The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-08-01
TEN DAYS OF SUM-
MEU SESSION LEFT
BUSY ONES FOR LEGISLATORS
APPROPRIATION BILL WILL TAKE
TWO DAYS YET.

DOrtuu1ty-lhe uOusc ANCttS
Evenly Divided on This Feature.
rho Anti-Bon WeeviI Bill TO BE
strongly Urged.
Atlanta, July 31.-With but ten
more working days Of the session re-
manning. the General Assembly still
has much to accomplish, and the out
look for many general bills, all pet
measures of their authors, is gloomier
than ever.
At least two more days of the time
of the House will be consumed in con-
sideration of the general appropria-
tions bill. There is a good deal of
oratory yet to be heard on the question
of appropriations to the common
schools, though indications are that it
Ia extremely doubtful if it will result
in anything being added to the school
appropriation. So far there have been
about as many speeches against as in
favor of increasing this fund, and the
House seems rather evenly divided.
Committees Report Sustained.
Up to the present time, however, the
committee report has been sustained
in every particular. No appropriation
recommended by the committee has
been reduced, nor has any been in
creased. The committee has left the
common school fund, or rather that
portion of it to be raised by direct
taxation, at 100000, the same as the
schools have received for the last four
- ,,,rl, oh. 1;,.Y,, Inn
Charles L. Davis of Meriwether, has
presented figures to show that the
school fund from all sources for 1905,
as the result of a large increase in the
receipts from convicts, will be more
than $4,000 larger than ever before.
Now the counties which took convicts
for work on their public roads instead
of a share in the proceeds from con-
victs for public schools. are, In many
instances, anxious to overcome this
loss to their school funds. and some
of these are loud in demanding an in
crease. Those who oppose appropria-
lions for almost every other purpose
are strongest in advocating an increase
in this fund, and most of them want
to make it $1,000,000
The flow of oratory will be resumed
when the House takes up the bill again
tomorrow morning, and strong appeals
will be made to the sentiment of the
members in behalf of the school chill
dren of the state. Perhaps more inter-
est centers in the action of the General
Assembly on this subject than on any
other in the general appropriations bill.
The outcome of the fight that is still
waging in that body. therefore, will be
watched with a great deal Of interest.
Fight BY MIR. Hall.
The only other feature of the gen
eral appropriation bill which is ex-
pected to bring forth any extended dis
cussion is that relating to the State
Agricultural Department. There is a
law which requires that $4,000 be APP
propriated annually to this depart
ment for maintenance and expenses.
Mr.. Hall of Bibb will not fight this
appropriation because he realizes that
the law requires that it be made, but
he will seek to have the law so
amended as to make it practically use
less to the department. Mr.. Hall holds
that the Agricultural Department by
law is entitled to only one clerk, at a
salary of 1920 a year. The depart
ment HAS force of four or five clerks
including the assistant commissioner OF
agriculture, whose salaries are paid
out of this maintenance fund. All OF
these employees are retained Illegally
Mr.. Hall says and while he realizes
that more than one clerk is needed ia
the department, he wants them all
cut off until a law is passed authoriz-
ing the employment of extra clerks
The Attorney General and others dis
agree with MIR. Hail. holding that the
$4,000 is appropriated to pay the neces-
sdry expenses of the department, and
that a sufficient force of clerks to con-
duct the business of the department is
one of the necessary expenses. II
;o Hhancp will
be made in the status of the appro-
priation.
The Anti-BOlI WeeviI Bill.
Following action on the general ap-
preparations bill, there is an important
special order to be considered by the
House, known as the anti-boll weevii
bill. This bill, which contains provis-
ions looking to keeping the Mexican
boil weevil out of Georgia. has re-
ceived a unanimously favorable re-
port from the House Committee on
General Agriculture, and its passage
will be strongly urged in the House
It provides for an increase from S5,-
900 to $4,000 in the appropriation made
to the State Department of Entomolo-
gy, with the particular object in view
Of keeping the boil weevil out OF
Georgia. Stringent laws are provided
for, looking to keeping out of the state
territory through which the pest would
be likely to be introduced into this
state. Provisions are also made for q
fight upon other fruit and plant pests
from which Georgia suffers to the ex-
tent of millions of dollars annually
1t is generally believed this measure
will be passed by the House.
In the senate.
Another quiet week is looked for ir
the Senate. All of the fuss and feath-
ers seem to be found in the House al
this session. The most exciting event
that is promised in the Senate this
week is the consideration of the Aus
tralian ballot bill, which is the special
order for Tuesday morning. II is gen.
orally believed that the Senate VIII
not pass this measure without making
some radical change I'm IL as II came
from the House. The committee has
reported II back to the Senate by sub.
stitute, and so far as the Australian
ballot is concerned the substitute
might better be called a subterfuge. II
is nothing more than a bill to make
II a misdemeanor to buy or sell a vote
in primary election, with several new
features pertaining to that crime look.
ing 10 making conviction more certain
The substitute will be urged by those
who do not want the Australian bal
lot bill in any shape. on the other
hand, there will be many who will
vote for the Australian ballot in some
modified form, probably making II APP
ply only TO primary elections. This
would eliminate such objections to tbs
measure as are raised by the South