Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-20
HOUSE ASKS FOR
TAX CONFERENCE
After Holly Contested Fight,
House Adopts Resolution for
Conference to Better Tax Laws
Of the State.

For a tax conference to be held some
where In Georgia on call of the governor
not later than December Is, to be COM
posed OF county representatives from each
county named by the grand turies. the
lower house OF the legislature declared
Hseif Friday morning after hard and
bitter fight kept up from every vantage
point during nearly two hours by the op-
posing minority. The resolution requests
the governor TO call such conference
which viii study the tax laws Of Geor-
LA and try 10 arrive al some conclusions
for lettering them, for making them more
equahie.
This. with the unsuccessful fight insti-
gated BY Mr.. Reese OF Glynn 20 reconsider
the houses action In passing the Johnson
bfil Thursday. providing that foreign In
aurance companies shall hold their litiga-
ton In the courts OF the state. took up
practically the whole OF Fridays session.
That the majority Of the entire house
IL not willing that the MISREPRESENTATION
bnl OF Mr.. Brown OF Fulton. defeated at
Thursdays session. shall be inferred and
forgotten. was evidenced by its action,
Friday. at the instance Of Mr.. Hardeman
OF jefferson. IN reconsidering the defeat-
Cd bin and re-committing II TO the COM
mittee on hygiene and sanitation
Mr. Reese Of Glynn, fought to have the
house reconsider its action Of Thursday
In passing the johnson (Of Bartow) In.
w1rance bill by substitute. putting foreign
Insurance companies doing business IN
Georgia on a parity with home compa-
utes BY holding their voluntary and In
voluntary litigation to the state courts
and providing revocation OF their state
license for two or more years for nom
compliance with the law. Mr.. Reese ar
wued that the law was aimed against con-
sfftutionaI rights He was frequently
chaIlenged-
HALL REFUTES ARGUMENTS
Mr.. Hall OF Bib. refuted the argument
Of unconstitutionality, and opposed re-
consideration. This don't take away any
constitutional rights from these foreign
insurance companies. II they want TO
do business In Georgia, they have got TO
subject themselves TO the laws OF the
state That's not unfair This is one
Of the best bills we've ever had
Mr.. Anderson Of Chatham. commended for
reconsideration Il know the Vaiue OF
states rights" he said. land / believe
n those rights. The tendency. however.
is toward the Capitalization of corpora
tons at Washington. under the national
government where we cannot touch them
ne trouble with this bill is that II we
take steps In that direction. we are play
fur into the hands OF the very people
Ne want 20 tight
TIE Reese motion TO reconsider the
johnson bill was lost by vote Of q to "a
number OF new bills were introduced,
Rad and committed. Reports Of several
committees were submitted and some
minor bills were passed
The report Of the committee on rules,
Recommending some radical changes In
the rules of the house, taken up at this
3uncture. was not read. Mr. Hail of Bibb
Taar-1 n
the members Of the house had found OPP
portunity 70 familiarize themselves with
the report he said. A motion by Mr..
Han 20 postpone consideration Of the re-
port TN Monday and In the meantime TO
have 90 copies Of IL printed for the in
Formation OF the house members. was
adopted BY q vote OF 81 to s..
The house took up the Joint resolution
By Mr. Anderson of Chatham. providing
for the appointment of a commission OF
ave members from the house and three
from the senate, which should sit in the
interim between now and December Is
and devise plan whereby such amend
menss may be made 20 the states TAX
laws as win insure more eouabIe taxation
~ all classes OF property In Georgia
TAX CONFERENCE.
With the resolution came up a substitute
BY Mr.. Hardman Of Jackson, to provide
Instead that the governor shall call tax
conference. naming the delegates. TO meet
place undetermined not later than De-
cember Is. to consider the same subject.
A committee amendment TO the Ander-
son resolution provided that the commits
sion should not sit longer than thirty
days
An amendment by Messrs. Brown Of
Murray and Stoyall Of Ebert, to the
Hartman substitute provided that a del
egate 10 the conference. and an alternate,
shall be named by the grand jury of each
county In the state. these delegates to
constitute the conference.
The Brown and Stoyall amendment was
adopted The Hardman substitute, so
amended. was adopted by a vote OF 70
Before the vote could be taken. Mr.
Anderson OF Chatham moved to table the
resolution, The speaker ruled him out
OF order. He moved to reconsider She
motion was lost. He made the point
and the speakers announcement sustained
Il. that no quorum had voted. Another
ballot had to be taken. On the passage
Of the resolution by substitute, again nc
quorum voted Mr.. Anderson of Chat
ham asked unanimous consent to table
the resolution. There was a storm of OBJ
lection Mr.. Hall Of Bib, called for the
ayes and nays. The CAL was sustained.
Mr. Hartman OF Jackson, asked to have
the pages SEM out In the corridors to
call al stray members in. The vote
On the passage Of the resolution by SUBJ
etitute was lo3 ayes and 81 nays.
VOTES EXPLAINED.
Mr.. Alexander OF Fulton. explained his
aye vote. He read an extract from a
report OF the attorney general. showing
that our tax methods and machinery are
anti1uated by more than a hundred years
and as the returns are voluntary the