The times dispatch. [volume], March 02, 1912, Image 3

About The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914

Image provided by: Library of Virginia; Richmond, VA

                
BVRO'S fill Bill'
FAILS Of PASSAGE
I - _ !
- (ConUnuo? from I'l.-st Page.) 1
?nee may cut out tb ? big lncroa-i
glvou by the Mouse to public schools,
oti the sround that tin- makers of the
Constitution (lid not Intend the school:;
should have capitation taxes which
the State Joes not r? :olv?. but which
are returned delinquent.
Kdwln p. cox tried t" have a Joint
committee to visit lh? Institutions arid
?dvlso the next General Asstmhly. |n
the form of an appropriation bill,
What the expenditures should be, but
?e was defeated.
Amends Printer* IUI I.
In the Senate much of the morning
session was given up to consideration
or the primary bin. which was amtimi
??d so as to remove most of the fea?
tures which tts patrons regard us
having uny value in securing the pu?
rity of primary elections, it is indi?
cated that the Senat) will either do
feat it altogether 01 so change its
detaila that Speaker Uyrd win decline
to nccopt It whin it gets back to tho
HOUBO.
Senator West failed to get up out
or Its oidgr his i ? 111 requiring .m
cers paid by fees i" tell the public
what amounts they receive,
The Senate agreed t" the appolnt
* ment of a commission >*'? attorneys to
examine into the Buchanan county
land situation, passed the Richmond,
Prodorloksburg and I'otomao Railroad
charter bills, und .?. t the lime gilad?
ing bin as a special order for M n
day.
Consideration of Ihe legislative te
dlstrlctlng bill comes up in the House
at 3:30 this afternoon.
I HOUSE 1
.Morning ?>-lnn.
House bills reported from commit?
tees at th?- morning session reached
tho total of 504, ThU approaches 100
more-than those reported during tho
session of 1310.
Tne following House bills wore i -ad |
tb,?i third time and passed:
Authorizing establishment of a ferry
across, rowel!'.-. River, In Dee county.
Patron, .Mr. Robertson
permitting th< director* of the West?
ern State ilospllal to ?eil n rlgru of
way over the property. Patron. Mr.
Kemper.
Authorizing the Board of Supervisors
of Culpcper countv to borrow money
lor bridge building Pitron, M.r, Bell,
by request.
Validating a boitd iestie of th? town
ot Virginia Dcach. l'*tron, Mr. Mai
boh.
Amending the charter of the town
o! Damascus. Patrons, Messrs
Roberts, ol VVsth'ngton, and Buck.
Authorizing Northampton county to
borrow not exceeding 1160,000 tor road
building. Patron, Mr rtizhugh.
Amending the charter of the town 61
Highland Park. Patron, Mr. T brock ?
morion.
Amending the act In reference to the
appointment of teacher* at the Vir?
ginia School for in? U-. n f and Blind,
Patron. Mr. Kemper.
Authorising Ui? instruction ol a
wharf on Chesseman't Creek, Vork
county. Patron, Mr. -V. cphenson, of
James City.
Anw tiding the road law of Mont
gomt ry Cttunty. Patron, Mr Flanagan.
C'onMder Appropriation*.
The general appropriation bill came
up at 11 o'clock, as ii special order,
and the clerk resumed the calling of
tjic Items, l*ft off at t o'clock Thurs?
day. There was no Intirruption with
the order ol thing* at t't??y "nave b?-i?n'
until the Item for an Increase in the)
?alnry* of th? Commissioner of Agrl-j
culture was reaeVied TM? is /rem
12,800 to 13.500. and was done, accord-,
Ing to Chairman a m Bowman, of j
the committee on Finance, at the;
unanimous requftt of th* dta.te Boird
of Agriculture ?n<i 1? to be paid out
of tho fertilizer fund.
The increase In the ?alary of the
Cimmlrsloner of I>ilor, from $2,000 to ?
12,200. as made by the committee, was:
srprovei. t>o was the committee In-1
LEGISLATIVE COMMENT |
By LEWIS H. MACHEN.
L ? -1
LEGISLATIVE SESSION TOO SHORT?IV.
Tho acute reader, who hau fol?
lowed the three preceding artlclea
Upon this subject, win naturally In?
quire;: "if the ^eglslativo session Is
manifestly too short, why have not tho
members of thu Ueneiul Assembly
adopted a Joint resolution proposing
an amendment to th<; Constitution to
restore the ninoty-day session:-?'- The
Simple answer tnui. such a resolu?
tion has passed both branches ot the
Legltliatuie tnr,;. times. Why w.jJ tho
resolution passed, when the Constitu?
tion says it Is only noccssar: thut It
should be passed iwlco? It is an In?
teresting piece of legislative history.
In I'.iU'i the General Assembly passed
two resolutions proposing to amend
the Constitution I'O its to allow the
regular si selons to continue ninety
days, and simplifying tiie procedure
to some extent, tuough not as much
as wi- to be desired. These resolu?
tions were not spread at length on the
senate journal, hut merely 'recorded
by title, other resolutions which had
proposed amendments to the I'M Con?
stitution had been similarly set down
In the House and Senate Journals in
times past, but had nevertheless been
ratified by the pe ople and had become
parts of thu organic lav., the Con?
stitution merely says, as the old ( [in?
stitution said, that such resolut lone
should be entered on the Journals of
both houses. There were only two
cases In the oourls of' last resort
which construed this term, one holding
1 that It meant entered at length Oil
thi Journals and the other that the
entry by title tvag a sufficient conir
pllance. Th< former opinion was based
upon lh' prior uniform custom of the
Legislature of the Ktate to spread
Hum iii length on the journals. Tne
practice in Virginia from the earliest
limes bad not been uniform. It mlKht
have been supposed that ae amend?
ments had formerly been entered by
title only and afterward ratified by
the people and become parts of the
Constitution that the LegisljUur- >,ad
deemed that method sufficient, and
thut the Constitutional Convention, by
adopting the language of the old Con?
stitution??'entered on the Journals"-?
had adopted the construction whtc.t
thi Legislature had formerly placed
upui them However^ the then Attor
ney-fienerol of Virginia took the oppo?
site view, ar.'l. uctllig upon hie advise,
th" Speaker of the House directed th*
clerk of the House of Delegates not
to publish the amendments. .\j the
time for the publication was at hand,
and no member of the court of Ap?
peal? being th<n in Richmond, appli?
cation was made to three Judges,of the
? it of Richmond for a mandamus to
require the clerk of the House to pub
Ilsh the amendments, but they declined
tu grabt tho writ, and, of course, the
amendments wer?.- not published
It therefore became nacessary to o.
gin over again, and the amendments
were relntroauced und passed the
Legislature at tne session of BIOS. 11 y
that nine a htatuto hau be-n enacted
[declaring how that such amendments
Should 01 spread at length on the
I Journals. The resolution* wen- pub
I usned and adopt., jy t.:.. General A ?
I semoly of 1910. iid the same year
submitted to the people, ulorig with
I two an.cndrnents relating to rc-elcct
i ing the treasurer and commissioners
of the revenue 01 countle? and cities
' All of the amendments were defeated
.except that in regard to the. treasurers
; and commissioners of counties,
i Unfortunately; :r.\ persons familiar
[with liic :i??esslt;- for longer legisla?
tive sessions and for a simpler legis?
lative procedure aad anything to Pay
oh the subject. Many Individuals and
I newspapers atta.ked ine Legislature
bitterly and stirred up a prejudice
against it. which had grown up in
times agone. \x ii?n the law-making
?Otiies of the various States, had got
. ten themselves regarded in an unlovely
: aspect.
The simple truth is that many things
are going on In the State Which the
. Legislatur.? should prohibit. Not a
few special privileges are In danger
of being curtailed if tr.c Legislature
were allowed to *lt long enough to
really sift things, to the bottom. All
of these Intrenched persons end pow?
ers will ilght to tho finish any propo?
sition to make tho Legislature an ef
fictlve law-making body. Just the
; same, the effort should he made again
land yol again. The peoplo should be
, educated to Understand that It is their
i tight that In being waged, and that If
? their voice may a* stilted In ths Legis
. lature they will be without any audi
? bib mouthplecf.
Of course, It Is possibl? for the meai
! bets, by a two-thirds vote in each
; house, to extend th? scs.-lon for thirty
days longer?without additional pay.
I This'they will not do. and they should
I not be expected to do It. By a like
I vote, they may petition the Governor
I to convene them In extra x:-ssloii for
j thirty .lay;, but this no Legislature
I .has done. The Governor may convene
? them on his own motion, but this no
I Executive has done for many, many
! year* Yet there are times when it
would be a good thins for the State
If it were done. This General Assem?
bly should have an opportunity to clear
I the calendars.
creas? ln the library fund for traveling
libraries and f<ir publishing the lourrul
el the House of Burgesses.
On motion of .lohn W. Htephenson; of
Bath, the Item Of . for motu'.
shelving In the Stute Library, of tire
proof character, was put In :is was
propo. ? ? In tin: >i?nat.\ but where a
majority of thu total votes was not
f.'iiied Ii is supposed lilts will he
retained in the confidence committee.
I'.Hlne Mo. ill Milurlrn.
On motion of Mr. r'luhugh. the
salaries of elevator men at the State
Library were rali-ed from JTi'j to tTSO
rach. and the policeman at tho library
was given ST20 instead of $66", on mo?
tion of Mr. Cos.
It seemed to be tli? policy to raise
salaries of minoi employes, and Mr,j
Montague secured an increase for the
night watchman at the Ktat* Librar)
from I7?a to *$??>. The night watch- j
man for the Supreme Court, on motion
of Mr. liutherfoord. got tne same ?hinn
Mr. Kltshugh landed .'.gain, when he
s'.cured Increases from 16(0 to .5720
each of '.he two janitors for library
building offices. Mr. Land got the'
engineers at the electric plant raised
from $1,050 each to tl'00.
The first kick same on the motion of
Mr. Creamer to tncreise the firemen;
at the electric plant from STSO to ?SU'.
Mr. Burt said that thll ought to etop.
It wte '.rue. as Mr. Cox had enld. that
the eoit of livl-.g had increased, out sol
, ha?) this happened for the public, which
I was paying 'he taxes. He proposed
I thereafter to oppose nil Incrcares uti
I tes? clearly shown to be advisable. ]
i Mr. Creamer suid In reply that the
I firemen were tiie hardest worked peo?
ple about the Capitol Square; He won
. the chango.
The three Capitol janitors, on mo '
I tlon of Mr. Kitzhugh. got an increase i
from J6?9 to \~.2Q.
KlevHtor Condactora.
j The night elevator man at the Capi?
tol was, on motion of John S v.'hlte.
put on the fame basis with the day]
; man. at S'.'Su, ;ho day man having beenj
given 15 the month additional by thel
committee.
i The Hem r?g.irdin? t!.? Department'
jof Military Itecbrds went through as!
suggested by the committee.
i The penitentiary and tudlciary Items!
were quickly disposed of, aa chnngesj
were infrequent. The salary of thel
stenographer of tho Supreme Court.)
at the request of tho court, is Increas-j
ed from ?1.4O0 to J2,uj0.
Arriving at the oyster appropriation,,
Mr. Moncure Fecv.red an addition of:
SCOO to pay William E. Raab, who wasj
? hot accidentally by oyster police.
The committee lncrep.se for pensions,
from 1450,000 to $600.000, was approv?
ed.
On a motion of Mr. Stebblns. ?2.000
of the school fund wo* added tor agri?
cultural and high school* to the fo?
isting sum of SZO.OOu.
Mr. Hlchardson, ".lust to be- consist?
ent." tried to secure the elimination
of the extra $3,000 for pchool teachers' j
pensions, but failed.
11 ii 11 n I Fund*.
Hospitals fared as provided in thai
committee bill. The Rastern :^ets |
$114.000 for support for the first year, [
$C,600 for Insurance, $5.000 for purchase |
of farm, $10,000 for repairs to heating ;
"Have a
Fresh Cigar?"
"No thanks, I'm going home
to kiss my family. Have
you any
The refreshing mint leaf jnice instantly
removes breath odors, besides puri?
fying and preserving teeth. It makes
yon hungry before meals and helps
digestion afterwards.
it by the Box
of any dealer
Get the habit of taking SPEARMINT
to your family every night. It is the
only beneficial confection, the cost ia
almost nothing and children love it I
It costs LITTLE by
the package, but
LESS by the box!
The Flavor Lasts
Look for
the Spear
Is an ACTIVE MIND
is applying
rooiems
it recognizes merit?when deserved
hence the position of
It's an education to visit our plant; the
gain is evolutional; the contrast is revo?
lutionary.
PURITY ICE CREAM CO.,
10 So. Jefferson St., Richmond, Va.
Out of Town Orders Solicited and Executed with Promptness
plant, 5f'.OOi' for repairs to buildups,
$2,500 balance on house bo-ig hi for at-j
tendaiils, $4,000 deficit and $1,500 for
tire escapes.
Tht YVestorn State Hoipital Is given j
$1,041.70 for deficit, $l.t.uO to ilnlsh In- !
lirmary und. for plumbing, iio.uou for !
building for noisy patients, $500 for
Iron ventilators aud $1-7,lti'.' for sup?
port.
Kor the South Westum, at Marlon,
there is provided $50,000 for support,!
$13,7i0 for crinilnul insane building,
$1,000 for furnishings and $6,000 for i
tubercular building.
Central guts $14S,?0u for maintenance,
$11,SS4 for deficit, $15,000 for additional
accommodations. $6,000 for power end
heating plant, and $2,000 for stables.
Ther; was some discussion over the
pay of engineers at the hospitals, since
the committee had made the salury of
the man at th^ Eastern $1,200, while the
others only receive $700. In addition to
board. Mr Gilllam tri ?d to make the
others $f'00', hut failed, and again failed
on an attempt to reduce the engineer
at the Eastern to $1.000.
Increase for Farnivtlle.
Reaching Institutions of learning.
Mr. Stebbins made a motion to Increase
the annuity tor tho State Female Nor?
mal School at Farmvllle from $55,000
to $60.000 the year. This chango had i
been made, he explained, In the tionat ?, 1
und he told of the good work which I
had been done at that institution and
of the economical way in which it
has been managed. Mr. Montague and
Mr. Kent Indorsed this, nnd it was
agreed to.
The University of Virginia got jlS.ui'U !
for support of Its hospital. Instead of
JlO.O'iO. as before, this bel?g recom?
mended by the committee. The Vir?
ginia Military Institute was given]
$5.000 for extending its hiatln;: syi 1
tern, and $5.000 more goes to the Vir
glnla School for the Deaf and Blind.
All these were In tho committee bill, j
DIIHcully of Assessment.
The hour of I o'clock having arrived, j
the Tax Commission bill was taken up.'
Mr. i,u us ford resumed his remarks in I
opposition to the measure. It hud
been said, he remarked, that the com- .
mlsslonerj of the revenue do not now I
do their duty in seeing all property
valued by them. '?Will.'' ho asked, "a
Tax Commission d? It? <"nn ItV.mem
!., rs know the local conditions in
.very neighborhood in the State?"
For his part, he was ready to deny
that the local assessing officers ere
dishonest and Incapable, They arc
elected by the same people who choose
members of the General Assembly.
There was m> way to determine prop
erty values,, so far as he could sen, ex?
cept piece by piece.
Mr. Throckmorton made inquiry a*
to a certain county where an exami?
nation of lit' property* transfers made
in one year, and comparison with the
assessed valuations showed that those
lands were valued at is per cent, of;
their selling vnlue. Also, ns to another
county, ?.??here a similar test showed
that the property was assessed for
taxation at 65 per cent, of Its value.
"Why," aaked Mr. Throckmorton,
"should one county pay five times uu
much tax on its dollar as tho other?"
JVot Correct Gnldr.
Mr. I,unsfor<l replied that the trans?
fer prices do not give a correct Idea
of real values. Sometimes the market
springs up suddenly. The best lands
are usually the most frequently sold,
some of it bringing high price.*. Itagged
and poor land was sold but seldom. |
It was impossible. In the view of the
Botctourt member, to put the pending
bill into effective operation. The com- |
rr.ist-lon would fix the tax rate after,
the books had come to the Auditor. I
The commissioners of the revenue nro;
required to extend the faxes before.'
they send In their books, lie did not1
nee bow this cousl be done ustll these
officers know, the rale. Treasurers are
required r> m.cke nit their tax tickets
and imlleei ihepi It was posslhle that
they might not know the rate of .levy
until Kovohlher 1. How. then, he in -
quired, could they prepare their ii kots
jjiid vjsll all pari? of their counties jrv
lime tu make the round before De
j cember V?
Touching upon the constitutional
point. Mr. Lunafor<| did not believe the
Governor but" any rigbt to proclaim a
tux rate. It Is to bo prescribed by
law, according to the Constitution.
Tribute ?i> Dyrtl.
"1 appreciate," said Mr. Lunsford, at
the conclusluu of an address lasting
for parts of ihr,.? sessions, and which
was heard with profound attention,
"the public services of the dlslin
! gulshed Speaker of this House,
i I'l'ouipted by putrlotic Impulses, he. bus
, mtulo a close study of the situation,
I und has done what lie conscientiously
believes to be for the best Interests
of the Commonwealth. I trust that
' his services may bu preserved to the
State for many years. but at this
time I must lny aside personal feeling
and judge of this bill us l see it. 1
believe It strikes ut tlio fundamental
liberties of the people. Let us hold
on to the principle of locul self-gov?
ernment, which is being gradually
stamped out as we follow the lead of
other States which ure called progres?
sive. Everywhere we moot Iho same
j ancient Idea of centralized power. Be?
fore wo take auch a step let us pause
I and consider."
John W. Stephertson said It seems
accepted that the county will always
appeal from the decision of the com?
mission If its assessments are In?
creased. This might not be so. The
supervisors would consider that they
must employ attorney, and they
may doclde to leave the contest to
i the ? Individual, who might ue put to
I great expense in securing an adjust?
ment- Furthor. he did not believe
the commission would accomplish any?
thing, while it would cost much.
Commission of Five.
Transfer values are not a true in?
dex to real values, lit tue opinion
Mr. ituborts. of Mecklenburg. In bis
?i . Lion there was an influx of people
who think the lands there arc cheap,
and they buy at prices Which Seem
very high to the residents. He thought
It would be hist to have a commis?
sion of about five persons, composed
at two farmers, two city men and the
Statu Accountant.
in a speec.it which caught the atten?
tion of the House, John \V. Chalkley,
Of Wise, defended the bill. II- did hot
believe there are three commissioners
of the revonno in the State who r ally
10 the property which they value.
The Tax Commission would go to enen
county and city, and would call In
the citizens for their advice. They]
would arrive at an average, and ?
W oild bns; their assessment.
StnndH Alone.
Everybody knew, he proceeded, that
no assessment is made at its full
market value. They vary from 20 to
"iO per cent.
"1 am fully ?wart." he said, "that
1 stand alone among the members
from the Southwest in favor of this
bill. J have applied the acid test to
it to see If there was any good rea?
son why I should not support it. Hut
I can find no way to oppose It Tie
bill Is Just and fair and equitable.
There la no answer to the statement
that equalization in this Stitte Is lack?
ing, I think tho patron has accepted
all the amendments which he cun i
without, injuring his measure. It may i
be that the people of my county wilt
hot approve my vote. If not. I shall ]
surrender any petty political ambl? |
tlons which I may have, and shall caat
my vote for what I believe to be for
the best Interests of Virginia."
IlTrd's Final Stntement.
Speaker Byrd (Judge Williams la i
the chair) clos.M tho debate.
"I know," ho said, "and we all j
know, that the people demand rellof
from the obviously inequitable as- |
sossmanta which prevail. 1 have,
striven to prepare a bill which will i
give a msasure of rellof. I have done
my best. I have done my duty. While I
I should dislike to see this House de?
clare Itself unequal to the task of
settling this question. I shall have no
1 more to any. I am ready for a vote."
The previous question was called and
, ngreed to.
The committee amendments to the
. substitute were adopted without dl
I vision.
[ The Question than came oti the l.and ;
i amendment to the VVHMama substitute,!
1 providing that on* fa.rmer should bei
on the commission: It was loFt, 27
to 15. Then the Williams proposition.
Unit the commission should consist of
two farmers and the Stntc Accountant.
Wits agreed to.
Next . .Line the Williams amendment
striking out the section which pro?
vides for proceedings against, and re-^
nioval of, commissioner!! of the revcjf "
nue, Mr. Throckmorton'a substitute,
that th.'se oillcers should be..', emoved
If the courts ilnd they Imvo ;iot done
their duty, was lost by 27 to 35.
The Williams motion to strike ths
section out was carried on roll call,
?11 to 37. Then the bill was engrossed,
und the constitutional readings were
dispensed with.
On IIa Final PHasasc.
As the roll was culled on the final
passage of the bill thero was great ex?
citement in the hall. It was rcallzod
that the subject, which had consumed
so many days of debate, was about to
be disposed of. A majority seemed to
be voting "aye." and among them was
Judge Williams, who kept nls promlaa
to vole for the hill If his amendments
were Incorporated.
The vote stood 4 7 to 87. and was
lost, hecauso the bill, oarrylpg an ap?
propriation, required fifty-one votes.
Mr. Cox changed his vote to "no'" in
order to ho on the winning 3lde and
to move to reconsldor. which he
did. Then Mr. Oliver moved to pa ?
this motion by.
On a point of order. Inststed en by
(Continued on Sixth Page.)
SCHOOL SAVINGS BANK
Win open for business Saturday, March
2, 1912, at 2S North Ninth Street, and
$'l-'n In cash prizes will bo given the
children depositing ?! upwards.
Money With Hens
My book his helped "Kopie make for?
tunes in the poultry business?will do
the same lor you. Low prices lorstoct:.
eggs lor hatching. Incubators and
brooders. 200paces conti.itiiitc over I0U
illustrations?many m natural colors?
fives list of 72 varieties oi Pure Bred
Howl?gives completcinfortnatioa about
C2?$, slock, incubators, etc.
Thl.i book is 4 marvel 11111 only ISc.
Send io.iiy-.-'j,1 It through nri.l
II you don't teel tally uwiir-l
ttut It Is worth many tlinea that
much, return lha book and get
jour money back.
B. H. GKE1DER
Do-gl03. Rhcerr.a. Pa.
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Every farmer and gardener
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We are headquarters for
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Potatoes, Seed Oats, Cow Peat,
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Wood's Descriptive Catalog mailed
free on request. Write for it.
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Seedsmen, - Richmond, Va.