| Show Haggard Legislators Disappointed As Time for Departure Approaches A completed legislative program was presented Utah by her Twenty first legislature Monday There was little triumph to be found among the legislators haggard with the strain of the day 64 session as they prepared prepared to leave for their homes home Disappointment and dissatisfaction were expressed on every hand Nevertheless the ruling sentiment in house and senate was It was the best we could do under the circumstances combat swirled l longest abo about t the liquor and income tax issues From the sessions session's first day cay until its us last representatives and senators were bitterly at odds over how in intoxicants intoxicants intoxicants in- in toxicants should be sold Praises Jeers Mingle The individual income tax bil bill sinking exemptions and slicing out offset provisions may produce double the amount of revenue the present law produced but neith neither r the bill nor northe northe northe the manner of its passage pleased any large section of the legisla legisla leg leg- isla tors At once applauded and jeered was a proposed constitutional constitutional constitutional amendment passed to the people by the houses early in inthe inthe inthe the session which would empower the legislature to exempt from taxation homes and homesteads up to a value of 2000 and personal property up to Belatedly apprised of the fact that they were paving the way for cutting utting more than from the tax rolls representativeS representatives representatives rep rep- made two attempts to reconsider and recall the measure in in the house One was led lcd by Floor Leader Reva Beck Bosone D. D Salt Lake and was backed with the statement statement state state- ment that the administration was alarmed and distressed by the bill Moves Hooted Down Both moves were hooted down with the farm bloc taking the lead It was the consistent stand of agricultural representatives representatives representatives that the land should be relieved and eventually ex exempted exempted ex- ex empted from taxation Social legislation moved in and out of the spotlight throughout through through- out the session beginning with ratification of the child labor amendment to the national constitution The legislature w was wa's was s seriously hampered in this respect by the failure of the national congress to enact forecasted federal legislation in time for consideration by the state As an alternative however the legislature voted establish establish- ment of a state department of public welfare at the urgency of oi the administration The rhe department will have broad powers to administer relief re relief relief re- re lief and to cooperate with any social agency which the national government may set up Job Insurance Bill Creation of a state self-help self cooperative board to aid and foster local cooperatives of the unemployed was a third vital social measure passed A fourth was the unemployment insurance insurance insurance ance bill passed in the last hours of the session and designed to dovetail with witha a national ati law exp expected to be passed this spring Water and irrigation were serious concerns of the legislature legislature legislature legisla legisla- ture and with less controversy than accompanied most issues of the the same magnitude a conservation program was enacted The most important effect of the se series ies of bills approved will be to enable immediate beginning of the Great Salt lake and Deer creek projects Perhaps the outstanding bill of the session was the metropolitan metropolitan metropolitan metro metro- politan water measure to enable cities to participate in the gr great at projects but the underground water bill aimed to en enable enable enable en- en able the he state to conserve subterranean water resources rated a close second Building Building- Loan Measure Reform of Utah's banking and building and loan structureS structures structures tures enabling them to participate in benefits of the federal program m was effected in two series of bills prepared by the state stat banking department and sponsored by the admin administration Farmers scored in in the passage of the produce dealers' dealers license law under which dealers in farm commodities will vill be bonded The state department of agriculture on complaint of an agriculturist will vill be empowered to proceed against bonds in incases incases incases cases of asserted unfair dealing A second important agricultural measure will exempt stock feeds from operation of ot the state sales tax while others will regulate fertilizers small fruit container sizes and dairy product product prod prod- product contents The senate blocked many labor b bills advanced ad by a powerful powerful powerful power power- ful delegation in the house Outstanding defeats of f labor legislation legislation legislation leg leg- in the senate were the killing of the industrial compensation compensation compensation act which would have included occupational diseases as compensatory matters and the train short-train bill limiting ting the length of freight and passenger trains t-ains through the state |
