Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-12-20
TONNAGE TAX BILL,
Its Friends Hope to See It
Pass The Senate To-Day,
A FIGHT AGAINST IT,
Understood That the Manufacturers Ire
Strongly Opposing II.
BILL FOR AN EPILEPTIC COLONY.
Commission Has Decided to Oner
One Appropriating s75,OO0-Chnr-
Iottesville Judgeship - Important
Measures to Come I'D.
BILL For AN ErnErrrc COLONY.
Measures to Come Up.

4
ton on all fertilizers sold in Virginia is
attracting more attention now than any
measure which has come up in the Cen
eral Assembly this session.
The advocates Of the measure are abso-
lutely confident it will pass the Senate to-
| day. Those who will not say they will
vote for it express themselves as OF the
opinion that 1t will pass. 1t is understood
| the fertilizer manufacturers are making a
strong fight against 1t.
Captain j. c. Featherston, of Campbell
| county, who so ably advocated the bill
on tho floor Of the House Monday. In
speaking of that measure last night said:
THE brand-tax IS unjust to the small
dealer, while the tonnage-tax. as provided
| for in the bill which passed the House by
a vote Of rs to 2, Is fair to all parties en-
gagged in the manufacture OF fertilizers
My constituents are farmers, and know
that under the bill which passed the
House they will be afforded the protection
which should be given them when they
purchase commercial fertilizers. These
fertilizers should be sampled and then
analysed Immediately. as is done in North
Carolina, and the farmer should be fur
nished with the result before he has used
the goods upon his crops. The revenue de-
rived from the present brand-tax does not
yield sufficient income to enable the
Department OF Agriculture to make these
analyses in time, as one chemist cannot
begin to do the work.
"The enemies Of this bill say that a
tonnage-taX will increase the price paid
for fertilizers. This is not the practical
working of Ii In other States. North Caro-
lima has 3-cent tonnage-tax, and South
Carolina has a 50-cent tonnage-tax, and
yet they sell their various brands at the
same price there as they do here. where
there is no tax If they base their prices
on the highest cost OF the article. then
we in Virginia are paying for the support
Of the departments OF agriculture In other
States and receiving nothing for IL. The
manufacturers themselves admit that it
will not affect the prices of fertilizers in
Virginia."
Mr.. Featherston called attention to the
fact that the fertilizer manufacturers had
already raised the prices of their goods
and he had but little doubt that they
would tell the farmers that this law was
the cause of it. yet said he, 1T is al
ready an accomplished fact that they
haze raised their prices $50 per ton"
He said the bill had been carefully con-
sidered by practical farmers section by
section.
Every member OF the House Committee
on Agriculture and Mining, OF which he
IL chairman, Is a practical farmer, and
the bill, he said, was really the creation
OF these members, as they amended the
original measure until ii was In such
shape as they desired. THAT the bill
In it's amended form met with the APP
prevail of every farmer in the House."
said Captain Featherston. "was shown
by the vote on Monday. The bill, as
offered. provided for a brand tax, and
the committee believed that we should
have tonnage tax, such as is In force
in nearly every other Southern State,
and so amended It..
Captain Featherston represents a
farming section, and he says in his posi-
tion on this bill he voices the sentiment
OF the agriculturists of the State. I'VE
farmers" he concluded, do not often
ask help at the hands Of the Legislature
but we do this time, and expect It, and
believe that the members who are not
farmers themselves will aid US in the
passage of the BILL"
Mr. ]. IA. Barker. of Henry county.
who has been in Richmond several days,
Is the largest tobacco grower in the
State and buys more fertilizer than any
other farmer in Southside Virginia. Mr..
Barker, speaking TO a Dispatch man last
night said: 81 live very near the North
Carolina line. and ] buy my fertilizers
as often in that State as | do in Vir-
ginia. The price I pay for the different
brands i use is exactly the same in both
States. The whole truth of the matter
is, that we Virginia farmers are paying
the North Carolina tax, and supporting
tho Department OF Agriculture of that
State. AS result. the farmers Of North
Carolina receive protection against the
purchase of goods which do not come up
TO the guaranteed analysis, while we in
Virginia do not receive an income from
the fertilizer dealers sufficient to employ
the number of chemists necessary TO do
this work at the time it should be exc
cuted. The tonnage tax is the fairest
tax to ali alike, and We farmers want IL"
Colonel John S. Cunningham. the largest
tobacco grower in North Carolina,
probably in the United States, was In the
city a few days ago, and took occasion
to advocate the tonnage tax in the
strongest terms. He said he would be-
glad to appear before legislative COM
mittee and say that Virginia farmers are,
in effect. supporting the Department OF
Agriculture OF North Carolina, as they
pay the same prices for fertilizers, tho
tax being already added in this State.
There was a meeting last night at New
Ford's OF the commission appointed by
tht last General Assembly to draft a bill
providing for the establishment OF an
epileptlc colony in this State. There were
present Senator lie Cato (chairman), Hon.
w. p. McRae. member Of the House from
Petersburg. and DR.. Drewry. Superinten-
dent of the Central State Hospital The
commission agreed upon bill appro-
priating $4,000 for the purchase OF land
and erection Of buildings. and mainten-
ance OF the institution for two years. Att
the expiration OF that time. 1t Is esti-
mated that an annual appropriation Of
$4,000 will be sufficient
1t is confidently predicted that the bill
will pass. The members OF the commits
sion have become greatly interested In
the subject Of epIleptIcs. They have
made the startling discovery that there
are more epileptics than insane people
In Virginia. The great majority Of these.
it is stated. are supported by others.
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