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Show MAKES SUMMARY OF LEGISLATIVE ACTIONS IN TALK REPRESENTATIVE OUTLINES PROBLEMS FACED BY UTAH A fine summary of the legislature's activities was given the Lions club this week by Representative George Jefferson. Two broad issues faced the legislature, legis-lature, Mr. Jefferson said. One was the Boulder dam question; the other was tax revision. Dam Benefits Utah Little The Boulder dam, although dating back as an issue for eight years, received re-ceived the legislative action of Utah in the appointment of a permanent Colorado River commission only this year. Years of dalliance had given Utah few fighters to protect her water wa-ter rights. Utah, he said, receives the worst end of the Boulder dam deal, with California getting the best of the bargain. Arizona, he did not believe, was taking a dog-in-the- manger man-ger policy, but was only seeking to protect and benefit herself. He quoted quot-ed Senator Smoot, who said that the building of Boulder dam was not a thing whereby Utah would benefit much. Public Utility Taxation Mr. Jefferson explained his bill, house bill number 56. In this bill he was seeking to stabilize the value of the dollar, he said. It was with no axe to grind with respect to the Union Pacific nor power companies. But he said it was necessary to revise re-vise our state taxation system from the top down, rather than to begin be-gin with the little fellow. Farmers, Mr. Jefferson stated, were over enthusiastic for increasing increas-ing public utility taxation, believing it to be the panacea for their troubles. The tax question will present the battleground bat-tleground for future legislatures and will be a political football, he stated. A commission, members of which were appointed by the governor, house and senate, will study the tax question within the next year. A special session of the legislature may be necessary next winter. Jefferson's bill, which would tax public utilities on the full cash value as shown by their sworn statements to the public utilities commission, was lost through legislative trades, Mr. Jefferson said. Only His Opinions Mr. Jefferson dealt more with deductions, de-ductions, obtained by observation and conversations, rather than with facts, he said, and he wished to be understood under-stood that way. Liquor In Mince Meat He explained what he felt to be the advantages of allowing rum and brandy to be used in making mincemeat, mince-meat, stating that he had voted that way. Thirteen carloads of mincemeat are shipped into Utah yearly, he said, because of out-of-state manufacturers are allowed to use those liquors as flavors. Tobacco Tax He said that he voted against the "nuisance" taxes, which would have been placed on tobaccos, amusements, cosmetics, etc. They have little place in our taxation system, he said. Training School He made county boosters feel good by saying that he had arrived at the opinion that Beaver county had an even chance of obtaining the newly authorized State Training School, although al-though it would be a plum that the northern cities would work hard to get.. |