The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-02-23

Courtesy of debate was ex-
tended to the bills opponents
by Speaker Earl Crawford in
the house, but even this was
not granted by Lieutenant
Governor NJ. Clifford Town
send in the senate.
Under the McNutt reorganization
DILL previously passed, Townsend
becomes a full-time administrator
o1tlcer. He worked for ths admin
lstration with his gavel "Wednesday
shot the tax bill through without
third reading of the text. as the
Constitution provides, and ignored
plea of Senator Chester Perkins
Dem, South Bend to take the
floor on the point of personal privi-
lege.
Leaders Are Present
Administration hencnmen on hand
for this performance included r.
Earl Peters, Democratic state chair
man; Wray Fleming, Democratic
state committee publicity man:
Wayne Coy, secretary to McNutt:
Virgil Simmons, Frank McHale and
Bowman Elder, the McNutt trium-
Vlrate of administration lobbyists.
Vote ir the house was 81 to %
and in the senate. IS to 10.
AmPnGn1pf1fc oHaotit1C -. -.
point of the McNutt plan. were
adopted in both houses and will be
ironed out by conference commit
tee today, before the bill is sent to
the Governor.
One made in the senate limits the
measure to April 80, 1885. A similar
proposal had been turned down by
the house, although McNutt has
commended that a sales tax would
be an emergency measure.
See Perpetual Tax
However, the administration is
taking over 5000 in annual salary
payments by the state for each
common and high school teacher
and, once saddled on the taxpayers.
the sales tax never may be lifted,
opponents contend.
One danger pointed out In the
house debate was how easily the
rates may be increased and thus
make residents not owning property
bear the entire burden of taxation.
Referring to this point, Represen-
tatiye H. H. Evans (Rep., NeWcas-
tle), charged the bill had been writ
ten by the farm bureau gang, which
already nearly has wrecked the state
of Indiana"
Pass this bill and you'll create
more parasites, buzzards, and
leeches on the state ap ryoll, Evans
shouted. 1T is bare thievery. If I
voted for the measure, would ex-
pect to be tarred and feathered and
transported out of Henry county.
Everybody is against it"
Called Blow at Taxpayer
Representative j. CHM Ellyson
Dem. Hammond signed minor
ity committee report against pas
sage and led the floor fight against
the bill.
He termed the bill "a double
barreled machine-gun which will
hit the taxpayer at both ends and in
the middle"
This bill. if enacted, will Gre
ate a chance to build up a wonder
full political machine" he asserted.
The tax will mount as the gaso-
line tax has mounted-God knows
where it will end
Although denied the privilege Of
speaking against the bill, Perkins
later asserted he regarded the
measure as "manifestly unjust to the
poor man"
Burden on Poor
"A man with a $1,000 income will
spend all Of it for living expenses,
and pay a tax on everything he
buys" he said. But the man with
a $4,000 income may spend only
half of it and thereby pay much
less than his proportionate share.
This bill is the rock on which
the newly created autocracy will
wreck itself. The Governor, in his
message to the legislature, said he
was opposed unalterably to the
principle of the sales tax And now
our new dictator has compromised
with his principles.
The loyalty Of the legislators to
him has an element of fear"
But the McNutt steam roller had
power to spare and the bill was
through the house in an hour and
a half and the senate in about
thirty minutes.