Show chain store group proposes postponing vote 0 on n tax referendum measure postponement ot of the 1842 1942 referendum eren dunt election on the chain store death tax until after the war in the interest of a united defense effort by all retailers chain and independent was urged by the utah chain stores association this week in a proposal submitted to the utah retail gropers grocers association sponsor of of the levy the proposal originating with directors of the chain store store group invited the grocers organization to join in a petition ashing legislative determent deferment of the referendum should the legislature meet in special session before august A t 1 1942 it was st signed lyn by H tracy fowler as pre president idelt of the chain stores association so and sent to A D stewart president of the retail grocers association hottest of all issues before the 1941 legislature the chain store bill would impose a special tax up to per year on each existing chain store outlet in utah plus an additional annual license tax up to on each store established or relocated after the effective date of the act purpose of the tax chain store representatives assert Is to wipe out the chain stores through a process of slow blow death by freezing attorney general grover A giles it was recalled has already ruled the freezing clause to be unconstitutional tut ional the measure senate mil dill 44 was rendered inoperative when more than qualified utah oters signed petitions succeed fully invoking the referendum law for the first time in history their action held up the act until it could be voted upon at the general election on no ember 3rd ard although chain stores have a life and death interest in the electorates elect orates decision in the referendum because 0 f the measures discriminatory and drastic slow death provisions they legalize that the necessity for a united all out war effort by retailers overshadows all other issues mr air fowler told mr air stewart at a time when american soil coll Is under invasion and american lives are being sacrificed in its ats defense we believe as we are confident that you do that in a period of such grave national peril we should submerge our internal differences and meet the emergency that faces us mr air fowler wrote wroten it Is a conflict in which all of us have a place and which demands of each of us the utmost in time money and energy it Is a struggle in which it would by be criminal to do less than our fiest best both independent and chain re bailers le have an important task in this war vai we are aie depended upon to assure the steady flow of avail a all able supplies so that production ibid proceed unhampered and civilian chilian ili orale ale be maintained at a high hilgh bleiel lei el our oui contribution is distribution we are aie the army of supply accompanying the letter were erti a suggested legislative measure to postpone the referendum and a legal opinion regarding the feasibility of the proposal and assuring that the rights of all concerned including the public are aie safeguarded mi fowler informed the grocers group that the proposal to postpone had been substantially lall inspired by b governor Go einor herbert heibert 13 A mav I 1 a ws s many splendid state ments regarding the necessity for complete undivided effort in marshalling all of facilities for the job of winning the war and expressed the hope that it the independent grocers accept the proposal and the legislature approves it it will by bt possible to arrange for further cooperation between us in any and all ways in which we nye ahn can unite and unselfishly carry carly out our responsibilities to utah and the nation |