Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-07-16
TO AID THE SCHOOLS
Virginia Will Devote Poll Tax to the
Purpose.
ACTION OF SUFFRAGE COMMITTEE
Means Half Million Annually for
Public Education.
OTHER CONVENTION NEWS
Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.

Special Dispatch to The Evening Star.
RICHMOND. Va, July 1G--By vote of
II to 10 the suffrage committee today de-
cded that the poll tax of 50 already agreed
upon shall be divided equally between the
state and the county in which it is col
lectsd The entire fund is to be expended
in the improvement and maintenance of
the public schools. The average vote in
Virginia for the past ten years has been
about :}2J.0 With the imposition of the
poll tax the vote will be reduced to about
a15oHn This will give over $4,000 an
rually to the schools of the state.
The advocates of the prevailing senti-
ment in the committee said that with the
present amount appropriated for schools
increased by the poll tax fund, Virginia
would have the best and most efficient sys-
TEN of public instruction in the south
The committee on education, with this adj
dItional money To draw from. will provide
for a complete reorganization of the public
schools The closeness uf the vote in the
committee was occast1red from the fact
that many OF the members held that 80
cents of the tax should be given to the re-
Si,rctiya counties for general expenses.
This fund IL WAS urged. could be best
expended In the Improvement II the public
roads
Prepay ment Proposition Lost.
After tue committee had decided upon
the distribution ~ the poll tax Delegate
Moore proposed that prepayment of all
taxes state and federal. be made q neces-
sary Qualification tn- exercising the right
- suffrage He spoke at some length on
the subject and urged that the wealthy
tax doiger should be made To subscribe to
the same rule that is proposed to apply -
the poor voter
Mr.. Moore was strongly seconded by
Delegate Hamilton of Petersburg. Mr..
Flood opposed the proposition. claiming
that il would be an unjust discrimination
against the property owners Of the state
He said that the law already made the
payment of taxes compulsory and that the
proposition of Mr.. Moore was useless.
Delegates Lindsay and Anderson con-
CURED in the latter opinion The PROPOSE
tion was lost by vote of IA to .. The
next proposition that will be considered by
the committee Is the property qualification
A total of ninety members were on hand
when the convention met today at noon
and for twenty-five minutes the members
d-iiberated. The attendance of visitors
much larger today than for some
time.
Virginius Newton of Richmond and Car
ter Glass of Lynchburg Were reported con-
fined to their homes by illness. and leaves
of absence were granted them for one
week.
President Goode called the body to order
promptly at noon. prayer being offered by
the Rev. DIR. John Pollard of the Baptist
church
President Goode laid before the body an
invitation from Lee Camp of Confederate
Veterans to visit the portrait gallery at
their convenience and to attend the meet
ings OF the camp. and, on motion of Sena-
tor Daniel the invitation was accepted
with thanks
Quotations of Population.
Mr.. Moore OF Fairfax. from the lesisla-
tive committee. said the committee had re-
ceived from the superintendent of the n
sus advanced reports of the last census in
Virginia by cities and counties giving the
population between races On his motion
the Indignation was ordered printed for the
Use of the convention.
Mr.. Anderson of Rockbridge offered a
resolution calling on the auditor for infor-
nation as to population of cities and coun-
ties Of the state for the years 1850, 1870
1SSo. 1S.D and 1900. together with the
amount of personal and real property own
81 by whites and blacks. and the total of
taxes paid BY the races The resolution
was adopted. Mr.. Anderson stated that
the Information was for use in apportioning
members OF the legislature.
Mr.. Hunton of Fauquier, from the judi
ciary committee. presented statement Civ
ing the cost OF the present Judiciary of the
state. II was ordered printed.
Cost of Civil Cases
Mr. Hunton presented and the convention
adopted resolution calling on clerks of
courts to furnish the secretary of the con-
vcntion with the cost OF juries in civil
cases tried and other expenses incident to
such trials. The clerks are to make item
ICED statements Of the amount paid judges
and commonwealth attorneys in the follow
ing counties and cities: Allegheny. Blu
chanan. Campbell. Greenesvile Henry
lsle-of-Wight Matthews, Northampton
Prince George. Pulaski. Shenandoah and
Southampton, Lynchburg. Norfolk Ports
mouth and Radford.
Moore Steals a March.
Delegate T. L. Moore of Montgomery
stole a march on the democrats today by
presenting a resolution on the fellow-ser-
wants doctrine, laid down by the pres
ent court of appeals. The resolution re-
cites that corporations have rights which
should be maintained and respected and
that labor has equal rights which should b..
protected by law.
The preamble recites that the decisions of
the court of appeals repurpant to the
public good. and concludes that the doc
trine of fellow servantcy as now establish
ed In this state by the decisions of the
Z supreme court Of appeals be- and is hereby
abolished: that suitable constitutional pro-
the re-establishment of the fellow-ser-
Nantcy law administered by the
courts in this state. and that in framing
this provision of the constitution il shall
be made so explicit that nothing shall be