The Savannah morning news., 1902-11-28
MUCH WORK TO DO
THIS WILL DE A BUSY DAY IN THE
HOUSE.
GENERAL APPROPRIATIONS.
WILL BE WORKED ON UNTIL THEY
ARE COMPLETED.

However. May Provoke Debate.
Matter of Pensions VIII be Dis
cussed-AgricuItura and school
Funds Looked to TO Furnish Dis
cussion-HOuse Must Hurry to
Make Progress.
Atlanta, Ga. Nov. 27.-Thanksgiving
Day through Sunday peace and quiet
to the Capitol. Not only did the
General Assembly take a day off. but
all of the Capitol offices were closed,
and lawmakers and politicians enjoyed
good dinners. instead of warm debates.
Tomorrow in the House will be one
of the busiest and most important
days of the session. The general APP
preparations bill is the special order.
and it will be taken up Immediately
after the confirmation of the journal.
The consideration of the bill will be
continuous until IL is completed. An
afternoon session will be held and, If
necessary, work on the bill will be
continued Saturday.
So far as is known there is no
special opposition to any features of
the bill. Each item in the bill can be
adopted by a ma iorlty vote of those
present. only the whole bill on its final
passage requiring a constitutional ma
jority of IS votes.
There are several features of the bill,
however, which will doubtless provoke
interesting debates One of the warm
est discussions is looked for over the
small appropriation made for contin-
gent expenses of the Railroad Com
mission. The committee has cut the
amount from $500 to 5000. which will
necessitate the Railroad Commission
doing without a stenographer unless
the secretary is made to act in that
capacity. This is practically the only
cut that was made in departmental
expenses, and the members Of the COM
mission will no doubt ask their friends
in the House to restore the amount.
There will no doubt be consider
able discussion Of the question of PEN
sions. The Pension Commissioner es-
timated in his report that $3.50 900
would be necessary this year on ac-
count of the increase in the roll of in
digent soldiers. The committee cut
this amount down by 1000, giving a
total of $845.000 to INDECENT soldiers,
and providing that il there was not
enough to give each soldier in that
class $50, as has been the custom, the
amount should be pro rated among all
those on the list
1t may be that this feature of the
bill Will cause some discussion, there
being those in the House who think
no deductions should be made in any
pensions, while many are anxious TO
see the whole pension system reduced
TO an INDECENT basis. The approprla-
tions bill is likely to open up this in
teresting and important Subject.
The appropriation of $4,000 to the
Department of Agriculture Is likely to
cause a little talk, not so much about
the amount of the appropriation as
about the method. This is the same
amount that has usually been given
the department, but heretofore half
of II has come out of the general
fund in the treasury and half from in
spection fees of fertilizers. The bill
this time provides that the whole
amount shall come from inspec ton
fees. There was some opposition to
this feature in the committee room
on the ground that il would take Sl0,-
900 away from the common school
fund, all of the inspection fees now
going to schools 1t was explained.
however, that the school fund would
get $4,000 more from the hire of con-
victs because the expenses of the pris-
on department have been cut down
by that amount.
1t is not believed the military fund
of $4,000 will be disturbed, nor is the
school fund, which is the same as last
year, expected to cause any unusual
discussion.
There is disposition toward re-
trenchment all along the line in the
House. and the discussion will, doubt
less, tend largely toward that end.
The members Of the committee think
they have been as conservative as pos
ct t- -. -
have gone carefully into every detail
and have put In only such items as
they considered just and proper.
While the bill is made only for one
year under a resolution adopted by the
House at the beginning of the session,
there is already some talk among the
senators of refusing to agree to that
proposition, and there is a possibility
that the Senate may insist on making
the bill operative for two years The
same may be true of the general tax
bill. to which the House resolution
also applied.
The reason the Senate is likely to
take this stand is because these meas
ures consume so much of the time OF
the session that consideration of other
measures is interfered with Thirty
three days of the session have gone by,
and only two or three general bills have
been acted on. There were none Oh
them of special Importance, with the
exception of the Australian ballot bill
by DIR. Kelly of Glascock. which was
passed by the House and sent to the
Senate, where it is now pending. II
the General Assembly has to go through
with the work of preparing appropria-
tions ana tax bills at the next session,
much valuable time will be thus con-
sumed.
The general tax bill win come along
for consideration about the first OF
next week. There is no doubt that IL
will provoke considerably more OF
fight than the appropriations bill. for
IL will open up the big question of the
taxation of franchises which promises
TO cause the most spirited debate of
the whole session. There is little doubt
that the consideration OF this bill win
occupy two or three days
Now that these measures have reach
ed the House, all other business must
be side-tracked under the rules until
they are disposed Of. They constitute
the most important as well as the most
interesting work Of the session, and
final action on them VIII be awaited
with great interest
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