The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-12-30
AGRICUL TURAL
LEGISLATION.

(By Harvie Jordan.)


The session Of the General Assembly I
for 1902 has become a matter of history. {
The members of the House and Senate
having served out the time allotted TO
them under the constitution Of the State,
50 days, have returned to their homes.
| Their record upon many matters of great
| Importance to the masses Of the people
| is an honorable one. 1t has been many
years since a House and Senate have
| worked together SO harmoniously and
have so we'll agreed upon fair and conSer-
| yatiye legislation upon questions OF un-
| usual Importance. The franchise tax bill
| which was defeated in the Senate a year
| ago, was overwhelmingly passed by both
branches of the General Assembly at the
session of 1902 there being only two votes
cast against the measure in the Senate
The corporations which are to be affected /
by the new law admitted the justice of a (
franchise tax but objected to the method
of levying the tax under the ''Candler'
| bill as it was passed. The corporations
preferred the levying of a definite per
| cent upon the gross earnings Of their
business rather than undertaking to find
the value of their franchise upon the
same basis Of assessing their physical
property.
The law is new one. and if found i'm
perfect in it's present shape, future leg1s-
lation can remedy any trouble which may
be found unfair to the interests affected.
: The passage Of the franchise bill it is
: thought will aid about thirty millions OF
: taxable property to the digest which has
, heretofore escaped taxation, and will add
: about S150, COO to the State Treasury re
= | ceipts annually.
d SUMMER SESSIONS.
If Rv q practically unanimous vote both
t branches of the General Assembly passed
o the bin for holding future sessions IN
e July and August, instead of November
% and December as at present. i ne GOV
J. ernor vetoed the bill but by overWhelm-
le ing majorities the veto was overrldden
" and the bill becomes the law for the 1u-
ly ture 1t will mean that the present mem
of bers of the legislation Withhold Inc SeS-
lie sinns OF 1903 and 1904 and that the Gov
i ernor and all State House officers VIII
lie retain their present positions for eight
st months longer than they were elected. Ii
b. was for this reason principally that the
er Governor deemed it incumbent upon MIN
V to veto the bill. The necessity LOT 'ne
to change to holding the sessions IN the
ds summer is obvious, and the members
le of the General Assembly felt that
ed should not be longer delayed
to November is one of the busiest or tn
I'm fall months in every line of business am
III profession. The members are Iorceu Z
N absent themselves from the business
sc the legislature to look after their privat
esc affairs at home The consequence is, ina
ng on Saturday and Monday of each wee
we during the session, there is rarely quo
he rr7n nrcsent to do business. Again, TN
,ay climate at Atlanta is quite changeapl
the 8nd the weather is often severe IN IN
did late fall. The capitol and hotels penn
ate heated by steam, large NUMBER OF ln
Tug representatives are constantly SuHeIlh
US from severe colds, and many or them SUI
DO fer from pneumonia and othef Pul1noHdl
EN- troubles which renders them lhcapaoie "
ner tod 70 attend the sessions regularly n
I've business man can attend the sessions
the fall Of the year except at great PEI
sonal sacrifice.
Rv holding the sessions IN the SUNNI
if is thought that men OF larger ahal
and of broader craftsmanship Will le
nat better able to serve the people as pua
Nel ness generally is at stahdstlll oul Il
CUT the month Of July. man VINO mas
IL business at home, and the politician VI
mes is seeking only to advance MS pohlc
10" ambition will never make such d rePl
Mf. sentative as is required to look after t
8 hest and highest interest of the State
~ 10 1t is. therefore, far better to nave [
!
Il in order that many existing evils may
the corrected, and especially to the end, tn
ao whom future sessions do convene the mel
De bers may be able to devote their full I'll
men and attention to the legislative work
ou' fore them. We should next nave Die
pei NAL sessions, as there IS no Sooa rcdS
ows 80 49, ar;e,o+n~a should meet otter
than every two years.
~ Unfortunately but little general legls
~ tion was done in the interest OF the Tar
- crs of the State, although several Dl
~ Of Importance were introduced. Inc Dill
lave PieNeit ,5i ,,cb adn1+ara
time syrup "no ..a, 7oesod and will
. |, coroe q law This measure Will be
Nv W. great benefit to the growers OF cane
lno tho Southern section Of the State
A'l' hill which provided for the appolntm
of a commission of practical farmers
look into the feasibility of locating az
cultural schools in the ConSresslo
districts OF the State, introduced by
Golf in the Senate and which unan1mou
: on nassed that BODY and was unanlmol
1airy recolhliieh'eu ~ +h1od b,,
that mlltee VI .i1uu a o,,,o+
~ taken up for consideration again u
- ,eyt Julv. The measure was popl
ono with farmers generally who mad
vostipatcd the subject, and 1t IS
allied gretted thal % IMP ~, oon-;d.
that not nave gone pionps -. cta+o r,
made ton OF the IA mae, NJ =, Tho stata =,
49,, ,ericu1tural and industrial education
these the boys anu . = 49, rro,orall1-
litro- GlstrlctS. iie i'' ~ -,
hin only a limited education III the pu
schools. and are not trained at all