The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-07-15
H0IISE GOES FOR
PATENT MEDICINES
m ALL CONTAINING ALCOHOL
DEALERS MAY HAVE TO PAY
A NEW TAX OF 800.

mn Pass BiII-GrOss, of McDufHe
co,,Dtv. says if Man Is Going to
mink Liquor Let Him Drink
1iouor and Not Authorizations Sold
Nedicines-Further Changes in
lo,oraI Tax Bill May BE Made To-
day.
Atlanta. July 14.-The House of Rep
...on+atives took a new tack to-day,
md went into the taxing business.
THE general tax act was taken up for
o,nsideration and many amendments
,,ara offered. Among the most inter-
es,ine of these adopted were one put
+ng a tax of 500 on patent medicines
,ybich produce intoxication. and one
rutting an ad valorem tax on the prop
ertv of city. town and county dispen-
s4ries.
The first section of the act which linn
its the tax rate for 1905 to Ats mills,
exclusive of the sinking fund, was
adopted. Last year the limit was
mills. This will limit the tax rate
next year to a total of five mills, in
Guiding the sinking fund. This is the
limit fixed by the constitutional
amendment which has not yet been
passed on by the people. Mr.. Adams
of Putnam offered the amendment put
ting an ad valorem tax on all the dis
pensaries in the state. this applying
both to the buildings used, and the
stocks of liquors carried.
Hall Made Objection.
Mr.. Hall objected to the amendment
on the ground that the Supreme Court
had decided that the state could not
tax dispensares. Mr.. Reid of Camp
bell, chairman of the Ways and Means
Committee, explained that the decision
was not that the state could not tax
dispensaries, but simply that it had
made no provision for so doing. The
amendment was then adopted.
This ed valorem tax is in addition to
a specific tax of 5000, the same as is
paid by all liquor dealers. After this
amendment had been adopted. an
other amendment by Mr.. Moses OF
Coweta, to require dispensaries to pay
TO the state 10 per cent of the net
profits, was defeated.
Let Men Drink Liquor.
Mr.. Gross of McDuffie offered the
amendment with regard to patent
medicines. When the section putting
tax of 500 on all dealers in white
hops, or similar beverages, which are
substitutes for beers, was reached, Mr..
Gross proposed to add at the end of
the section, "or sO-called medicines.
If a man is going to drink liquor,
Mr.. Gross said, 'let him drink liquor,
and not these authorizations which are
sold as patent medicines"
He mentioned the name of one med-
cine which is extensively advertised,
and on which he said many people in
his section had gotten drunk. The
House adopted the amendment, and all
dealers in patent medicines which con-
tain alcohol will have to pay the $10U
tax, unless the Senate knocks out this
amendment.
These were the only important
changes made in the general tax bill
to-day. Consideration of it will be re-
sumed tomorrow, and it is expected it
will then be completed.
Second Dispensary Bill.
Quite a stir was raised in the House
over a local dispensary bill early in
the session. The bill was introduced
by Mr.. Bush of Miller at the request
OF Mr.. Buchanan of EARLY and pro-
posed to provide for the establishment
Of a liquor dispensary at Arlington,
In Calhoun county. Mr.. Stewart of
Calhoun said his people were opposed
to the bill as they did not want a
dispensary. During a speech against
the bill Mr.. Steed of Carroll, MIR.
Buchanan of Early remarked in his
seat that Mr.. Steed had made mis-
statements about the matter. AIR.
Steed characterized such a statement
as false and things looked squally for
minute. The speaker, however,
managed to preserve order.
To Change school Laws.
Among the new bills introduced was
one by Mr.. Holder of Jackson, pro-
vlding for a revision of the common
school laws of the state. This bill
comes from a special committee APP
pointed at the last session of the Leg
stature.
1t provides for several changes in
Inc school laws as they stand at pres
ent. The state school commissioner
Is TO be known as the state superin-
lendent of public instruction, county
school boards are to be given the
night of eminent domain in locating
School houses, each county is to be
school district to itself, thus doing
away with separately incorporated
school districts, and all the schools
OF country are to be under one
board.
The school year is to be eight months
beginning Jan. 1, teachers institutes
are to be optional with the state SUI
perintendent; it is made a misdemea-
nor to counterfeit any school certifi-
cate or to procure or circulate the
questions for teachers examinations be-
lore the examinations are held.
Mr.. Dunbar of Richmond introduced
resolution providing for a commits
SION to investigate how the proposed
elght new counties should be estab-
Hshed and report to the next session
OF the Legislature.