The Savannah morning news., 1904-08-08
LEGISLATURE IN
THE HOME STRETCH
FOUR RUSH DAYS AHEAD.
MORE ACTUAL BUSINESS SLATED
THAN IN ENTIRE SESSION so FAR.


for To-Day-RefOrmatO Bill
Likely to Go Over-1OO Senate Bills
Not Considered BY HOuSe-Confer-
ence Looked for Common
School Fund and Australian Bal
lot Bills and the Bill Monday for
Tax Assessors.
Atlanta, Aug. THE General AS
sembly of 1904 is now in the home
stretch. and Thursday night it will
have reached the goal.
Between Monday morning and mid
night Thursday, or perhaps a little
later, if there are any disagreements
between the House and Senate, as
there are likely to be, it would not
perhaps, be exaggerating to say that
more actual business will be transact
ed than has been done during all of the
session that has gone before.
The Senate has declined to consider
any House bills that are passed after
Monday. The result is that the House
will devote all of Monday. perhaps far
into the night, to passing measures that
originated in that body
Bills For To-day.
The Steering Committee has already
mapped out the programme for that
day. 1t includes the bill to create the
office of state auditor. by Mr.. Hall
of Bibb, the appropriation of $29. 900
to aid in rebuilding science hall, the
building destroyed by fire at the state
university; the appropriation of $780,
900 to build a chemical laboratory for
the Tech the appropriation of $1,000
to build a hospital for the Georgia
Normal and Industrial College at Mill
edgeville; the appropriation of $500 to
purchase a portrait of Gen. John B.
Gordon for the state Capitol; the bill
to amend the fish laws so as to change
the time at which SEEMING shall be
prohibited to March 1 to June Is, the
spawning season, and in the afternoon
individual pension bills will be con-
sidered, there being enough of these
to occupy the time of the House for
at least two hours. The House will
do well if the measures named are
concluded, and yet there are many
others of less Importance on the cal
endar as fixed by the Steering Com
mittee.
The Steering Committee declined to
fix the state reformatory bill by Mr..
r
Monday. Another effort will be made
Monday morning to have the COM
mittee put this bill on the list, but
it is not likely that anything will be
done with it at this session because
it is a measure that will require con-
siderable discussion before it can be
passed.
Numerous Senate Bills.
There are perhaps 100 Senate bills
now on the House calendar to which
no consideration has yet been given.
The Senate has found no little fault
with the House for failing to act on
its measures, and to this is perhaps
due the statement that the Senate will
refuse to consider any House bills that
are passed by the House after Monday.
Many of the Senate bills are important
measures and some of them were re-
ported on by the House committees
weeks ago. The majority of them
have received favorable reports from
the committees, but how the House
can give consideration to all of them
is past understanding. 1t is always the
way, however. measures being allowed
to accumulate until the last moment
when many of them are put through
with a rush that gives little time for
proper consideration. These Senate
bills will have to be sifted out by the
Steering Committee just as has been
done in the case of the House bills, so
that it is likely the most important
and valuable measures will be acted
on.
The indications are now that there
will be many disagreements between
the House and Senate which will call
for the appointment of conference
committees in the closing hours. The
disagreement which will cause the
most discussion and perhaps the long
est delay will be on the common school
fund. The Senate will, undoubtedly,
cut the amount to $780, 00 the original
figures, with view to finally coming
to 100000 while there is no doubt
that the House will insist on its fig
ures $1,000,000. One body or the 9TH
er will have to give way, but 1t is
probably the House will not consent
to do so until it sees there is no pos
sible chance to get what it wants.
Fight on Ballot Bill.
Another disagreement is expected on
the Australian ballot bill. The Senate
has not changed this measure mater
tally from what it provided when it
passed the House, but it has added a
new section, providing that the law
shall not go into effect in any county
In the state until it has been voted on
and adopted by a majority of the voters
OF the county to be affected.
traian ballot bill may not be a very
serious one, there is another which is
going to cause great deal of talk,
and that is the bill providing for tax
assessors. The original bill as passed
by the House provided only for a
board of three assessors to assess such
corporation property as is now returned
10 the controller general. The Senate
mas not only changed the manner OF
appointment of these assessors, but
mas provided also that there shall be a
county board of assessors in each coun-
" OF the state to be appointed by the
boards of county commissioners. The
OBJECT of the Senate was to pass a law
winch would act on all classes of prop
erty alike and which would not be in
uanger of being declared unconstitu-
uonal The House wants the other bill,
~ is understood. and will try to bring
ing
These are few of the points which
conference committees will have to de-
termine, and the outcome in each case
VII he watched with a great deal OF
The indications are that the final ad-
yournment OF the General Assembly
VIII not take place until sometime aft
er midnight Thursday night.
WANT THEM TO STOP
nIfNtatO