The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-11-03
SOLONS MUST WORK
.RpUOUS LABORs CONFRONT SEN
ATORS AND REPRESENTATIVE
ARE JUST GETTING BUSY.
COMMITTEES WILL MAKE THEIR
REPORTS READY.

After the Various Measures Intro
duced Are Reported by the Com
mittees There Will BE Faster Pro-
eress-EIeven Days of the Fifty of
the Session Have Passed without
Much Having Been Accomplished.
conservatism Distinguishes the
LEGISLATURE Radical Legislation
Is Not Likely.
Atlanta, Nov. 2.-Eleven days of the
fifth allotted to the legislative session
have passed. and the House and Sen
ate are only just getting in working
order. Standing committees of both
Houses will meet tomorrow afternoon,
and within two or three days they will
have enough business out of the 200
or more bills already introduced. re-
ported on to keep them in session right
UP to the adjournment hour.
The indications are that nothing of
serious Importance will reach either
House or Senate for final considera-
ton until later in the session. though
there will doubtless be preliminary
skrmishes on the convict question, the
depot question and other matters of
more or less concern which must be
considered at this session.
Recent developments in the depot
situation, namely the determination of
President Spencer of the Southern, to
build a new union passenger station in
another part of the city than on the
states property, has aroused consider
able curiosity as to what the Legis-
lature will do toward protecting the
states interests. SO far the members
of the Legislature themselves do not
seem to know which way to turn. They
express the belief that it is a serious
situation that confronts the state. but
they do not appear to know what can
be done to save the states property
from depreciation.
At present the depot question is in
the hands of a committee of five men,
bers of the House, of which Hon. Joe
Hill Hall of Bib, author of the reso-
luton creating it, is chairman This
committee has already begun to take
testimony relating to the matter. Its
duty is more particularly, however, to
find out where the responsibility lies
for the present condition of the depot
and report how the lessee company can
be required to comply with its con-
tract. The idea Mr. Hall had in view
was to see if the lessee could not be
required to fully repair the present de-
pot or even build a new one. 1t may
be that the committee will go further
and suggest some means by which the
state can protect its property from de-
probation in value. At any rate some
action looking to this end is expected
when the report of the special depot
committee is taken up for considera-
ton.
Important Measures
The most important measures which
the General Assembly will have to con-
slider have really not yet been touched.
These are the general appropriations
bill and the general tax act, to which
no consideration has yet been given,
though when they are taken up they
will doubtless be pushed through to
completion as rapidly as possible. I'm
der new rule adopted by the House,
these measures on the third reading
are to have right of way over every
thing else before that body, irrespec-
i've OF their position on the calendar.
This, together with the fact that only
appropriations and taxation for one
year viii be considered, whereas here
tofore these bills applied to two years,
VIII greatly facilitate their passage,
ana 1t is believed now they will reach
adjournment. In this event the Cow
ernor can veto either or both of them.
II ne sees fit, without the necessity of
calling an extra session.
The appropriations bill will be pre-
pared and reported by the Appropri-
atlons Committee, of which Mr. Davis
OF Meriwether is chairman, while the
ways and Means Committee. presided
over by Mr.. Reid of Campbell, will
of
All Want More Money.
There will be few extraordinary ap-
propriations at this session, so far as
present indications denote Nearly
everything in this line that was ne
cessary was attended to two years
ago. In some lines, however, an in
crease will be asked for. Pensions will
require about 100000 more than last
year; the state Sanitarium wants an
increased appropriation; schools will
want the same amount or more, even
though they will get an increased fund
from the hire of convicts in the course
OF the next year or two; an appropri-
alton of $50 goo or more will be asked
lor the purpose of giving Georgia a
creditable exhibit at the st. Louis ex-
position; extra appropriations will be
asked by the school for the deaf at
cave Springs, and other state institu-
IONS generally will want a little more
money than they have been receiving.
whether they will all get it or not is
another question.
There is a decided intention on the
part of the Legislators, wherever pos
slole' to cut down appropriations and
reduce taxation. A constitutional
amendment limiting the tax levy to
o12 mills has been introduced in the
senate, but many think it will not be
possible now to put it at that low fig
uIe' The proposed amendment last
year made the limit mills. The tax
Iale this year is $50 mills While
, mere is a possibility of it, the Legis-
azure will have to do some
nard figuring to bring the
.a% rate down and yet meet
me important demands that are
made upon it,
me Ways and Means Committee has
el'e hxing of the special license tax
tof different classes of business, and
Us work will be watched with con-
SIDERABLE interest.
Gov. TerreIl's Message.
Gov. Terrell's first message will go
~ the Legislature some time this
week. There is much interest in what
eae new Governor will have to say, but
~ Iar he has forecasted very few Of
, me important features with which he
VIII deal.
Anong the matters which the Gov
'nor VIII call to the attention Of the
l. l.