| Show t ES ES NO I taNk talk Jensen Says No o On Tax Revision 0 I Look Lo k tat at Utilities Tax Church Property iJ Throttle rottIe B Bond nd Issues r. r ly y FR FRANK L. L JENSEN rector edor of tile the LaFollette in Utah in 1924 In to discuss tho tax com com- n phase o of ot t the proposed to tho state I a subject t that tb J 6 had far too je 1 attention n during tho campaign j is necessary necessary to trace th the tho crea- crea and nd gr growth of ot a a. similar bod body public utility commission of or 1 decades ago a n. great groat many ens ns of ot Utah were urging the of ot regulatory bodies bodles control of ot railroads utility cor- cor lons and others who were beI beng be- be ig ng S I 50 so sn a po now ina that mat thAI JB as- as no- no ig ng S I 50 so sn a po now ina that mat thAI JB as- as no- no 1 right to do about as they ed J wa was virtually ugh jugh political accidents a Iy progressive legislature wa was wasef TJ ef during the gen general raI demand utility regulation and the exist- exist 1 raw law was wa wu introduced Lobbyists the power powei power company company the tho telene tele- tele ma ne company the railroads and ir r enterprises affected by the appeared be be be- ire legislative committees having ving Li I pending bill in in charge and vio via itly protested the enact enact- of any such law P Proponents the bill however I succeeded in its Its' passage Thereupon the tho utility combination aid md d its allies ames set et about to control he personnel of ot the new commis- commis ion lonset act u up bytho by tho utilities act That s II to sa say they sought to have havo ap- ap commissioners favorable to or of t an ultra ultra-c Lye Iro type that could coula be relied upon bf necessary to ignore Isnor the of ot tho the legislators in much muchie ie 0 zam Ame fashion as the intent of ogress agress In passing the tho federal ido do act has bas been largely defeated i Presidential l appointment of fed fed- trade trad commissioners hostile to purpose of ot th the act I W The success o of th tho Utah tn adon may have furnished the tho for r breaking down the deral trade trad act act- At Al any rate when a a. considerable Action no of public imbUe opinion in the ate te became becam wrought up because of ot proc deci- deci DM of ot the public utilities e commis- commis ra nand and demand was made for tor the peal meal cat of the ac act or at least drastic nt of It ft it tho same anle utility who had eo so strenuously against the enactment of 0 the their thew before the thee theme ir w again appeared me e committees of 0 the l legislature id d in a vigorous way stood lood t against t either amendment ame or peal ample teal ample evidence that utility were well satisfied th tit the personnel of 0 the eom 8 JT n arid and zid the working working- o of the tho n now ew w v. v j rie I appointments to the utilities h have hayo vo been a singularly rl tk korat or or at l least a t we lwe have h hid had d corn com who have hv fou found it ea easy y see He eye y to eye of tho commissions commission's i ns and orders has I failed to to proc pro- pro c co Ce a a. single Ingle instance in which a if 12 ear ut- has bas been turned t to the o jot the power flower company n He ue th the commission does docs not give pleading utility per cent oft of t it asks f fOr foe r. r B Ru II I of the regulated compa companies iu learned earned c early in the game than they risk fisk for much more Ib ly desired to o ha have have- e or expect expected d fist and cons consequently the c corn com miNions miNion's m- m iNions face has been saved ithe the utilities have been been- for all al purposes purpose regulated d only extent they themselves d to be be regul regulated ted rf ie C his history tor ot or tho the commissions commission's in the tho quarter century of Logan to save Its I ric lighting pl plant n from tram r company encroachment fur fur- Ij U tg- astonishing examples of ot the cr rand and prestige of 01 the oix on being effectively used in be- be of f the power monopoly f I And kd now it it is proposed to set IDt setup up upi p i even sv n more mere dangerous com I n likewise appointive with und un- un rd d o of T powers p to direct and conI conI con con- con con- I I without t restraints the entire tion Mien activities of Utah he ie utilities commission was ere cre- 1 by law and nd c can n be bo abolished ie same Mme m manner be ie e tax c commission it if the dm J ts pass flass will h have vo ve a conon con- con on l grant Biant of ot power to modify or rem remove vo without r another amendment or a l convention Tho The dlf- dlf nc ts an Sin appalling one to to stu- stu ts o ot commissions in Utah 1 t i J luch nUh a as u the incumbent goy goy- p all aU of the tho pre cht COmmIssioners and certainly t st be bo c cognizant of their actions action i atti attitude d. d what may we expect ep t tk k the I amendments carry arry and he Inti a tax commission whose 1 f Cont Continued u. u td d on page pago 10 This Thi Thu i it th the thi thirty first article InThe I he tax debate debats tom tomorrow An dember dp d.- member ember of th the affirmative I be presented Q F fN JENSEN S YS ON t TAX VISION REVISION Continued train from pare page 1 1 power pow mr iFS ar into th the coniti constitution t tion beyond legislative reach retch and not hot ven subject to co rt r Suppose Suppose- Logan Logan finds f l ds It necessary essary to float abond bond r of Dt Its Ita ta t Under th the proposed proposed pro pro- posed amendments amendment ta the tho tax cammie- cammie sjon will have havo tho the power power- poser tO to review p proposed bond A tax commission com corn mission such ns as the utilities commission i elon has proved Itself to b be could easily p such a bond bon i 8 U under Its review powers dud and LOgan Cogan w would would- Uld become an an nn easy prey to o monopolists who are arc al aS always at- at ways on the lookout and excessively ly en eager cager er for tor p public U ownership scalps Ant An there will be no recourse By reason oC of its constitutional po powers ers th the tho tax commission will wm bo be beyond the reach oC or an indignant p people ople If Ie the tax commission were elec dee Ivo tive rather lather than appointive and the Je were with an cf- cf f cUve recall Jaw law there thera might be ics lesli ess objection to tho the unprecedented grant of ot power to the tho proposed bod body Another ph phase phase- of the th t tax JC revision ion program discloses the th utter lack of courage of the revisionists to deal I with the question of tax taxation tion of ch property Privately they admit that all churches should be taxed Publicly they hey dare not open their mouths Whenever er the word church Is used cold shivers race up and down the he spines or places where spines should hould be of oC countless numbers of ot Why cannot questions of ot church to the public be discussed dis- dis cussed in a B. tolerant wa way without undue heat or suspicion Sl and approximate ap- ap proximate justice bo be bod done ne Neither either c churches churches' nor any one on else should hould ha have e. e special privileges privilege in n taxation matters a ter aid au the he churChes Church now have rant nt ed exemptions d There are any number of ot Utah who are not members o 0 any hurch and who wh do not desire to cr unite urdie ite with any religious group croup Such individuals individuals- aro arc now called calleI upon t to pay heavier tax burdens by reason Teason f c-f r churches e escaping caping taxa taxation If It we are to to- havo constitutional changes changes' in tax matters why not rectify that tha t abuse Any just jut taxation n system should Include taxation n of or churches hurches' on the same arne ire ft as other other property Those hose Who want churches should pay fo for them Citizens who C d do not v tant to belong to churches should not root have to pa pay an any part of ot the tto taxation bills of or those who do jo Were Ware vote taken faken on the q ques- ques ec tier ion I am confident the chuch people would not object to paying taxes axes on the society property they hold If they should object taxes tun should hould be levied over their oi lions lion's since they are beneficiaries of government J just t a as ap the odi- odi is Thero There ti r. i still another phase of the tte tax I have failed to tee eci discussed as it ought to be and that i. i A g the proposed income tax I 1 r re re regard jard gard a a income tax aa as the fairest aired of or all all' thc particularly in an u ab abstract tract sense sanle I Xo No one erie will attempt to deny that tha wh when n new sources of or taxation n are arc discovered the the- old the old ones are taxed Just the same same governments government national na national na- na state county municipal ant an and school merely devises new ways Wl'S ti to spend th the additional money raised If It the tax revisionists want to do doso doso so o much for Jho tho common h herd rd wh why dont don't they include another constitutional constitutional amendment with their lot providing that J if it an an income tax be established tho the pro property pert tax par- par tt tl on ul fl on be b reduced or or- orbe be bo abolished For lor my part 1 I Iw w want nt constitutional guarantees s that there here will be s some mo limit somewhere before I can oo up pp the entire field of ot human endeavor to the he Insatiable rapacity of or tax tao spenders Since the Ithe proposed amendments must be considered as ns parts of or II general program the reasons cited nb above ve are in in- my opinion sufficient to warrant warrant turning down the amend amend- ments However should hould those thou reasons reason not net prove prave weighty enough to compel compe general disapproval the tho propos d grant of virtually perpetual special privileges to holders of intangible property should serve to awaken awake even the the- most molt guileless optimist optimist- t to the many dangers of the of-the the tax taC revision revision reva- reva sion Sian program The vote on all the amendments amendment should therefore in my opinion b ban be bean bean an emphatic NO |
