CASTLEGAR’ NEWS,: ‘Thursday, Dec. '19,°1963 WKP2L Co. Claims. Utilities : - Should Not Pay Income Tax. - ‘The West Kootonay Power and, | Hight Co, has told the Royal Com- mission ‘on Taxation that private: utilities such'as itself should not be subject’ to income tax, . bafta ot auch tax, which the peovineat ‘government ‘of the B.C. Electric Company, largely on the grounds that revenues, un- til. then: going to’ Ottawa’ in‘ tho form: of income tax would: then inasmuch a2 it ie not applied to the | to the ‘4Further,” went on the West. K “the income Profits of p' would enable rate reductions to be -made, Withdrawal would also protect efficient private enterprise utill- utility result in a discrimination as between its: Sustomers, 0. directly bear. the burden of the: taxes, and . ties from. t by: governments \ anxious’' to deprive (Ottawa of revenu f ith utility, who’ do not bear. ‘this. bur- C) publlely- qwned ct ‘The Ba ald it The West's Sootenay's e sot out in the’ 1955. re- is a! ‘tered into the records ‘of the taxa: tion: commission) and‘ made’ public R: on: (en- |: pen ion taxation, whicl.; recom port’ of the’ British‘ royal commis: that) public and private’ by z “0 “This tax “has : "been a prime: factor in: the’ ‘expropriation of’ efficiently ,opera- ied investor-owned’ sleciele utilities }'P ey: taxed alike. in’ similar’ fiolds “be vince until then going to Ottawa, “In our own’ case,”, went on the company, “the facts speak for themaelves, ‘.. “Our rates are reasonable and, In our ‘opinion, our service is good and our operations are being ef- “Further, in the distribution area’. of:) West Kootenay . Power there’has been widespread public opposition ‘to, a government take. over’of the company or its assets.” iin any ‘case, protection of the BUBlie: ‘was guaranteed by the ope- rations of the Pablie Utilities Com- anission, * “oi Thus “it fs ‘our submission that rederal tax : provisions, which ‘in- duce: expropriations “of investor. owned electric” utilities are ‘fun- As the taxation of the-{ Publicly-owned utility’ would west vin’ very. recent: times, . ‘that has not been alleviated by the federal-provinciél jagreements,”..\-f lere the company. was 1 the ootenay Power submits that the should be ied by removing the tax'on. rns d electric utilities, “