The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1933-10-16
OPEN WAR ON
HIGH TAXES AT
MASS MEETING
Public Officials FIayed by
Speakers at Session;
Adopt Program.

Abolition Of tax exempt securi-
ties. repeal of mandatory salary
laws and strict enforcement of the
$3.50 law we're demands made by
speakers at a mass meeting Of tax
payers Saturday afternoon in the
ClaypOOl.
Approximately 400 delegates from
all sections Of the state attended
the session, adopted a resolution
supporting a tax reduction program
and heard half dozen speakers flay
office holders, past and present.
Legislative acts of a fifteen-year
period we're traced by the speakers
in criticism Of governmental ex-
penditures. Laws providing for high
salaries despite economic conditions,
unequal distribution of the tax bur
den and exemption of state and
municipal bonds from taxation were
charged with responsibility for the
present tax crisis.
Raps Tax Exemption
L don't believe in tax exemption
for anybody or any purpose declared
John c. Aiken, Fl. Wayne. Every
81 900. 900 bond issue costs 1000 peo-
pie their life savings and jobs v
Money drawn from circulation and
placed in tax exempt securities bears
no share of the tax burden, yet re-
duces the buying power of the public
and causes small home Owners to
lose their possessions because of m
ability to pay the resultant high
taxes, Mr.. Aiken explained.
1T is for this reason that I have
opposed loans from the federal pub
lie works program" Mr. Aiken as
serted. Bond issues will be neceS-
sary to repay the debt, and while the
program will give temporary relief
to unemployment. its later effects
will be disastrous"
Circumvented Limit Law
The Goodrich tax law, sponsored
by Ex-Governor James P. Goodrich,
and passed in 1919, assessing all
property at 100 per cent value paved
the way for a tremendous increase
in bond issues, Mr.. Aiken pointed
out.
Faced with limitation of per
cent of valuations the office holders
circumvented this law by increasing
the Valuations the speaker charged.
The tax program of Governor
Paul v. McNutt likewise came in for
scathing criticism. The gross in
come tax law was charged with
taxing money paid out" and the
intangible tax has resulted in this
type of property being taxed at a
lower rate than real estate.
IntangibIeS Law Scored
Intangible property should bear
taxation as much as real estate, yet
this type has been removed from
the tax duplicates where it would be
taxed at least S150 and placed in
separate class where it yields revenue
of one-quarter of l per cent" MIR.
Aiken asserted.
Il don't know who studied out
these tax laws, but he didn't know
much about government. Let's quit
sending baby lawyers to the legiS-
lature to make our laws"
Edgar D. Bush, former Lieuten-
Governor shot several barbed
shafts at the McNutt administra-
ton. declaring he was interested in
hearing the legislature described as
the peoples legislature, because
he didn't know who it belong to.
Murray, Payne Speak
The only laws respected are the
laws we don't need" Mr.. Bush de-
clared. All our other laws are
interpreted by officials and COM
missions to their own interests"
Other speakers we're Frank j.
Murray. South Bend, introduced by
Gavin L. Payne, local real estate
man, and Paul c. Wetter, local
civic leader and attorney.
Mr.. Murray suggested formation
of the Indiana Tax Council, COM
posed of taxpayers and empowered
to protect their interests. The
suggestion was incorporated in the
resolution adopted at the meeting.