The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-12-13
MANY MATTERS UP
TO LEGISLATURE
Georgia Body Has Big Lot of
Unfinished Business
TAX INCOME AMENDMENT
Y
Game Protection Bill May Have Rough
SaiIing-BienniaI Sessions Not I'm
probable-Removal of Rail-
road Commissioners.
TAX INCOME AMENDMENT

Atlanta, December 12-(Special. )-Calen-
| dars of the unfinished business of the
house and senate. Georgia legislature,
which have been furnished to the mem
bers by Clerk John T. Boifeuillet and
| Secretary c. S. Northen, indicate In a
| measure what legislation stands the best
chance of getting through at the next
| session.
One of the most interesting matters
upon which the general assembly will
have to act is the question of ratification
| of the proposed amendment to the con-
stitution of the United States authorizing
| Congress to levy a tax upon incomes. 1t
will be recalled what a rocky career this
amendment had in the state senate at the
close of the 1909 session, and further that
1t was not touched in the house. The res
olution by Senator Perry, proposing rau.
ication. came up several times, but al
ways was sidetracked. and the senate
failed to commit itself on the direct
proposition.
Next summer it will have to act one
way or the other, and SO will the house.
Just what will be the fate of it is a ques-
ton But the attitude of the senate
when it was up was indicative of the
fact that it may have some trouble ahead
of it yet, so far as that body 10 CON-
cerned. Some of the senators seemed to
think the states ought to retain this priv
nege of taxing incomes, while 1t Is the
contention of Senator Perry and others
favoring ratification that 1t is imprac-
ticable for the state to exercise such
power.
There are several important measures.
however, which passed either one or the
other of the houses and are now pending
for final passage When bill gets
through the house It does not always
mean that 1t will go through the other by
any means. but 1t is natural Of course
that those which run one gauntlet stand
the best chance of getting safely by the
other.
There 10 the game protection bill, for
instance. which had comparatively little
| trouble in getting through the senate. but
which Is meeting all sorts of opposition
from certain members of the house. 1t
| was tabled In the house when 1t came up
| for passage.
The friends of the measure, Georgia
| sportsmen and others feel confident, how
ever. that 1t will finally succeed- They
are at work now with that end in view
and propose to urge the importance Of
| it upon every member of the lower house.
| There Is little protection Of game in
Georgia nowadays, chiefly because the
laws of the state on the subject lack the
machinery to enforce them.
Regarding Judges Salaries.
| Among the bills which have passed the
house and are pending in the senate 10
one Ito tx the salaries of the judges OF
| the court of appeals" Curiously enough,
this bill, as 1t passed the house. f1xes
the salaries of the appellate court judges
at precisely the amount they are now re-
ceiving-s4Ooo year. The opponents Of
an increase in the house didn't catch on
to the little manipulation Of the friends
| of the bill. Thay passed 1t through with
| out any increase in the salaries. counting
| on the senate to amend 1t by putting
up the figures at least to 5000; then when
have to do to enact it is to get a ma
jority Of a quorum to agree to the sem
ate amendment, instead Of securing the
| constitutional majority, which Is 90 votes
| 1t will be Interesting to watch the pro-
gress Of this bill In view Of the we'll
| known opposition in the house to salary
| increases In the present state Of the
treasury. If the court Of appeals judges
| should get salary increases. 1t will, Of
| course, be up to the legislature to in
crease the salaries Of the justices of the
supreme court by an equal amount The
| Judges of both courts are now paid the
same salaries.
| Other important general bills which
have passed the house and are pending
| for action in the senate Mr.. McMichael's
| bill to require that all cotton seed meal
| shall be branded according to grade; the
| bill by Mr.. Hill Of Bib. to create the
| office Of state auditor of accounts to
which the senate seems disposed to enter
| little opposition; bill by Mr.. HUE of
| Clayton to prohibit the misbranding Of
| agricultural seeds and tho bill by Mr..
McMahan of Clarke, appropriating $780,
| 900 to pay additional pensions to veterans
| of the civil war under the service pen
| sion amendment to the state constitu-
| ton. Strong effort was made to get the
| latter measure through at the last ses-
sion. but owing to the depleted condition
| of the treasury the appropriation commit
tee of the senate held 1t back until it
was too late to get 1t through. Should
| It be enacted this bill will run Georgia s
| annual pension budget UP to 81, 10000.
Biennial Sessions.
Besides the game protection bill, there
are several important senate measures
pending in the house for passage which,
| with the governors signature. would
make them laws Most prominent among
these Is the biennial sessions bill, in be-
half of which Senator Slater OF the
| First conducted such a successful fight
In the senate, getting 1t through by a
bare constitutional majority, two
] thirds vote being required. as it is a con-
| stitutional amendment. In the house 1t
must get 12s votes out of 1S4, and while
| its friends claim there is every prospect
| for its success, 1t 81 going to provoke one
| of the most stubborn fights of the next
session.
OTHER bills which have passed the sem
| ate and are awaiting action by the house
| include Senator McWilliams' m easure to
| allow county boards of education to bor-
row money to pay the salaries OF public
| school teachers when they are due; bill
| by Senator McCurry, making It misde-
meanor to obtain food or lodging at any
hotel or boarding house with intent to
defraud the proprietor; bill by Sena-
tors King and Calhoun, to require rail-
roads to properly disinfect passenger
coaches; bill by Senator Price to Gre
ate the office Of state veterinaries; piil