The Savannah morning news., 1903-07-14
PEOPLE TO CHOOSE
MEMBERS OF THE GEORGIA RAIL
ROAD COMMISSION.
THE HOUSE HAS so VOTED
AND THE MEASURE NOW GOES TO
THE SENATE.

L
position in the Senate to the Pro-
ject-House Passed "A Substitute
for the Original Bill, Discarding
the Provision That There should
BE an Extension of the Terms of
the Present Commission ers-MOve-
ment for short Legislative Term.
Atlanta, July 13-The House, without
any contest passed the bill by Mr..
Rankin of Gordon to elect state rail-
road commissioners by the people by
a vote of 100 to 5.
The easy manner in which the bill
went through was somewhat of a sur
prise in view of the fact that it came
back from the General Judiciary Com
mittee with an adverse report. A few
days ago, however, this report was
disagreed to. and the bill went on the
calendar in it's regular place.
The main objection to the bill. as it
came back from the committee. was
that it provided for an extension of
the terms of office of the present COM
missioners. This morning, however,
MIR. Rankin offered a substitute which
eliminated that feature and it was the
substitute that went through.
The bill, as passed. provides that
the people shall elect the railroad COM
missioners hereafter, the first one to
be elected in October, 1904, to succeed
Hon. j. Pope Brown, in October, 1895,
at the expiration of his term. There
is considerable opposition to the meas
ure in the Senate.
For short Terms.
The first and only short-term resolu-
ton of the session was heard from
to-day. Mr. Mills of Cherokee intro
duced resolution providing that the
present session should last only twenty
five days. and that the session next
year shall be of the same length, so
that the present Legislature shall serve
only 100 days in all. The resolution
went to the Committee on Rules.
Chancellor Hin to Speak.
An invitation was extended to Chan
cellor Walter B. Hill of the State Uni
versity to address the General Assem-
bly, in the hall of the House on some
night to be selected by him in the near
future.
For Gamblers Picture.
Mr. Houston of Fulton introduced a
resolution, providing for the appropria-
ton of $500. or as much thereof as is
necessary, to purchase a portrait of
former Gov Allen D. Gambler, to be
hung in the Capitol.
To Pay the Aldermen.
Mr.. Stovall of Chatham introduced
bill providing for the payment of a
salary to the aldermen of Savannah
of $40 for each regular meeting which
they attend. This payment is not to
be made for extra or adjourned meet
ings.
To Make More Counties.
Mr.. Cromartie of Appling introduced
a bill providing for an amendment to
paragraph 2, section l, article of the
constitution so as to make the limit
of the number of counties in Georgia
$50, instead of 1877, as at present He
also introduced another bill providing
for an additional member of the Legis-
lature for each new county that may
be created.
Mr.. Cromartie says many of the
counties in the southern part of the
state are so large as to be unwieldy.
Appling county, for instance, he says,
is about fifty-six mines wide and sew
enty miles long. Some of the farm
ers of the county have to drive thirty
to forty miles to get to the Court
House. He spoke also of Coffee, Mont
gomery, Tattnall, Decatur and several
other counties in the southern part OF
the state winch ldDOT uiuSl tHS ooiiS
difficulties
Session of the Senate.
The Senate had a short session to-
day, most of its time being devoted TO
reading House bills the first and sec
ond time. But one bill was passed.
That was by Messrs Alexander and
Granada of Wilkes county to abolish
the Board of County Commissioners of
that county.
The Senate concurred in the joint
resolution introduced by Mr.. Calvin OF
Richmond, inviting Chancellor Hill to
address the Legislature at such a date
as might meet his convenience.
The Senate confirmed the appoint
ments of Hon. c. H. Mann, judge of
the City Court of Tattnall Hon. w.
j. Geer, solicitor of the County Court
of Miller; Hon. N. j. Holton, solicitos
of the City Court of Bailey.
The Governor sent to the Senate the
nominations of Hon. p r. Taliaferro,
Judge of the City Court of Sanders
Vile, and Hon. G. H. Howard, solicit
tor of that court.
New Bills Introduced.
New Senate bills were introduced as
follows:
BY Senator Comas (by request)-To
authorize an issue of bonds by Pierce
county for school purposes.
system of public schools for Pierce
county.
For st. Louis Exhibit.
For the purpose of urging favorable
action upon the bill of Mr.. Dunbar of
Richmond, which makeg an approprta-
ton of $4,000 for a Georgia exhibit at
the st. Louis Exposition, representa-
tives of the various commercial agri-
cultural and industrial associations OF
Georgia will tomorrow afternoon be
present during the meeting of the
House Committee on Appropriations.
Mayor E. P. Howell of Atlanta started
the movement for an exhibit of the re-
sources of the state at the exposition.
He did so by writing letters to all
the Mayors of Georgia, asking their
cooperation in securing the passage
of such a measure during the present
| session of the General Assembly Mr..
Dunbar presented the bill, and 1t was
referred to the Committee on Appro-
priations, where it now is. 1t has re-
ceived the Endorsement of all the in
dustrial, commercial and agricultural
associations of Georgia.
savannah Negroes Turned Down.
The House Committee on Immigra-
ton met this afternoon and promptly