Hardin v. Fort Smith Couch & Bedding Co.

152 S.W.2d 1015, 202 Ark. 814, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 254
CourtSupreme Court of Arkansas
DecidedJuly 7, 1941
Docket4-6473
StatusPublished
Cited by16 cases

This text of 152 S.W.2d 1015 (Hardin v. Fort Smith Couch & Bedding Co.) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Supreme Court of Arkansas primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
Hardin v. Fort Smith Couch & Bedding Co., 152 S.W.2d 1015, 202 Ark. 814, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 254 (Ark. 1941).

Opinion

McHaney, J.

Appellee, Fort Smith Couch & Bedding Company, a domestic corporation, brought this action against appellant to enjoin him from collecting from it an income tax based on its income for the year 1940, on the rates of tax fixed in act 129 of 1941, Acts of 1941, p. 312, and alleged that it had filed its return covering the income year 1940, under the provision of act 118 of 1929, and that its tax for such year amounted to $744.93, of which it had paid one-half on the filing of its return; that appellant is wrongfully demanding a tax on its income year of 1940 based on the rates fixed in said act 129 of 1941 in the sum of $1,487.33; that said act is not retroactive as to 1940 income; and that by the express provision of paragraph (c) of § 2 thereof, the rates prescribed by said § 2 apply to the income year of 1941. It was also alleged that the whole of said act 129 is inoperative, ineffective and void because, as originally introduced and passed.in the house as house bill 282, it was amended in the senate by striking out § 3 and substituting’ therefor a new section, and passed as amended; and that the house did not thereafter concur in said amendment, and, therefore, it was not constitutionally enacted as provided by § 22 of art. 5 of the Constitution. It is also alleged that it did not pass by the vote required by Amendment No. 19. On application of said appellee, the court granted a temporary injunction.

The Arkansas Amusement Corporation also a domestic corporation, intervened and adopted the allegations of the complaint. Appellant answered admitting the status of the parties and the correctness of the income tax return made by appellant, but asserted the applicability of the rates prescribed by said act 129 to the income year of 1940 as well as the validity thereof.

The appellee, Puhlic Utilities Company of Crossett, also a domestic corporation, filed an independent action against appellant, setting* tip similar allegations to those above set out, but in addition stated that its income year ended November 30,1940, and that it had made its income return for that year showing a tax due of $288.01 which it had paid on the filing of said return on March 14, 1941. It also alleged a new ground of attack on the validity of said act 129 based on sub-section (b) of § 2 relating to the tax on foreign corporations. The answer to this suit contained appropriate admissions and denials.

The facts were stipulated that appellees and intervener had made correct returns and had tendered the correct tax based on act 118 of 1929. The dispute was over the applicability of the rates fixed by act 129 of 1941 to the 1940 income, and as to the proper enactment of the latter act. The trial court sustained the act, but held that it did not apply to corporate income of 1940, and entered a decree making the temporary order permanent. There is here an appeal and cross-appeal. We dispose of the cross-appeal first.

Section 1 of said act 129' repeals paragraph (e) of § 14039 of Pope’s Digest which allowed a $1,500 exemption to foreign and domestic corporations. Section 2 (a) provides the rate of tax for domestic corporations and § 2 (b), the rate for foreign corporations in this language: “Every foreign corporation doing business in this state shall pay annually an income tax on the corporation of its entire net income as now determined by the income tax laws of Arkansas, on the following basis: ” It is said that the italicized word ‘ ‘corporation” as used therein is meaningless and so it is. It is also argued that, since it is meaningless, the act requires a tax on the whole net income of a foreign corporation, both that earned within and without this state, which would be unconstitutional and void as being discriminatory as between domestic and foreign corporations. We do not agree. Under the Income Tax Act of 1929, § 14026 (b) of Pope’s Digest, it is provided that “every foreign corporation — shall annually pay an income tax equivalent to two (2%) per cent, of a proportion of its entire net income to be determined as hereinafter provided.” We think the scrivener of the former act must have made a clerical or typographical error in using the word “corporation” instead of the word “proportion.” Assuming that appellees have the right to raise the question, we hold that is a mere clerical misprision as shown by a comparison with the former act.

It is further contended that act 129 failed to pass because it was amended in the senate, which amendment was not concurred in in the house. But the records of the senate, other than the journal, show that the amendment in the senate was receded from or withdrawn.' Section 22 of art. 5 of the Constitution provides, among other things, that “no bill shall become a law unless on its final passage the vote be taken by yeas and nays, the names of the persons voting for and against the same shall be entered on the journal and a majority of each house be recorded thereon as voting in its favor.” The journal does show the adoption of Amendment No. 1 to the house bill in the senate, but it is silent as to .its withdrawal or to any action receding therefrom. It was shown in evidence that the minutes of the secretary of the senate and another record of the secretary of the senate entitled “House Bills in Senate,” both of which are on file with the Secretary of State, recite the fact that Amendment No. 1 to house bill 282 was withdrawn. These are public records on file with the Secretary of State, and are required to be so filed. Section 6171, Pope’s Digest. There is a presumption of the regularity of the passage of a bill from the fact of its enrollment, its approval 'by the Governor and its deposit with the Secretary of State. In Helena Water Co. v. Helena, 140 Ark. 597, 216 S. W. 26, it was said: “The silence of a legislative journal, on matters not required to be entered on the journal, cannot conflict with the presumption of the regularity of the passage of a bill.”

The act was enrolled, approved, filed and now appears in the printed acts. In Mechanics B. & L. Assn. v. Coffman, 110 Ark. 269, 162 S. W. 1090, it was held that the courts may resort to any information filed under the statutes, to determine what the journal shows. See, also, Perry v. State, 139 Ark. 227, 214 S. W. 2.

Without entering on an extended discussion of the contention that the emergency clause is insufficient under Amendments No. 7 and 19 to the Constitution, we think it enough to say that we find the argument of erossappeilants without substantial merit, and the decree will be affirmed on the cross-appeal.

' As to the direct appeal, sub-section (c) of § 2 of said act 129, after setting out the rates of tax on all corporations in (A) and (B) provides: “(C) The above provided rates shall apply to the income tax year of 1941.” The question is, What is the meaning of the words “income tax year?” Do they mean “income year” or “tax year,” as defined in the Income Tax Act of 1929? There, “tax year” is defined in sub-section 11 of § 14025, Pope’s Digest, to mean “the calendar year in which the tax is payable,” and “income year” is defined in sub-section 12 to mean “the calendar year or the fiscal year, upon the basis of which the net income is computed under this act, if no fiscal year has been established they mean the calendar year.” The word “fiscal year” is defined as “an income year, ending on the last day of any month other than December.” - Also, said Income Tax Act of 1929 left no doubt as to the first income to be taxed thereunder.

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Bluebook (online)
152 S.W.2d 1015, 202 Ark. 814, 1941 Ark. LEXIS 254, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/hardin-v-fort-smith-couch-bedding-co-ark-1941.