The people's voice., 1959-02-06
Continued From Page One)

vate firm $222,000 to buy the same
grain drying equipment that GTA
can buy for 100000. (He failed to
point out that by virtue of the in
vestment in such a piece of equip
ment, the private company could claim
same as a deductible item for income
tax purposes.-Editor.)
Other proponent speakers were sew
4eral and limited themselves to very
g brief statements.
Jim Keith, Meagher County Farm
& Bureau, said his organization is for
!, this bill because they think call cor
porations should be taxed equally
and bear fair share of the bur-
den :"
Mel Ingles, Poplar, chairman of
Roosevelt Republican Central Com
mittee, said the Montana Republican
party is committed to taxing co-opera-
tives. He asserted that the "co-op's
tax position is discriminatory towarq
other corporations, partnerships and
individuals . :"
Ben Northwich, speaking for Bill
lings Restaurant Employers Associa-
ton, said he "only asks that anyone
engaged in competitive business carry
their fair share >" of the tax load.
Norman Blevins, representing Mon
tana Hardware & implement Dealers,
read resolution of his organization
critical of the ''tax exemption al
lowed huge businesses :" and said
this was major inequality (which
appears in our current tax struc-
ture . - Blevins cast suspicion on
the integrity of individual coop men,
bers in reporting refunds as income
for taxation purposes. He surmised
that since the law does not require
such reporting until time cash re-
funds are made, many coop people
just don't get around to reporting as
income. ALLEGATIONS of the net over
payments due them on basis of pat
ronage.
Sam D. Goza, Helena, frequent
pleader before legislative commit
tees, said he was representing en-
ployers of Helena, Kalispell, Great
Falls, Missoula, Bozeman and Living
ston, employers who are "small busi-
nessmen'. Their businesses, he stated,
are ''fiercely competitive. Continu-
ing, he said, 'they are faced with
a type of competition with which they
cannot compete - Concluding, he
said it is the American thing for CO.
ops to be put on the same basis for
tax purposes.
Ralph Svare, Shelby, director of
NJ Ton ana Taxpayers Association,
pointing out that his organization is
mon partisan and non POLITICAL, said
their principal concern is ''tax equal
ity and the need for revenue" for
Montana's state government. And he
said that the proposed tax on co-ops
is one of few taxes which would not
be increasing already existing taxes.
Svare said there is no tax equality to
gain expansion capital via favored
tax status.
Art Lindseth, Dupuyer, represent
ing Treasure State Agricultural AS
socfation, of Teton county, read an
resolution which favors
Corporation profits being recognized
as taxable in the hands Of stockhold-
ers :" The resolution amounts to
a request for repeal of the corpora
tion license tax.
Burke Macdonald. Butte retail
lumber dealer, contended that pri-
lumber retailers can
not compete with coop lumber out
let's, and asserted that the "tax ad-
vantage (of co-ops) is enough to make
all private enterprises end up as CO.
operatives :" Macdonald was fear {
full for our "children's heritage" if
co-ops are permitted to continue to
grow. He cited an example of lum-
Der yard at Dutton, which he claimed
was forced out of business by the
of a coop lumber firm.
And he said, the private firm had been
paying over $1,000 in taxes per /
year before it closed it's doors.
Jim Moore, Two Dot rancher, told
he committee that "every corporation
which derives a profit should pay a
ak on that profit"
Rep. James Felt (R-Yellowstone)
hn