The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-02-28
FOES OF SALES
TAX FORMING
House BLOCK.
Would Fight This And All
Other Unacceptable
Legislation
By J. c. Baskerville
The imas.Ncw Bureau
Sir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH, Feb. 2S.-An effort
is now being made in the house
to organize an anti-Sales tax bloc:
similar 10 the MacLean bloc OF
two years ago. not only to oppose
a sales tax of any form but 10
oppose any other legislation not
acceptable to this bloc, it was
learned here today. For several
weeks there has been group or
house insurgents whose members
have introduced q large number
of bills designed mainly to abolish
q large number of state depart
mentS, divisions and bureaus, with
many aimed directly at the state
highway commission or the state
highway fund.
Those actively identified with
this group have been Representa-
tives Tam c. Bowie of Asha.
Douglass of Wake, Watkins Of
Nash Gillian of Aiamance. Spru-
i'll of Rertie. Taylor. Boyd and
Garibaldi of Mecklenburg. Cam
eron of Moore. Grant of New
Hanover, Scarborough Of Rich
mond and several others. number
ing from 80 TO 80 n all. For the
first four or five members of this
bloc tried repeatedly 10 override
the majority and force through
particular measures. But general
" they could not muster more
than so or So who would vote
with them. AS result many OF
them have become increasingly
resentful against some of the lead
ers of the other group which so
far has generally succeeded IN
getting a majority.
But for some reason or other,
this insurgent group has succeed
ed in getting a much larger fol-
lowing lately and has put over a
number of measures. Its first ma
jor victory came Monday night
when it passed the bill to reduce
the number of employees in the en-
rolling office from p to y. 1t
scored another victory Wednes
day when it passed the bill by
Representative Douglass to cut
the salaries of all employees IN
the state highway commission
from 10 TO SO per cent by a vote
of 10 TO p and passed Bowie 5
bill 20 create more competition
for the power companies. 1t also
passed the bill to require the state
highway commission TO maintain
marked highways through cities
and towns. 1t is agreed, however.
that the enactment of the two
bills regarding the highway COM
mission was due largely to a
coalition of the anti-JeffresS group
with the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
GROUP. Yet the Bowie insurgents
showed more strength than they
had been able to at any time 50
far. Again Friday, in spite OF at
tempts of the opposition to Kill
the Bowie power company bill,
which would let down the bars
and permit as many utilities COM
panies as wanted to enter cities
and towns except. where served
by municipality owned plants, the
bill passed as amended by vote
of So to u on third reading.
"You can tell the world that
we are going to stay here until
July q If necessary before we Will
pass any kind of a sales tax or
before We will be dictated TO by
any OF this old corporation
crowd" Representative Watson OF
Nash told an an i-saleS tax lobby
list Friday afternoon after the
vote on the Bowie power company
bill. "You just saw what We did
to the. crowd that tried to Kill
Rowie's bill. Well. we are getting
organized now and no one IS go
ing to run over US. And if any
thing is certain, it is that we are
not going 10 pass any kind of q
sales tax. We will STAY here all
summer if necessary TO preyen1
it." -. '..
The detectives of this insurgeHr
group SO far-which incidentally
is composed very largely OF men
who supported former Lieut.. Gov.
r. T. Fountain in the Democratic
primaries instead of Gov. Ehnng-