Show r lite II 1 Q itol iQ i r The flung far-flung and intensive agitation agitation ag ag- throughout Utah during the past two years ears or more fo for reductions in taxation taxation especially especially as it affects the little fellow is being reflected daily in regular regular regular regu regu- lar sessions of oC the the twenty first legislature and in committee meet meetings meetings meetings ings open and closed Indeed the whole trend of current current current cur cur- rent legislation thus far has been in favor of the small gentleman as against the higher bracketed gentry It reached an early near climax in the speedy speed and unanimous adoption by the senate senate senate sen sen- ate of a joint resolution providing providing providing provid provid- ing an opportunity for the electorate electorate electorate elec elec- to vote at the next general election on a constitutional amendment amendment amendment a- a exempting homesteads up to 2000 from taxation A vote ote of approval would be considered considered considered con con- a mandate for the next legislature to enact the exemption into law and thus vitally affect the states state's tax system In many mans other matters matters large large and small the small the legislative guideposts guideposts guideposts guide- guide posts seem to point to a lawmaking lawmakIng lawmaking ing road labeled This way to lighten the burdens of the little fellow Just who will shoulder the burdens to be lifted from the aforesaid small aforesaid small home and farm owner owner owner-is is as yet to be determined ed by the travelers along the road Many legislator legis legislator backed l backed l-backed backed by back homers homers feel feel that too much of the load should not be lie shifted to industry more particularly particularly particularly that of the home variety So So the legislators realizing this in large measure measure are are confronted confronted confronted con con- fronted with the vexatious problem problem problem lem of where and how to tax lax in order to make up the losses in instate instate instate state revenues certain to accrue by the very substantial reductions proposed for the little fellow v Increased income and corporation franchise are expected to take talce care of a portion of the deduct deduct- ions An increase in the state sales tax may help solve the problem but the proposal to raise this from two to three per cent may fail if labor ad consumer interests interests inter inter- ests oppose it strongly Increase in taxation of mines is none too popular with legislators although proposed in several measures Many declare it smacks too much of decreased production with consequent consequent con con- sequent loss of employment o 0 o Keep Utah competitive It is under this slogan that Beehive state the manufacturers the little fellows of industry especially are are battling taxation proposals proposals proposals pro pro- that they feel will tend to destroy the smaller industries of ot the state which represent a large bulk of Utah manufacturing The manufacturers many manufacturers many of them them admit admit that industrial history history history his his- tory shows but few concerns forced forced forced for for- ced out of business through tax tax- But they argue argue and and rightly too that the taxation point may be reached readied where their overhead overhead boosted boosted materially by taxation taxation makes makes their ing costs too high to permit suc sue competition with goods shipped into Utah by the tax non ed outside competitor who can undersell them in their own state And say And say legislators opposed to over over-burd over burdening ning industry what good is livestock grown by Utah cattle and sheep men without packing houses to turn the on the hoof into meat products the beets without sugar mills tomake to tomake make malte beet sugar sugar the wheat without without without with with- out flour mills to grind it into the stuff that makes the staff of life and of fruits and surplus crops without the canneries to bring them via the canned route to the tables of consumers When they talk of the ta taxes cs that may put them out of business business business busi busi- ness ness through inability l ty to meet competitive outside prices the Industrialists industrialists in in- include proposed changes changes chan chan- in the state workmen's compensation compensation compensation com com- law that in their opinion opinion opinion ion would not only add to production production production pro pro- costs materially but p prevent prevent pre pre- event e- e vent them Ulem borro borrowing ng money because because because be be- cause a mortgage taken to secure a loan could be readily wiped out through awards by a commission fearing no judicial review of its findings or reversal of its award decrees Legislators apposed to overburdening over over- burdening industry with excessive excessive excessive sive taxation point to the fact that it is generally generally if if not always the the consumer who bears bears' the burden in increased prices for goods But they ask what if the price increases following overloading overloading overloading over over- loading of overhead forces the Utah Utah Utah U- U tah manufacturer to charge more for his pickles than the price paid by buyers for the state out makers maker's goods They declare I that tha t the only answer is for the Utahn to close up shop And when he goes out of business he goes gocs far to take the farmer and stock grower with him That the Peterson bill limiting the power of the governor in calling calling calling call call- ing out the state militia in the event of riots or disorders caused by labor troubles is unconstitutional unconstitutional unconstitutional was the belief expressed by Adjutant General W W. W G. G William William William Wil Wil- liam in a hearing on the measure measure measure mea mea- sure before the house committee on military affairs According to the general the governor uses only the soverign power of the state stat when he calls out olt the national guard to preserve order in the event that civil authorities authorities authorities au au- have thoroughly demonstrated demonstrated demonstrated demon demon- their inability to do so He contends that under the state constitution the chief executive must do this this just just as much in the case of riots and the like caused by labor troubles as in any other trouble-causing trouble field General Williams declared that Governor Henry H. H Blood military military military mili mili- tary authorities and everybody else connected with state governmental governmental governmental govern govern- mental affairs desire in all trouble le instances that the civil authorities authorities authorities author author- handle the situation situation take take care of their own and and that only as a a. a last resort should the vested power of the state be called upon to quell disorders But says But says the man behind the Utah guns the guns the governor must under the constitution preserve law and order under an any and all conditions There can be no differentiation differentiation dif dif dif- classifying labor troubles troubles troubles trou trou- bles as exceptions o 0 o Guess whom some of ot the legIslature legislature legislature leg leg- class as the most adroit and successful of those legislative hall visitors who come seeking this thus or that for the institutions they represent Dr George Thomas A A. A B B. Ph PhD PhD PhD D president of the thc University of Utah is the answer He Hes He's s voted the king bee ee of all the go get the the very last word in winning winning winning win win- ning over adherents to the cause of more of this and that for the institution on the hill None gainsay the right of the illustrious educator to do his for the university but there are many who envy his ef ef- ef- ef He may bo be seen almost every day in conference with those interested in educational matters The first and only real lobby lobby lobby lob by to visit the capitol thus far farand farand farand far far- and to fo get on a legislative floor was a group of women leaders working In the interest of the child labor resolution Most of them are prominent figures in feminine movements throughout the he state They did a good job but admitted it was a tight light squeeze too squeeze too tight to be comfort comfort- able The time old-time lobbyist is able by his absence at the current current cur cur- rent legislative session He may maybe maybe maybe be heard heard after after session sessio hours hours- but he is rarely seen nowadays in action near the legislative chambers Its It's the busiest and hardest working legislature Utah has ever ever ever ev- ev er seen in the estimation of many man- man y Who vho have had views of past lawmaking bodies at work work work- and one prone to to speed up matters matters matters mat mat- to a great degree Anent this point of speed speed speed-it it behooves those having an interest interest interest inter inter- est in any specific legislation to shake a leg If they desire to be heard by bj committees or individual legislators They may wake waite up to find their pet measures out of committee and up for floor consideration consideration consideration con con- before the shaking is well underway Its It's a legisla legisla- ture for early birds only Grist From The Thc Legislative c Hopper Some legislators saw in the re records records re- re re-I re cords of the public utilities commission corn cora mission offered as a house exhibit it a sort of left-handed left bid by Frank Osler Osier commission secretary secretary secretary secre secre- tary for appointment as a commission commission commission com com- mission member refusal of the house to vote on a bill pensioning pensioning pensioning pen pen- employees of the Utah State hospital is viewed as an inclination inclination in in- by many legislators to await federal government action on social security measures before before before be be- fore going far along these lines here Senator Wilford Days Day's suggestion sugg-estion that automobile speedometers speedometers speedometers speed speed- be equipped with a devic devic devie de- de vic vie to sing Nearer My God to Thee on hitting a fixed speed limit w was s greeted with acclaim by many members Talking again of speed speed several several senators surprised folks by demands for increasing the motor vehicle speed limit Some advocated removing |