Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-01-31
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

1u bu6 OOhNO Wv
committee on finance yesterday sub
mtted its report. One OF the most
significant features Of this is that it
provides a franchise tax Of one per
centum per year on all railroads and
canal corporations. This plan was rec
commended by the railroads themselves.
II will bring in about $250,000 per
annum, and is is be applied to all roads,
including those which are exempt from
general taxation. The report also pro-
yides that the General Assembly shall
tax all coal and mineral lands at t1eir
fair value. The oystsr lands Of the
etale are TO be sold or rented.
Chairman Green, OF the committee
on bill of rights, submitted report.
The convention went into commit Zee
of the whole TO consider the report OF
the committee on agriculture.
Mr.. Hubbard. introduced some
amendmeudmeut5 TO the report, the
vote upon which created great deal of
merrimert In the Hobbies. His first one
was to require that the commissioner Of
agriculture should be practical far.
mer." This was overwhelmingly de-
fested and another was offered by Mr..
HUBBARD requiring that the commissioner
"shsll have had some experience as a
farmer" The vote on this one was I;
Ayes. 8; nays, 40.
The question of connecting the in
terest OF the Department of Agricul-
ture and the Virginia Polytechnic In
stituts and experiment farm caused
much discussion.
Mr.. Fairfax, of the committee, offer
ed substitute which was accepted by
Mr.. Parks and by Chairman Stuart for
the committee. 1t provides that the
president OF the Polytechnic Institute
s1sl be member OF t 1e Board OF Agri.
culture and the president OF the Board
Of Agriculture shall bs member OF the
Board OF Visitors OF the Polytechnic In
stituts, The section electing the Com
missioner by the board was adopted;
also an amendment requiring the gen.
eral Office of the Department of Agri-
culture to be at Richmond city.
The friends of the civil service law
who were opposed to making the en-
ployes ofthe bureau eligible for transfer
or reten ton, we're rwhelmingly de-
festsd. By the terms OF the bill the
permanent organization will succeed
the present temporary organization
July l, 1902, aud all employees on the
rolls upon the dste of the passage OF
the act will become eligible for transfer
to other departments or reter ton 10
the permanent organization.
The bill also provides for a manu-
featuring census In 1905, and for the
collection OF certain special statistics
annually.
Just before adjournment Mr.. Brax.
ton gave notice that he would call up
the corporation report today. DIR.
Hun ton, who will lead the e Sbt against
the corporation ordinance aud for the
minority report, stated that he would
ask for its postponemept until next
Monday. The laltsr course is al most
certain TO prevail.
The first work of the committee 90
6nal revision, which organized yester-
day afternoon, with Msj. William A.
Anderson as chairman, was to instruct
the clerk to prepare q list OF all the
officers Affect sd by the new constitution.
The purpose Of this Is to have the terms
of all officers which would expire by
limlt.tion before the new constitution
goes in effect extended. 1t is not pro.
posed ID interfere with any terms.
Mr.. II. @. Stuart addressed the suf-
frsge conference last night in support
of his plan, which embraces features Of
both the majority and minority reports.
Mr.. Thorn, OF Norfolk. followed In q
brief discussion of the undertt lndiDg
clause.