State representatives decided Thursday against taking a poll on what kind of taxes Texans would prefer to pay.

An adverse vote of 81 to 65 kept in the State Affairs Committee a bill which would order the referendum on the April 4 ballot, when Texas votes on a U.S. senator.

Rep. Wesley Roberts of Seminole, sponsor of the poll idea, said that further delay in the committee can kill the bill.

The West Texan reported that he had finally gotten Chairman Bill Hollowell of the committee to set it for public hearing on Feb. 22. The proposal would have to receive final legislative approval, by two-thirds majorities, before March 1 to be printed on the April 4 ballot, Roberts said.

Opponents generally argued that the ballot couldn't give enough information about tax proposals for the voters to make an intelligent choice.

All Dallas members voted with Roberts, except Rep. Bill Jones, who was absent.

Paradise lost to the alleged water needs of Texas' big cities Thursday.

Rep. James Cotten of Weatherford insisted that a water development bill passed by the Texas House of Representatives was an effort by big cities like Dallas and Fort Worth to cover up places like Paradise, a Wise County hamlet of 250 people.

When the shouting ended, the bill passed, 114 to 4, sending it to the Senate, where a similar proposal is being sponsored by Sen. George Parkhouse of Dallas.

Most of the fire was directed by Cotten against Dallas and Sen. Parkhouse. The bill would increase from $5000000 to $15000000 the maximum loan the state could make to a local water project.