The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-12-08
IN HOME STRETCH
TODAY BEGINS LAST WEEK OF
THE LEGISLATURE.
MANY IMPORTANT MATTERS
REMAIN TO BE ATTENDED TO BY
THE SOLONS.

What Is Said OF the Proposition
for Summer Sessions - Probably
Three Sessions a Day This Week.
Efforts VIII Be Made to Keep Up
the Good Attendance.
Atlanta, Dec. There will be some
thing doing every minute during this,
the last week, of the legislative ses-
sion of 1902 Whether the General AS
sembly will adjourn on Friday or Sat
urday has not yet been determined.
The last day of the session is Friday,
but if to-day, Sunday, should be de-
cIared a dies non, as a resolution now
before the House proposes, adjourn
ment sine die will not be had until
Saturday night.
Despite the fact that but five or six
more days remain, none of the most
important work of the session is COM
pleted, and 1T now develops that those
who were proposing to get the appro-
priations bill and the general tax bill
TO the Governor a week or ten days be-
fore the close of the session, were pur-
suing a sort of ;gnis fatuus. A great
deal of work remains to be done on
these measures, and they will probably
be the very last matters finally acted
on both by the House and Senate.
From present indications and the ac-
ton of Senate committees with refer
ence to the appropriations bill, and the
prospective action of the Senate
Finance Committee on the franchise
tax bill, it looks as if there will have
to be mutual concessions on the part
of House and Senate conference COM
mittees before these measures are
finally acted on. 1t is likely the
same will be true with reference to
the general tax bill.
There is no doubt that the greater
part of the week will be taken up in
the final consideration of these meas
ures, and the numerous general bills
that have been introduced in both
bodies stand little chance of receiving
consideration at this session.
Warm Time Ahead.
There is still a hard fight ahead for
the general tax bill. Opponents of the
tax on foreign corporations doing bus
mess in Georgia, which was put in
the bill by the House, are going to
fieht that feature of the measure to the
last ditch.
While it is not thought they will car
ry out the threat of voting against the
general tax bill in sufficient numbers
to prevent its passage, since that won d
necessitate an extra session. it is GER
tain they will leave no stone unturned
to have the section stricken. or at
least greatly modified.
The bill comes up for final action in
the House tomorrow morning, ana
then a motion will be made for a re-
consideration of the disputed section.
If that fails the fight will be carried
before the Senate Committe on Finance
and then before the Senate. Commit
tees are already organizing to go be-
fore the Senate Finance Committee to
oppose the section, and it is likely sew
eral cities of the state will be repre-
sented in this protest.
An amendment was proposed in the
House which met with the favor of
many who voted against the section as
it stands. This amendment by Mr.. CAL
win of Richmond proposed to EXEMPT
from the tax all such corporations as
pay a tax on real and personal prop
erty equal to or greater than the
amount required to be paid under the
section. 1t is believed that the adop-
ton of some such amendment would
do away with much of the opposition.
There is little doubt that both the
appropriations bill and the general tax
years as has been the custom hereto
fore, and this will save much time for
other work at the next session.
Bills That Must he Passed.
Besides the bills mentioned there are
several others that must be passed at
this session. and outside of these few
measures there will be little chance
for anything but local measures to get
through.
There is the usual resolution author
izing the Governor to borrow a sum
not exceeding 100000 to supply casual
deficiencies, which has been fixed as
the special order Immediately follow
ing the completion of the general tax
act. This measure will have to be
passed in order to provide for emerg-
encies which are expected more than
ever this year, according to those who
have examined into the states finances.
Then comes a resolution authorizing
the Governor and the State Treasurer
to pay off and retire certain outstand-
ing bonds which are due.
The convict bill must be passed so
that provision can be made in due
time for leasing the labor of the felony
convicts of the state for another five
year period. A bill on this line by
Senator Clements has already passed
the Senate, and a measure similar to
1t, if not the same measure. will al
most surely be passed by the House.
There will be pretty warm debate
in the House when the convict bill
comes up, as an effort will be made to
substitute for the Senate bill the bill
by Mr. Fielder of Bib, providing that
all the convicts shall be worked on the
roads. 1t is said this measure has quite
a following in the House, and an in
teresting discussion is expected on it.
Then there is the bill by Mr.. Davis
of Meriwether authorizing the use of
the remainder of the public property
fund to pay interest on the bonded
debt The balance of this fund is a
little more than $122, 200, and unless 1t
is so used the deficit in the treasury
next year will be increased by just that
much, since this source of revenue has
been counted on in making the appro-
priations. There is no doubt there will
be warm fight on the bin by Mr.
Hall of Bibb and others, who hold that
such use of this fund is unconstitu-
tional, despite decision of majority
of the Supreme Court to the contrary.
The bill revising the military laws
of the state which has passed the
Senate, stands a good chance of get
ting through the House, as there has
not appeared any opposition to 1t, and
the measure is believed to be good
one.
Summer Sessions.
Strong effort Will be made TO secure
the passage through the House Of
Senator Skeletons bill which has passed
the Senate. changing the time OF meet
ing OF the General Assembly from the
fourth Wednesday IN October TO the