The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-02-27
Bill for State Conmis-
 sion Amended.
MANY CHANGES ARE MADE
Administration Leaders Forced to
 Accept Alterations.
Proposed Law So Full of Defects that Substitute Has to Be Prepared Final Action Not
 Taken.

&b The House of Representatives does not take kindly to the Tax Commission bill Not content with the defeat of the bill Saturday, by close vote. and the reconsideration of it. even on the demand of the administration workers, and with the administration whip cracked until there was danger of wearing out the lash, accepted only on the condition that the bill should be gone over in detail by the Committee on Ways and Means. the recalcitrant members insisted on amendment after amendment to the measure as 1t was reported back iron, the hands of the committee.
 Many of these amendments were ac- cepted by the leaders of the adminis- tration forces on the measure, and oth- CTS were strenuously opposed Some were opposed strongly at first, the leaders later gracefully yielding the point as unimportant and immateriai. when 1t was seen that the House could not be prevented from adopting it.
 The committee amendments to the measure, which is known as House bill No 769, were so numerous that they were incorporated In a new bill. which was presented as substitute, in order that all the committee amendments might be voted upon at one time, fn- stead of requiring fifteen or twenty separate roll calls
 The bill was called up by Mir. John of Jefferson County during the after noon session. and amendments. many of them relating to comparatively mi- nor features of the bill, but all con- taining merit sucfiient to enlist the sympathy of the House. were 'immedi- ately presented by those who have been contending the measure was not in proper form.
 Mir Sample of Morgan County and Mir. Lee of Houston, two members Of the Ways and Means Committee, who had been voted down in committee meeting, presented many of the amend ments, the same or practically the same as those turned down in committee. end the House adopted them one af- tar another.
 Appeals to Circuit Court.
 As soon as the committee substitute had been read. Mir. Tunstall of Hale offered an amendment providing that appeals from decisions of the State Tax Commission might he made to the Circuit Court. of Montgomery County. fn cases where the property in ques- tIon was in more than one county It was promptly adopted.
 MT Lee of Houston offered an amend ment, which was likewise adopted. making appeals from decisions by the Commission "sct as supersedas.
 Mr. Sample of Morgan proposed 10 allow pay to not more than live Wit nesses for the property owner, in case he should be successful in his litiga- sfon before the Commission. This was rdopted.
 The same course was followed with an Mamendment by Mir. Foster of Tus- Aaioosa to relieve bankers from the ne- eessity of telling the Commission how much his depositors have in the bank.
 Mir Sample of Morgan proposed to strike out the provision in the bill mak- ing the Governor give his consent to the appointment of county tax commits sioners, and giving niIn authority to remove the county commissioners
 Mir. Sample argued for his amend ment. MT. Maper of Montgomery op- posed it. and moved to lay 1t on the table, which was done.
 Another amendment by MT. Sample proposed to prohibit the State Tax Commission from raising an assess ment after it had once been raised. during the same year by county tax commission. thus forcing the property owner to a second trial in a short time.
 Hill Aims at "Bears."
 Mir Long of Butler opposed the mo- tion. saving the bill was aimed at bears, nc at sparrows, and the com mon sense of members would tell them no second raise was contemplated against any small farmers.
 'Who are the bears you are aiming at?" asked MT. Pitts of Dallas.
 "They are the trusts and the big cor porations which own the greater part of the property. and do not pay their fair share of the taxes" responded MT. Long.
 With the amendment still undsposed of Mir Haley of Jefferson called attcn- tion to the fact that it was 5:45 o'clock, and there would he serious difficulty in getting q quorum for the next session, If adjournment were not taken al once.