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Show FIB REPEAL OF SODA TAXES Utah Senators Assure Local Bottler Matter Will Be Considered. Assurance that he favors the movement to repeal the tax on soda water has been received from Senator Reed Smoot by Frank J. Hewlett, president of the Utah Bottlers' association, and a letter promising prom-ising to give the matter careful consideration consid-eration has been received from Senator William H. King. Both letters came in response to one sent the Utah senators by the Bottling association, urging that the tax be repealed. "This tax," Mr. Hewlett explains, "is one of the most petty and annoying burdens bur-dens that has ever been placed upon a business. It returns little in revenue to the government, yet is so complicated that it necessitates a complex system of bookkeeping book-keeping which forces dealers to raise the cost of soft drinks as well as collecting the tax. It is opposed by the customers as well as the dealers. In the towns throughout the state many petitions calling call-ing for its repeal are hanging in the windows win-dows with the names of prominent citizens citi-zens attached. "A bill repealing the tax was passed in the house some time ago, but has lain dormant in the senate, owing, no doubt, to the more pressing business that has lately flooded that body. In writing the Utah senators, the Bottlers' association aimed to wake the senate up to the matter. mat-ter. There is no doubt that the bill would be disposed of in a short time if it came up for consideration. The house passed the repeal measure in less than half an hour, and it seems a pity the. public should suffer the inconvenience of this petty tax any longer." |