The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-04
TO APPROPRIATE
EIGHT MILLIONS
Conference Committee, Repre-
senting Both Houses, Fix
Amounts.
RAISE THE UNIVERSITY FEE
Compromise Reached at $50, In
stead Of S1o, As Fixed By
Senate.
RAISE THE UNIVERSITY FEE


After three hours of work. the confer
ence committees, representing the two
branches OF the Legislature, in the final
consideration OF the general appropriation
bill. disposng of between eight and nine
millions OF dollars for the ensuing two
years. reached practical agreement last
night, each side conceding as little as
possible and both apparently satisfied
with tho result of the evenings work.
1.-THE Senate never gets the small end
of the horn" said Mr. Wlckham, OF Han
over, chairman OF the Finance Commit
tee OF the Senate, smiling cheerfuly, but
otherwise uncommunlcatlve. in response
to a query as to how tile upper branch
Jared in the final skir,nish.
'Tt was draw" said Colonel Bowman.
of Salem, chairman OF the Finance Com
ing anything but worsted. 'tWc came out
about even. / think"
University Fee Again.
Most important of all the changes
made, as a result of the conference. was
the University of Virginia. The general
appropriation bill came from the House
carrying an annuity of $1,000. an Increase
OF s250p0, for the University OF Virginia
without conditions. In the Senate a
clause was added making the appropria-
ton conditional upon the reduction In
the university fee to $40. not including the
contingent fund of $40. Up to this time
the fee has been $40 not including the
contingent fund. The Senate amendment
was lone of contention in the con-
ference. The House chairman was OPP
posed to condition of any sort a
compromise was finally reached, fixing
the fee at $50. not including the contin-
gent fund.
In view of the fact that there was BIT
ter opposition among many senators to
Il fee of any sort and that Mr.. Strobe,
of Amherst. leader of the fight, rather
reluctantly accepted $40 as compromise,
declaring at the time that he considered
this $40 too much. the conference re-
port on this point may cause trouble for
the general appropriation bill. Mr..
Strobe was out of the city yesterday
and 1t could not be learned what atti-
tude he will take.
While they are usually accepted, con-
ference reports are not binding and they
have upon several occasions been re-
jected by the houses. creating the neces-
sity for two or more conferences. The
report must be accepted or rejected as
whole. 1t cannot be considered in its
parts.
II have two or three times seen con-
ference reports on the general appropria-
ton bill turned down. said Colonel Bow
man last night. discussing the matter
generally. ut is the whole report or
nothing. The changes are not considered
separately"
The Conference.
The Senate amendments to the House
bill were SO few that there will probably
be no trouble unless there comes some
difficulty over the University fee and the
attitude of the House committee may
effectively check any further movement
in this direction as being futile. The
difference between the two bills as they
went to the Conference Committee was
something under $4,000 for the two yearta
This included some necessary additions
the House had omitted to make, and
over which there was no contest.
In the conference last night. which
lasted until after IL o'clock, the Senate
amendments were forced down in several
minor respects, further reGucing the DIFF
ference. The House Committee agreed to
the increase In the salary of the judges
of the Supreme Court Of Appeals from
81. 600 to $4,000. and also allowed the $500
each for the three unsalaried members of
the Board of Fisheries. Objection was
made, however. to the additional $1,000
allowed by the Senate for public printing.
As compromise, this amount was cut
half in two. The appropriation. as fixed
by the House, was $4,000. was chanufd
by the Senate to $4,000. and is reduced
by the compromise to $4,000.
The committees will meet again to-
morrow morning to give the final touches
to the report, which will then be made to
both houses. The committee is composed
of Messrs. H. T. Wickhem. Echols and
Shackelford, from the Senate, and Messrs.
A. NJ. Bowman, Pitts and Byrd, from the
House. The bill will carry an aggregate
appropriation of about sS,400 900 for the
next two years, an increase OF more than
s1,00o.0o0 over the general appropriation
for the last two years.
The supplementary or omnibus appro-
priation BILL carrying special sums aggre-
eating about 100000. will be taken UP in
the House Tomorrow, and may be dis
posed of in a single sitting. It will then
run the gauntlet In the Senate, and thee
will probably follow another conference
over this special budget.