INDIANAPOLIS, IND., May 23, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COOPERATIVE TAXATION, 1105 Barr Building, Washington, D.C.: Statement of endorsement Indiana Tobacco-Candy Distributors & Vendors, Inc. Heartily endorse the statement of Brady O. Bryson, counsel, Joint Committee on Taxation of Milk Industries Foundation and the International Associa tion of Ice Cream Manufacturers regarding taxation of co-ops. INDIANA TOBACCO-CANDY DISTRIBUTORS AND VENDORS, INC., STEAMBOAT ROCK, IOWA, May 22, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION COMMITTEE, 1104 Barr Building, Washington: We endorse the statement of Mr. Bryson on taxing the cooperatives. This is a life-and-death matter to many taxpaying small businesses. IOWA ASSOCIATED BUSINESS MEN, BOCK OIL Co., Garner, Iowa, May 18, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COMMITTEE, GENTLEMEN: As chairman of the legislative and tax committee for the Iowa Independent Oil Jobbers Association, to which we have 500 members (not more than 20 more and not more than 20 less than 500 paid-up membership). We want to express our views to the Ways and Means Committee on the matter of cooperative taxation. Our membership agrees very much with the statement of Brady O. Bryson and we urge, in fairness to all taxpaying citizens, the Ways and Means Committee to see fit to tax all savings or profits of the cooperatives, on the same basis and tax rates that are assessed to any other cooperative. That these cooperative taxes be assessed on cooperative earnings or savings before distribution to its patrons. We urge the Ways and Means Committee to study the above recommendations very carefully, because we feel that this matter is a life-and-death matter to the independent segment of our economy. Very truly yours, E. F. BOCK, Chairman. STEAMBOAT ROCK, IOWA, May 22, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION COMMITTEE, 1104 Barr Building, Washington, D.O.: We endorse the statement in full of Mr. Bryson on the taxing of cooperatives. Small businessmen have for years suffered from the present situation of unequal taxation. IOWA INDEPENDENT WAREHOUSE ASSOCIATION, DES MOINES, Iowa, May 22, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION COMMITTEE FOR THE TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES, 1104 Barr Building, Washington, D.C.: Statement of endorsement: Endorsement is hereby made to May 24, 1961, statement of Brady O. Bryson, counsel, Joint Committee on Taxation of the Milk Industry Foundation and the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers. IOWA LIMESTONE ASSOCIATION PRODUCERS, INC., LOUISVILLE, KY., May 22, 1691. TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COMMITTEE ON CO-OP TAXATION, Associated industries of Kentucky is in accord with Co-op tax program and wishes to be included in the list of endorsing organizations. RAYBURN WATKINS, Executive Vice President. EMPLOYERS COUNCIL OF KENTUCKY, INC., Mr. BRADY O. BRYSON, DEAR MR. BRYSON: We heartily endorse the statement to be presented before the House Ways and Means Committee on the subject of equitable taxing of cooperatives. The Employers Council is an association of employers located in and around Lexington, the membership of which includes manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, contractors, and others who employ large number of workers and pay considerable tax. If cooperatives continue to have heavy tax advantages, then the members of this association will be reduced in statute to an eventual point of earning less and less, resulting in reduced taxes so sorely needed in America today. Very truly yours, O. J. GREENE, Executive Secretary. KENTUCKY ASSOCIATION OF TOBACCO DISTRIBUTORS, INC., Mr. ROBERT H. NORTH, 5 Washington, D.O. DEAR MR. NORTH: This association, representing tobacco and candy wholesalers located throughout the State of Kentucky, wholeheartedly endorses the statement to be presented by Brady O. Bryson before the House Ways and Means Committee relative to appropriate taxation of cooperatives. If ever before in the history of our Nation revenue is needed to preserve the peace it is now. Now if these large combines are permitted to operate at a com@petitive tax advantage over taxpaying enterprises, then we can expect only to reduce our income and taxes. It is high time that we take realistic views of these serious matters and make corrective measures which will keep us in the race for our very livelihood and peace. Very truly yours, O. J. GREENE, Executive Secretary. STATEMENT OF ENDORSEMENT KENTUCKY MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION, The Kentucky Merchants has, and does, oppose tax favoritism in any form, and since many thousand cooperatives and mutuals are now permitted by Congress to avoid payment of nearly all their Federal income taxes that are required to be paid by their private enterprise competitors, we wish to endorse the program of the Trade Association Information Committee in their efforts to have legislation passed which will result in placing a tax on cooperative corporations on the same basis as those now levied on private businesses in the same category. FRANK W. SOWER, President. STATEMENT OF ENDORSEMENT KENTUCKY RETAIL LUMBER DEALERS ASSOCIATION, INC., TRADE ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION FOR THE TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES, GENTLEMEN: We are in complete agreement with the statements made by Mr. Brady O. Bryson and wholeheartedly subscribe to the principle of equal taxation for all types of business. No one group or groups should have a tax advantage over another and all should pay the same taxes at the same business level. This endorsement is from approximately 250 retail lumber dealers in the State of Kentucky whose annual volume of business is in excess of $100 million. These dealers sell the same customer as the cooperative but they are at a terrific disadvantage in fighting this type of competition because they are taxed and the cooperatives are not. Yours truly, BRADY O. BRYSON, DON A. CAMPBELL, Executive Vice President. LEXINGTON, KY., May 22, 1961. Trade Association Information Committee for the Taxation of Cooperatives, 1104 Bar Building, Washington, D.C.: Statement of endorsement, the Kentucky Wholesale Grocers Association representing 71 Kentucky wholesale firms and some 200 allied food firms hereby endorses your statement to be made before the Ways and Means Committee on the matter of coopertive taxation. E. V. INMAN, Jr., Executive Secretary. LANSING, MICH., May 21, 1961. THE TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COMMITTEE, Statement of endorsement. The Michigan Tobacco & Candy Distributors Association representing the organized tobacco and candy industry of Michigan fully endorses the statement of Brady O. Bryson in reference to the taxation of cooperatives. THE MICHIGAN TOBACCO & CANDY DISTRIBUTORS ASSOCIATION. JACKSON, Miss., May 22, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATION COMMITTEE FOR TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES, We would like to go on record as endorsing the statement of Brady O. Bryson before the Ways and Means Committee reference taxation of cooperatives. MISSISSIPPI RETAIL LUMBER E. B. LEMMONS, Secretary. STATEMENT OF ENDORSEMENT JEFFERSON CITY, Mo., May 18, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COMMITTEE FOR THE TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES Washington, D.C. GENTLEMEN: The Missouri Oil Jobbers Association, representing in the area of 420 independent jobbers in the State of Missouri has for many years and still continues to believe that the profits of cooperative organizations doing business in competition with privately owned and operated businesses over this country should be taxed on the same basis as those of the privately owned and operated businesses. We have read with interest your statement to be presented to the Ways and Means Committee at hearings to be held May 23, 24, and 25, 1961, and wish to add our hearty endorsement to this statement. We believe there can be but one solution to this problem. This solution is set forth clearly in your statement. Very truly yours, ROBERT W. HADLICK, Executive Vice President. HELENA MONT., May 22, 1961. ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION COMMITTEE FOR TAXATION, 1104 Barr Building, Washington, D.C.: This association endorses the statement of counselor Brady O. Bryson, and particularly the thinking of the Undersecretary of Agriculture, Mr. Charles S. Murphy, in his testimony before the committee on May 8, 1961. WM. H. FREDRERICKS, Secretary Manager. NOTE. Mr. Fredericks is with the Montana Automobile Dealers Association. MONTANA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE, Helena, Mont., May 17, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION COMMITTEE, GENTLEMEN: This will serve as an endorsement by the Montana Chamber of Commerce of the statement of Brady O. Bryson on taxation of cooperatives, to be made before the House Ways and Means Committee May 23, 24, and 25, 1961. Item 2, of the enclosed Montana Chamber of Commerce 1961 business and employment improvement program expresses the policy of this organization in regard to taxation of cooperatives. It may be of interest that the 1961 Montana Legislature passed legislation to tax cooperatives. To our knowledge we are the first State to do so. Sincerely, EDWIN G. KELLNER, Business Manager. MONTANA WHOLESALE GROCERS' ASSOCIATION, TRADE ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION COMMITTEE FOR THE TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES GENTLEMEN: We have your bulletin of May 16 along with a copy of Mr. Brady O. Bryson's remarks to the House Ways and Means Committee. We certainly can endorse his remarks because almost anything that would result in some taxation of the cooperatives would be desirable. However, we still think that this does not go far enough because if cooperatives are engaged in all types of businesses other than farming and marketing of farm products, we believe that they should be taxed as any other corporation except for the strictly farming activities. Mr. Bryson mentions that most corporations are very broadly held today and certainly a cooperative when it is engaged in ordinary business is nothing more than a broadly held corporation and should be taxed the same as its counterpart in any particular business. I am enclosing a copy of a letter that I wrote to our Senators and Representatives in which I tried to point out the fallacy of any 20 percent withholding tax. I believe that the passage of a 20-percent withholding tax would be exactly what the cooperatives want because it is considerably less than the rate of tax on corporations and if passed, the cooperatives could say that they are paying income tax and it would be years before any equality in tax rates could be obtained. Yours very truly, T. N. REYNOLDS, President. TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COMMITTEE Barr Building, Washington, D.O.: Statement of endorsement. It is our firm conviction that co-ops should receive the same tax treatment as general business, and heartily endorse the statement of Brady O. Bryson. FRED DODGE, North Carolina Association of Launderers & Cleaners. COLUMBUS, OHIO, May 22, 1961. COMMITTEE FOR TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES, The Independent Livestock Marketing Association of Ohio, representing approximately 100 marketing points endorses wholeheartedly the statement of Brady O. Bryson on taxation of cooperatives. We urge favorable consideration of the proposal. C. K. ELLIOTT, Chairman of Legislative Committee, Independent Livestock Marketing Association. TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COMMITTEE XENIA, OHIO, May 22, 1961. Our association heartily endorses the statement of Brady O. Bryson, counsel, Joint Committee on Taxation of the Milk Industry Foundation and the International Association of Ice Cream Manufacturers. OHIO ASSOCIATION, OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA., May 22, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATION INFORMATION COMMITTEE 1104 Barr Building, Washington, D.C.: We renew our endorsement of your objectives. Tax the cooperatives. OKLAHOMA ASSOCIATION OF TOBACCO DISTRIBUTORS. PITTSBURGH, PA., May 22, 1961. TRADE ASSOCIATIONS INFORMATION COMMITTEE FOR THE TAXATION OF COOPERATIVES, 1104 Barr Building, Washington, D.O.: We endorse statement of Brady O. Bryson, counsel. LUMBER DEALERS ASSOCIATION OF R. F. MCCREA, Secretary-Manager. |