effect, the talk is that they
are in the discard, but that
should not be stated too positively as
friends are yet trying hard to get
them out.
The road program is beginning to
take shape and will loom larger and
larger from now on.
There are bills now pending that
would add on more than 1000 miles.
Highway committeeman are disposed
to throw a lot Of them out Into this
however, comes the flat rate
motor vehicle license issue.
The house roads and bridges COM
mittee accepted the IS flat automobile
license fee and 1-cent increase in the
gas tax, compromise plan estimated
to produce S24,S00,0O0 during the com.
ing biennium. This, it is stated, will
keep the highway revenues on their
present level.
The measure was worked out by
subcommittee of the roads and bridges
committees of the two branches. The
license fee would become effective in
1881 and the gas tax increase April I.
"s and 4" Auto License.
Senator Oliver Hall, chairman OF
the senate committee, sponsored ear.
lier in the session the Washington
Automobile club plan of a 50 fec and
2-cent increase. The eight and one"
bill was a compromise by the subcom.
mittee on Senator Halls bill and one
by Representative Charles A. Moran,
for a So fee and a 2-cent increase.
Trpn1yu o-t.