The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1939-04-26
TOO
LATE
TO
CLASSIFY
QUIET LEGISLATIVE SESSION;
LOBBYISTS AMONG MISSING
BY RUSSELL KAY
FLORIDA News Service)


From ali reports, the present
legislative session is the quietest
and best behaved in years. From
the very beginning legislators
have shown an inclination to
really work to the point that.
compared with previous sessions.
they are getting terribly behind
with their jokin' and fish frys.
Ordinarily the lobbyists over
run the capital like reaches do a
boarding house kitchen, but this
session they are conspicuous by
their absence. Where two or
three dozen high-power boys used
to gather together in the name of
this or that interest, swarm all
over the lobby. pitch wild parties
and exert their so-called INFLU-
ENCE generally, this session we
find one or two more or less
meek observers.
Just why the lobbyists are lay
in off. no one seems to know, I'M
less in sizing up the calibre of
the legislators this time they fig
ured it would be a waste of time
and money.
Cones Influence Felt
Those who contended that Gov
eTnor Fred was all washed up
and would be out of the picture
this session, now realize how
badly they were mistaken. Fred'S
influence is being felt and his,
I'VE don't need no more taxes
which rang out at the beginnin'
of the party, met a responsive
chord from Pensacola to Key
West, and most legislators appre-
ciate this fact.
Bills recently introduced would
relieve cities, towns and villages
of the state from the payment of
gas-tax; another bill would re-
move the tax from gas used in
farm tractors, airplanes and boats.
II is big-hearted gesture and
sounds swell on its face, but if
such legislation were passed it
would reduce the states revenue
from the gas-tax about 25 per-
cent. Of course officials of po-
litical subdivisions. as well as
farmers, boat owners and avia-
tors. are HONEST and in secur-
ing tax-free gas for their tractors.
police cars. garbage trucks, planes
or boats. would not think of using
a drop of it in the family auto
mobile or allowin' Cousin John
TO ''fill his tank" so he wouldn't
run out-or somethin'l
Boon For Land and Tractors
However, such lie giSlat o n
should tend to stimulate, tue sale
of tam land and tractors. l know
where l could get few acres of
haId-pan for little ,or. nothin' and
arrange to lease or otherwise &C
quITe a piece of machinery that
would pass for a tractor that
would justify my keepin' a few
drums of gas layIn' around handy.
| realize / couldn't use it in my
automobile, but on the other
hand if the colOred boy made Q
mistake it would be an awful
RUS ance to drain the tank and
refill 1t with taxed gas, especially
if happened to be in a hurry.
Politics Will Step In
II every city, town and village
were permitted TO operate, a tax
free gas pump it wouldn't be long
before some enterprising city of
fetal conceived the idea of is
sum courtesy cards, especially
around election slime And it
might be hard to prove that a
guy who was drivin' a city car
around seekin' votes for the may
or. wasn't really workin' for the
city.
But il seems to me the whole
thing would be a lot simpler for
everybody if the boys would
amend the bills to remove the
gas-tax entirely since that seems
TO be the purpose of the legisla-
ton. OF course it wouldn't re-
ducc the cost much to the con-
sumer for the oil companies would
see to it that the shock of a re-
duced price would not be great
enough to effect your heart, even
If they were obliged to take a
little more revenue themselves.
If we could relieve the state of
Its present gas-tax revenue then
wed sure enough be in line for
a SALES TAX. and even Cover
nor Fred wouldn't have leg to
stand on and would have 10 adj
NIT that we'd not only NEED.
but just plain have to have
PLENTY of new taxes.