The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-12
RETAILERS MAP
CAMP AICN FOR
REPEAL OF TAX
Indiana Business Men
Swarm Through Statehouse,
Lose Skirmish.


Repulsed in attempting to gain
legislative redress from what they
term inequalities Of the gross in
come tax Law, as it applies to their
business, retailers today were lay
ing out campaign to obtain tax
revision at later special session
OF the General Assembly this year
or in the regular 1897 session.
Retailers swarmed by hundreds on
the Ststehouse yesterday in an or
gsnized demonstration before the
Legislature, and succeeded in set
ting off in the House the most ex-
citing fireworks of the session.
Appearance Of retailer spokesman
in the House in a demand for gross
income tax repeal. resulted in a mo-
ton from Rep. Will j. Price Or,
OnWard), that the Kirch- Patterson
gross income repeal bill be brought
out of committee Immediately with
out recommendation Then Rep.
Carl Woodward 3D., Michigan City,
moved to table the motion.
Evans KS Applauded
Rep. II. H Evans. Newcastle. Re-
publican caucus chairman, and an
nounced candidate for Governor, in
dorsed repeal consideration in an
imprisoned address to the accom-
paniment of repeated bursts of APP
pause from the hundreds of re-
tailers packing the galleries.
Rep. Joseph A. Andrew (R., La
fayette), one of the most astute,
both politically and legislatively, of
the minority, Immediately put the
majority ION the spot" by demand
ing roll call on the motion to ia
BILE considerations.
AS the call proceeded, Democratic
Representatives sprung up like mush-
rooms TO explain their votes They
were unanimous in insisting. they
felt they must vote against consid-
ering the repeater now, because the
session was called for social secur-
ity purposes solely.
Republicans explain Votes
Republicans explained their votes
in favor of consideration, saying
they were not consulted in calling
the session, and that they felt tax
repeal or any other legislative ac-
ton was pertinent.
When it appeared the retailers
might gain their objective, two ma
jority members, Rep. William j.
Black, Anderson, and Rep. Edward
j. Braun, Fort Wayne, switched
their votes and swung back to the
administration.
The final vote was At to Al to
table consideration at this session,
and a clincher motion was applied
by Rep Woodward to prevent at
tempts to revive the bill.
Retailers left muttering threats of
political retaliation against repre-
sentatives who voted wrong" in
their opinion.
The repeated comment was: Just
wait until the election
Earlier, Walter J. Mercer, local
Retail Meat and Grocers Associa-
ton president and Edward Dirks.
association legislative chairman, had
spoken in the House and Senate for
repeal.
Group Calls on Governor
While hundreds of retailers,
crowded the Statehouse corridors in
noisy confusion, group of approx
imately 100, mostly grocers, talked
to Gov. McNutt in the executive
offices, and asked him to do some
thing about the law which they said
is confscatory and driving them out
of business.
Crowding closely around his desk,
they hurled questions from all sides,
which he answered. The session
was enlivened when the protestants
begain airing apparent differences
in their own ranks.
When it was suggested a sales tax
would be the inevitable result If the
gross income tax law were repealed,
one protestant loudly asserted:
"A man with nine children can't
pay a sales tax
A man in the rear of the group
crowding the Governors desk re-
joined;
What about me, I've got eight.
The Governor told the grocers he
was fully cognizant of the difficult
ties they face under the law, but
insisted the income levy is more
equitable than a sales tax that
might be necessary if the law were
repealed
While the Governor spared verb
ally with his questioners, police
guard withheld hundreds of other
protestants who crowded lower
floor corridor near his Offices.
Roll Call Result
The vote to table consideration of
the bill follows:
AYES
emocrats-Barrett, Barry Bauer.
Baumgartner, Black, Braun, Colbert,
Datterer, Downey. Emig, Gettinger,
Gibbons. Griffith, Gutzwiller, Hill,
Hoffman. Kent, Linke, Lomont,
Lutz. Modisett, Moore. Morgan, Nor
ris, Nicholson, Nordhoff, Pickens,
Radabaugh, Randall, Reichmann,
Richardson, Rockey Sahm. Shaffer,
Sigler, Smith, Stanton. Stephens.
Sturm, Thompson of Adams, Wolf,