The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-02-07
SEElATE

Inc Senate was called to order
promptly At II o'clock, Lieutenant
session opened with prayer by the Rev.
Or. 7. McFaden. OF the First Pres
byterian Church.
Comparatively few bills We're report
ed. the most important among them
being one to establish a State female
normal school, and recommending Har-
risonburg as the location. The bill
was referred to the Finance Commit
Another important bill reported ia
vorably was Delegate Bells "unwrit-
ten law" measure, which came up from
the COMMITTEES for Courts OF Justice. !.
was also small. Senator Parson Of
fered one which seeks to remove all
tax from persons keeping boarding
houses, devoted exclusively to perma-
the charter of Lynchburg amended SO
that 3 per cent. per annum of the city's
revenue may be set aside for the re-
5tirement Of the water bonds.
Question of Taxation.
It did not take the Senate long to
pass few House bills which had
reached their third reading. and to
proceed with the special and continu-
(; Ing order set for 1890 o'clock, and re-
lating to system by which taxable
property of public service corporations
may be segregated for purposes of
State taxation.
Senator Strobe took the floor and
spoke in opposition to the passage OF
the Lassiter Joint resolution. He said
not adequate to meet the situation. at
present there lsEvery little system In
the mode of taxation. and such as the
State now has Is cumbersome and a
lvised. All the defects Of the present
system. he declared, were not met by
| the resolution Of the Senator from Pc
ltersburg.
In the opinion OF Mr. STROBE. the
General Assembly. which has now used
j people of Virginia. Up to this time
Fit has not put upon the statute books
/ a single law of general interest to tile
State. Too much time has been given
/ he declared. to special matters and not
| ance.
The Legislature had not yet dealt
| with the tax question. and could not
| deal with 1t In the thirty days left,
be by select committee, composed
! of members of the two houses. In
view Of these conditions he moved that
/ the whole question be referred to the
! Finance Committee for further con-
| sideration.
Senator Strobe severely criticized the
methods of the Corporation Commission
| In regard to the tax va4uation placed
upon railroad property, which, he said
! Is in no case assessed at more than
I $4,000 per mile. while the roads from
/ their own reports show that they arc
earning G per cent. are close to 500, O0C
/ per mile. This, he said, indicates thai
TIL, railroads are not paying thei,
share OF taxes to support the State
and the .Lassiter resolution did not
hold out any hope that they would be
ultimately required to do so.
Committee Oyer>yhc lined.
Senator Lassiter opposed this mo.
ton, saying that the Finance Commit.
tee is now SO compile tely overwhelming
with bills for consideration that II
the resolution is referred, !. there will
Ibe no action on the question this ses.
sion. Senator Walker favored refer.
ring Of the bill to committee gain
iSenators Sale said that the Finance
4 Committee Is now considering bill
introduced by himself and one by Sen.
|ator Strobe along the same line. anc
he wanted to know II It would be
3I'agreeable to Senator Lassiter to pas.
A his resolution bySuntil the committee
/ had reported on the two bills now
before it. 1tfwas fnnllyiagreed to lei
i the matter so over until Friday, Feb.
/ fuary {14th at 2 o'clock. s3s SIS
r., II. * II. Repeal Bill.
"a The hour set for the further hearing
3fof arguments on he Sims Richmond
i Fredericksburg and Potomac repeal
4 act had passed when the Lassi ter4reso.
3IlutionS&wN disposed Of, and Senator
4 tIalseysused the remainder OF the8tim