The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-09-18
HOUSE MoRN1rNo SESSION.
Bill to Refund Taxes Illegally Paid
 Was Passed,

 The House proceedings were opened yes- terday morning with prayer by Rev. Neal L. Anderson of the Central Presbyterian Church of Montgomery. There were Sl members present.
 House bill 726, authorizing courts of county commissioners and the State Au- ditor, upon proper certificate and proof, to refund taxes paid, but which were not legally due, was called up. The bill was passed and sent to the Senate without en- grossment.
 Representative Handley of Randolph se- cured unanimous consent to call up his bill regulating and prescribing the com pensation of members of courts of county commissioners and boards of revenue. An amendment to the bill provided that it should repeal no local law relative to county commissioners.
 The bill fixed the pay of County com- missioners at 8 instead of $25O a day.
 MT. Goldsmith of Lowndes opposed the bill. It was the same old cry, he said, of increase in salaries. The Legislature had heard 1t, he said, since it first convened. The Legislature had gone far enough, he said, in raising salaries. Having raised the salaries of the State officials in the capitol it was now proposed, he said. to go out in the counties and raise salaries. MT. Handley said that he had found
 
 for vacancy in the court of county com missioners of Randolph County. He had been asked to recommend a man for the vacancy, but he had been four months in securing a suitable person a number of others having refused 1t. They could not afford he said. to ride to Wedowee and pay all expenses on $2.5O a day. The Commissioners in his County, he said, had not made more than 80 a year. "a AF l.. measure. In his County they had no dif- fculty in securing men for the Court of county Commissioners at $2.50 a day. mere was no lack of applicants he said. Tn most Of the counties the Commission CTS had found out how to prolong their slttlngs' In some of the counties, he said, mem mem pers Of the court received $500 and $6oO instead of 80 year.
 MT. Byrne of Baldwin cordially en- uorsed the Dill. Conditions in his County, ne saio' were similar to those in Randolph Courty.
 MT. Kelly of Choctaw supported the hill on the floor.
 The bill was passed. ayes 4s nays. S. mortgage Tax Repeal. MT Goldsmith of Lowndes asked unani- nous consent 10 call up his bill repeating the special mortgage tax, but obtectIon was entered. He then moved a suspen. SiOIl OL LiIC Tulcs' IUe Dlll on the calendar was accompanied by a substitute nrenared by the Committee on Ways and Means The substitute embodied the present sec. ton of the revenue code relative to ths tax on solvent credits. changing only the tax on mortgages of less than $1O4 makina 1t 30 cents instead of I5 cents | MT. Goldsmith argued at length in sun. port of his bill.
 .Mr. Benners of Jefferson explained the work of the Committee in passing upon the mortgage tax feature and upon the Goldsmith bill repeating 1t. He explained the results of the tax and their bearing upon the States revenues.
 Mir Simpson of Lauderdale. Chairman of the Committee on Ways and Means, SUD- ported the Committees substitute. He declared that it brought to the States ] treasury a much larger revenue than the | old tax.
 | MT. Lusk of Marshall took the position that the mortgage tax was unfair and un- just It was drawn, he said. in the in- terest of the man with money to loan and against the man whose only property was land.
 The discussion of the bill was suspended to receive and pass upon Senate mes sage. In the Senate message was included an amendment to the Goodwin vagrancy bill. The amendment declared prostitutes z-, pn~.