The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1935-03-07
ATTEMPT TO SLASH
SALES TAX IN HALF
DEFEATED IN House
Approve for Passage Measure
Estimated to Raise 81, 000,.
600 In Revenues
HIGHWAY PATROL FAVORED
Approximately $4,000 Cut
From General Appropriation
for Departments

Despite attempts to cut the tax In
half, the house Thursday, sitting In
committee Of the whole, approved for
passage the senate bill calling for q
two per cent sales tax from which 1t
Is expected 44,000, 900 will be obtained
during the coming biennium.
Proposed amendments to the bill,
one OF which would have cut the tax
from two to one per cent, and Sec
ond proposal which would have grad
uated the tax to enable purchasers
In the higher brackets to pay a lower
rate Of tax were defeated.
H. H. Hewitt Of Walsh claimed that
passage Of the sales tax bill as drawn
would seriously affect border cities
on the Minnesota line. He claimed
that businessmen of Grand Forks and
Fargo would suffer under provisions
Of the act.
Hardship on Border Cities
z. J. McIlraith Of Divide told Hew.
lit that Under other provisions Of the
sales tax measure, interstate COM
merce was exempted from the tax
levy. r. r. echoll pointed out that
both South Dakota and Montana
have sales taxes and asserted "we're
not legislating for Fargo and Grand
Forks. We're .legislating for tie en-
tire state"
In the senate the only important
action at Thursday mornings session
was to pass H. B. So, providing an
appropriation Of 4le6. l5s for the
Grafton state school, representing IN
increase Of $l25y000 over the amount
previously approved by the house. The
bill now goes hack to the house for
action on the increase.
The house reconsidered previous
action taken to indefinitely postpone
. senate measure doubling the beer
tax, and placed the bill ct the head
Of the calendar for further considera-
ton.
The house Wednesday night killed
q senate measure stepping up income
taxes and tightening income tax laws.
Sitting Is committee Of the whole,
the house recommended for passage,
however, one other senate measure
tightening laws governing sale Of
cigarets and snuff, from which it Is
hoped additional revenue win come.
Approximately $4,000 was cut from
the general appropriation bill Of the
senate for administration Of state de-
partments. The committee Of the
whole pared the total appropriation
from $l,l93,574 to $l,lS4.ll2.
Favor Highway Patrol
Recommended for passage also was
the senate proposal to establish q
state highway patrol: the senate bill
abolishing the presidential primary.
Tackled onto the bin abolishing the
primary was an amendment by the
house which would, In effect, permit
establishment Of third party In the
state by petition Of 10000 electors.
A similar proposal to permit estab-
lishment Of third party, by IN iden-
tical system, was contained in house
measure killed Tuesday by the house.
Still in committee Wednesday were
three other revenue-producing meas
tres: senate bill $40, providing for .
half-cent tax per kilowatt hour on all
power and electricity used In the state;
senate bill $40, calling for an addition
al one-cent gasoline tax, and senate
bill 264. providing for establishment
Continued on Page TWo)