The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-18
WEEKS PROGRAM
IN THE LEGISLATURE
SERIOUS WORK is PROMISED.
.X MATTERS OF IMPORTANCE
ARE TO COME UP.

4ouSe-BilI BroNluhhB AoE IN EN-
.o,sion of the Western and At
tir TO the Sea-COast Is Also to
u. Considered-HaH to Reply to
,,,vson-FOrecast for the Senate.
Atlanta. July 17.-Many serious pro-
.;tiops confront the General Assem-
NV during this week. The House is
4, -be midst of the general tax act,
4ouoving which it has to consider sew
val measures of Importance which
,,,uet he acted on at this session. The
senate is confronted with three or
+onr measures of consequence, which
have been passed by the House, any
one Of which will stir up a warm dis
,ussion in that body. Altogether there
is in prospect one of the most inter-
setins and important weeks since the
present General Assembly began it's
session.
The question of taxing dispensaries
will. by no means. be out of the woods,
when the House has acted on 1t as
II will probably do on Monday. The
members of the Senate are already dis
cussng the dispensary matter, and
there are indications of wide differ
ences of opinion regarding the ques-
tion. Is the state entitled to receive
an income, call it taxes or whatever
else one will, from the city, town and
county dispensaries which have been
established in the dry counties of the
state?
owing to the doubt about the legal
itv of directly taxing them, because
of the Supreme Courts decision that
they are public property, the House
has decided to go about the matter
IN another way, and there is every
indication that when the matter comes
up tomorrow the amendment first pro-
posed by Mr.. Moses of CoWeta, and
afterwards by Mr.. Hall of Bib, to
demand from the dispensaries a per-
centage of their net income, is quite
likely TO be adopted. Mr.. Moses pro-
posed 10 per cent. and Mr.. Hall 5.
It is said that 5 per cent. on the net
income would yield the state a revenue
of anywhere from 81 900 to $4,000 from
each dispensary in the state. since
they are doing an annual business
which is variously estimated, according
to population. from $4,000 to 100000.
The members from the dispensary
counties are prepared to fight this pro-
position to the last ditch.
When the dispensary question has
been disposed of the rest of the gen
eral tax act will furnish comparative
" plain sailing. There are many
other sections to be disposed of. but
they are the same as were passed in
the last bill, and there is no partic-
ular reason for changing them. Out
side of a few minor amendments the
rest of the general tax act will prob
ably be adopted in short order. Never
theess. it will be sometime Tuesday
before the bill is entirely disposed Of
other Matters in the House.
Following the final disposition of the
general tax act several departmental
bills will have to be acted on. These
have been set for special order imne-
diately following the tax act. They
are such matters as the resolution per- |
hitting the Governor to borrow to the
extent of 100000 to supply casual de-
ticiencies, in case the necessity arises, |
the sinking fund bill, and several 9TH
ers of like character.
The next special order which has
precedence is the bill by Mr.. Knight of
Berrien providing for an extension of
the Western and Atlantic Railroad to
the seacoast. This bill was referred
to the Committee of the Whole, the
Western and Atlantic Committee haV-
ing failed to act on it. Mr.. Knights
bill proposes to use the states conVicts
for the purpose of doing the necessary
grading and other work incident to the
proposed extension of the road. This
measure has been given some serious
consideration, particularly in view of
the fact that competing lines are par
alleling the states road and its value
as an asset is threatened. It Is gen
orally recognized that the state will
nave to take some action in the mat
ter without much further delay, if it
wishes to preserve the value of this
property
Another bill, which is made the spe-
cial order following the general tax act,
is that by Mr.. Wooten of Montgomery,
to amend the constitution in the mat
Ter of succession to the governorship
IN case of the death or the disability of
the Governor. The present constitu-
non provides only for the president of
me Senate and then the Speaker of
the House to perform the duties of Gov
ernor In such cases. Since the time of
the meeting of the General Assembly
has been changed to June, there is a
period of about eight months during
Whlch there is neither a president Of
.4e Senate nor a Speaker of the House.
Mr. Wootens bill then fixes the success
SION upon the Secretary of State first.
lne Attorney General second, and then
the state treasurer, in the event va
Cancy should occur at a time when
Ihere is neither a president of the
senate nor a speaker of the House.
Ohder the present circumstances, such
d Constitutional amendment is regard
s1 as absolutely necessary and there is
ITO doubt about the passage of the bill.
following the foregoing the House
WIN be entertained by discussion of
lndt interesting measure providing for
rotation of the judges of the Supe-
i l9r courts from circuit to circuit This
~ glI was INTRODUCED by Mr.. Peyton of
ldoersham and has been made the
speClal order for Wednesday of this
SSeek such a plan was recommended
Wy me Georgia Bar Association at its
rceht meeting at Warm Springs and
many believe that IL will serve the best
NNlerests OF the people of the state.
.NeVertheless, there is strong opposi-
ION TO the measure and it will be
Fought to a finish.
Hall to Reply to Lawson,
The most interesting event before
aIy OF the House committees this week
u lromised on Tuesday afternoon when
s mou. Joe Hill Hall of Bibh. at the
Icing OF the House Committee on
appropriations, will reply to Hon.
t,uoinas 9. Lawson, vice chairman OF
ne BOARD Of trustees of the state san
lln' The members Of the commit
are stu talking about Judge Law
arraignment of the Hall investi-
Mig committee on last Thursday.
NHrn ne characterized as untrue ,,,a,,,.