The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-01-26
NIGHT SESSIONS
ARE BEING HELD
General Laws Committee Gives
Attention to Insurance
Bills.
RICHMOND CHARTER CHANGES
They Arc Unanimously Reported
From the House Committee
Gossip.

1 Tho subject of insurance, both life and
fire, Is engaging the attention of the
House Committee on General Laws, and
| will keep tho members busy for some
! time.
The first public hearing was had last
night in the court room of the State Cor
poratlon Commission, and another session
| will BIO held tonight. In addition to the
members of the committee, there were
present the patrons of all the bills. mem
| bers Of both branches, and number OF
Interested parties and attorneys.
/ 1t was determined to take up the
/ Cation bill, creating bureau of insur-
| ance, first, and the Alexandria member
was heard at length in explanation
thereof. There seems to be little objec-
ton to this bill though 1t may be amend
cd In some respects. 1t is voluminous
4 document and consists of ninety-fve
printed pages.
1 The committee Will hear argument to-
I night at 8 o'clock on the measure Of
| fered by Mr. Martin Williams. OF Giles,
| to re-enact the Wharton anti-compact
| lazy. Many speeches are expected, both
| for and against the Williams bills. 1t
| VIII require number of sttings for the
| committee to dispose OF all tho pending
| Insurance measures.
/ The House Committee on Counties
| Cities and Towns yesterday unanimously
reported without amendment tho bills
offered by the local members amending
tn ccharter of the city in several partlc-
ulars. The committee heard argument on
the subject Wednesday night. and acted
yesterday in executive session.
| Tho Mann amendment and the only one
which was fought, was that allowing the
city to own, construct and operate
bridges.
| The Mayo Land and Bridge Company
sought to amend the proposition so as
| To protect their property. and put 1t
out of the power OF the city to parallel
the present Mayo Bridge.
| The bills will pass the House and will
no doubt go through the Senate without
much trouble.
| 1t Is believed that when the charter
shall have been amended. the city will
proceed to construct an up-to-datc bridge.
across the James near Fourteenth Street.
and that this action will greatly enhance
the prospects for annexation between
| Richmond and Manchester.
| Iloi'.t a. %. liiOTHllIt. OF hppOH3ttOS,
| has offered bill in-the House designed
to AFFORD tho people public school books
at lower prices.
| The gist of the measure can be gotten
from the. following extract from the bill:
| The said State Board of Education
| shall be empowered, and 1t is hereby
made their duty to enter into contract.
for a term of years not to exceed four,
with the publisher or publishers of school
books adopted for the Use of the pupils
] of the public schools of Virginia. upon
| the terms and conditions herewith set
forth; that the contract price to be paid
| for said looks shall be the lowest price
then granted by said publisher or pub
! fishers. or any dealer. State, county,
township. school district or individual
| In the United States. Tho publisher or
publishers to make q sworn affidavit of
this fact, which said sworn affidavit shall
| be put on file in the office of the super
| intendent of public instruction, Rich
mond. Va; and provide further that said
publisher or publishers of said books
shall make written guarantee to the
4 State Board of Education that any fur
Their reductions in the price of said books
during the life of said contract, made
anywhere to anyone, shall also be made
! to said State Board of Education"
| Il 10
Tho Floyd Camp Confederate Veterans.
has adopted the following memorial TO
| the Legislature on the subject of pen
] sions:
\ "First-In the opinion of this camp the
| restriction in the pension law of Virginia.
1 which prevents the widow of a Confed-
| crate soldier from receiving a pension un-
1 less she was married previous to the I'd
of May, 1866. to her deceased husband.
| Is unjust.
"second-That the Legislature of Vir-
ginia be respectfully urged and impor-
| tuned to take off said restriction entirely.
"Thrd--That If the Legislature is nm
willing to take off said restriction entire
! ~, that the time be extended for not less
| than five years. so that the widow of
/ Confederate soldier may receive a PEN
| sion If she was married to her deceased
| husband previous to the I'd day of May,
! 1871
Following is an extract from letter
4 from Professor w. FL. Kelster. principal
OF schools of Harrisonburg, to Delegate
| Eugene Ould on the subject of his anti
cigarette bill:
4 This habit leads to lying, cheating on
examinations, vulgarity, stealing and
every wrong that belongs to the category
| of wrongs.
/
boys. but any boy, no matter how small.
can buy cigarettes. The law is 'winked
at by nearly every one who sells them.
cigarettes are running more, boys to-
4 day in Virginia than all other things
( combined. 1t is awful to know to what
4 lengths little boys will go ~ get ciga-
/ rettes.
"'rhe only wayto stop the evil is 10 let
none come into the State. II you gel
this bill through, YOU deserve to DO
ranked as a great benefactor to the pun
ity and cleanliness of the boyhood In Vir-.
gnia. l am no crank. am no sensations
alst, but know whereof ] speak when
1t comes to the evil of the cigarette. Two
studied 1t here for twelve years, and 1t Is
beyond all question the greatest evil that
Young boys can be entlced into,
In the Senate yesterday the primary
4 hill which caused one of tho most spec
4 tacular fights in the last General AS
sensly aud promises to cause consid-
cradle stir at tho present session, was
| I,yl. ~ Nh,