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Show BUSINESS MEN ANSWERGHARGE Legislators' Claims Receive Reply Answering legislators' assertions that few business men present thelr viewpolnts on proposed laws, a widely representative business and industry group Tuesday Informed tha state legislature of its stand on numerous measures. Headed by John M. Wallace, president presi-dent of the chamber of commerce, the group presented a statement promising support of "new trends of legislative thought, such as social security," but warning against adoption of acts which would appropriate appro-priate "far beyond our means of paying." Represented were the Salt Lake City, Ogden and Provo chambers of commerce, Utah Manufacturers' association, as-sociation, Utah State Retailers' as-ociatlon, as-ociatlon, Utah Starts 'Trucking association, Utah Coal Producers' association, Associated General Contractors Con-tractors of America, lntermountain branch; Utah Warehousemen's association, as-sociation, and others. "President Maw and Speaker Jensen have commented recently on the fact very few businees people (CootlnueS on P.M Twe t Comma t our I BUSINESS MEN ANSWERCIIARGE (OeetMea (raw Fas Om) present thtir viewpoints to legislators," legisla-tors," tho otatomont paid. The answsr ia by no moan a lack of Interest on their part in the many measures which affect their bueineoa welfare The fact ia that of the many diverse concern within tho state, very few feel qualified in tho procedure of expressing their need and deairee to the legislature." legisla-ture." . The statement said that some proposed pro-posed statute would require considerable con-siderable Increase In state revenues, that in legislative undertaking! business desires to cooperate and that "unless .unemployment Is to continue, wo must provide such means an dsuch encouragement to industry In the state as may be necessary to build those enterprises to absorb this large group of our unemployed cltlsens." Dollar Baa EffecT "Bach dollar of additional taxes has Its effect la restricting the capacity of Industry to employ labor. Each new or expanded Industry means new taxable property." Tho statement said that whlls Utah now employs substantially the asms number of persons aa In 1929, when there was no unemployment problem, "today we have 22,000 un-emloyed un-emloyed In the state." !Tae- group as a whole supports the new t r a n d a of legislative thought, such as the social security program," the lawmakers were told. "It la hoped that the writing of these new measures into law will go along parallel with our capacity to foot the bill. Otherwise, the great good will be replaced by actual distress to our stats rsvsnues and our wage earners." Views Enumerated Other observations of the group were: "That In labor measures, labor and Industry alike ahould share without favor, any limitations, restrictions, rights or privileges Involved In such proposed statutes. That tho adoption of the several appropriation bills which have been Introduced would go far beyond our means of paying. The group Is vitally Interested In furthering state development However, such de-accordance de-accordance with a plan, over a period of years, based on our Income. In-come. velopment should be undertaken' In "That in public competition with private enterprises, such as public utility plants, the private business, unless properly safeguarded, may be crippled or destroyed, with manifest mani-fest Injustice toward the present investments in-vestments of large numbers of our people and the elimination of a very Important source of taxes. "That the cooperative organisations organisa-tions within the state, which are set up with the advantage of state subsidy sub-sidy and which do not pay their full share of operating costs, are op posed aa being unfair to private stores, shops and other businesses. The margins of profit are generally so close today, that business cannot successfully withstand such favored competition. "That the adoption of homestead exemption should become effective only as our established sources of tax revenue can absorb the cost It Is felt that further special burdens on trade for this purpose are not warranted. These suggestions are offered as affecting the actual living needs of tho various types of business houses in this stats. For the most part, these firms are operated under highly high-ly competitive conditions, both from within and outside of tho state that render progress difficult, even under the now existing tax requirements. "Sincere appreciation Is again expressed ex-pressed to the members of the legislature leg-islature for granting this hearing to the problems discussed." |