The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1933-04-25
HOUSE Will. NOT ACCEPT
REVENUE BILL If SENATE
DELETES ALI. AMENDMENTS
Spirit of Revolt Growing,
Especially on Electric
Power Tax Difference
By J. c. BASKERVILLE
The TimCs-Ncws Bureau
Sir Waiter Hotel

RALEIGH, April 25.--A. spirit
OF revolt is growing in the house
against the action Of the senate
finance committee in removing
the Ewing amendment from the
revenue bill providing for a tax
of half a mill on each kilowatt
hour of electrical energy general
ed or sold in North Carolina, il
became evident here today. The
fact that the senate is expected
to follow the lead Of its finance
committee and refuse TO put this
bilowatt hour tax back into the
revenue bill, is regarded as add
ing to this spirit in the house.
Several members of the house
when questioned today gave it as
their opiniOn that the house will
not agree to accept the revenue
bill if it is shorn of everything
that was added to it in the house,
and especially if the kilowatt
hour tax is removed. Most Of
these agree that they expect the
senate to remove the Everett cor
poratc excess tax amendment and
to put the sales tax back up to 3
per cent and that the house bill
probably not offer any very great
objection to either of these
moves. But if the senate strikes
out the kilowatt hour tax, it can
expect the house to refuse to
concur and to insist that either
this tax be retained or that the
franchise and corporation income
taxes be further increased on the
power companies, according to
the sentiment prevailing in the
house today.
"The members Of the house are
willing to cooperate with the
senate and to try to work out a
compromise, but they do not feel
that they should be dictated to
by the senate" said Representa-
tive Johnson of Chatham county.
$50 if the senate removes every
thing from the revenue bill that
the house added to it, it can
hardly be expected that the house
will accept it."
Representative w. C.. Ewing of
Cumberland county, author Of the
Ewing kilowatt hour amendment
adopted by the house by vote
of Sc to 28, still believes there is
a chance for the senate to adopt
the kilowatt hour tax, despite the
fact the finance committee omit
ted it from the revenue bill. If
this amendment is not re-inserted
into the bill in the senate, he be-
lieves it is sure to be put back in
by the conference committee. For
almost everyone agrees that the
revenue bill is sure to go to a
conference committee, for a few
DAYS at least.
There are some who think the
senate is using good political
strategy in removing from the
revenue bill all the changes made
in it by the house and in increas-
ing the sales tax to 9 per cent,
in order to have a basis for COM
promise in the conference COM
mittee. For q conference COM
mittee cannot insert new matter
in a bill but must select between
the provisions as adopted in one
house and those adopted in the
other. Thus, if all the house
amendments arc removed from
the revenue bill in the senate,
and the house refuses to concur,
the conference committee can
then only compromise on what
was left out of the bill. The
conference committee could then
work out a compromise, for in
stance, by agreeing to restore the
Ewing kilowatt hour tax and by
reducing the sales tax from 3 per
cent. to- 2 1-2Jper cent. Some
think this is what will eventually
be done. a5rf @s