SUPREME COURT TO RULE UPON CHAIN STORE TAX
SUPREME COURT TO RULE UPON CHAIN STORE TAX Chief Justice Hughes Makes Announcement That Indiana Law Will Be Considered (Special To The Progressive) WASHINGTON, D. C. — Whether or not chain stores...
...As the chain store tax law would compute the amount of tax to be levied on the basts of the number of stores, it was pointed out by the lower court that held the measure unconstitutional that the annual tax paid by the plaintiff in the suit would be $4,443 while that of a single store representing the same investment and having the same sales would pay a tax of only $3...
...RACKET SCHEMES GOUGING PUBLIC NEW YORK CITY — Public officials can end "racketeering," which collects hundreds of millions of dollars from legitimate business in this city, declared Howard W. Ameli, United States district attorney...
...A number of other states have attempted to pass tax measures on chain stores, but little has been done because of constitutional restrictions...
...and annual sales of approximately $1,000,000...
...If the United States Supreme Court were to hold the Indiana taxing law constitutional, numerous other states would doubtless take immediate steps to secure the enactment of similar legislation aimed at curbing chain store activities...
...Not Under Police Power Although the law taxing chain stores was passed by the legislature and signed by the governor of Indiana for the purpose of protecting independent merchants against the wholesale encroachments of chain systems, the lower court declared that the law could not be sustained under the state's police power...
...The court stated the the' law does not relate to the public welfare, the public morals, the public health, or the public safety...
...Inveptlgations in this city show that lawyers paid large amounts of money to secure these positions...
...The legislature of Indiana passed a law imposing a tax upon chain store organizations on the basis of the number of stores operated under a single management, and it was to become effective upon July 1, 1929...
...Occupational diseases were described as more inslduous perils than industrial accidents, "Behind an after-dinner cigar, a box of chocolate, a luminous wrist wntch, the cosmetics in a lsdy's vanity case, the enameled gas runge in the housewife's kitchen, lurk possible menaces to the health of thr women who help to majce theae ooguiajr articles," said the burean...
...In discussing the measure, the lower court stated that the theory of the state in enacting the tax law on chain stores was "that the owners and operators of more than one store do not have the same general interest in the community, do not encourage their employes to maintain permanent homes in the locality where their stores are situated, leave none of their money in such community, buy their goods at a lower price, and In general, do not have the welfare of the community in which they operate at heart, They are, therefore, not as valuable to the general welfare of the community as the person who owns and operates a single store in such community, and therefore belong to a different class, for occupational tax purposes, than the owner and operator of a single store...
...The suit that will be tried before the Supreme Court, according to Justice Hughes' announcement, will be that of the State of Indiana against Jackson...
...The "judicial racket" was referred to as the most vicious form of hold up...
...EVILS CONFRONT WORKING WOMEN WASHINGTON, D. C—Women seem to be more susceptible than men to benzol and lead poisoning and the offspring of women handling these substances are likely to be affected, according- to the United States Women's Bureau...
...An Important Case The decision of the United States Supreme...
...Court on the Indiana case is certain to be of sweeping importance, as widespread agitation is going on in various states to take remedial measures against chain store organizations that are by various competitive devices driving independent merchants out of business...
...The plaintiff in the suit, according to papers filed with the court, owns and operates 225 grocery stores in the city of Indianapolis with a capital investment of approximately $200,000...
...While that may be true as far as some owners of more than one store is concerned, yet that is not the universal rule, and is not sufficient within itself to sustain the classification contained within the act...
...Pending the determination of its validity under constitutional provisions, however, it has been enjoined from being put into effect...
...SUPREME COURT TO RULE UPON CHAIN STORE TAX Chief Justice Hughes Makes Announcement That Indiana Law Will Be Considered (Special To The Progressive) WASHINGTON, D. C. — Whether or not chain stores can be legally taxed will be decided by the United States Supreme Court, according to an on-nouncement just made by Chief Justice Charles E. Hughes...
...Ameli said he "Is not willing to admit that the great power of the Federal government and the authorities of New York City are not able to cope with this evil...
Vol. 1 • November 1930 • No. 48
