The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-01
Is Little More Than Rev.
enue Measure as FL
nally Adopted.
ANOTHER KICK FOR
STATEN WIDE PLAN
House Finance Committee Re.
ports Bill Unfavorably as to
Financial Feature-Outlook
Bright for r., F. & P. Set
tlement - Commission
Plan Approved.


At the end OF long days work.
during which scores of votes were ta-
ken on as many amendments, the
Byrd liquor bill passed the House yes
terday by vote of 6T to i3. The
Speaker. who led the fight for his bin
on the floor OF the committee of tho
whole was uccessful at every point.
Not single amendment opposed BY
him was added TO the Dill. only once
was he defeated and then he secured
a recon onsIderation and a reversal OF
the former action.
The Byrd liquor bill is local op-
ton measure pure and simple. 1t Is
designed TO strengthen the existing
Byrd liquor law. and it's principal
feature is the elimination from the
State of the sale of the beverage
known as "near-beer." Licenses OF all
kinds are greatly increased. being
doubled in most instances. the aver
age is more than double.
AS the Speaker himself said, the
measure is not at all a radical one.
nor is there in 1T any wide divergence
from the existing statute.
Another Blow Mt stntc-Wide.
OF perhaps as much or more interest
than the consideration of the BYRD
bill was tho action of the House COM
uittee on Finance on the Myers state
wide prohibition bill. known as the
enabling act. After a short executive
session IN the afternoon, the commit
lee decided 10 report the bill with q
recommendation that IL do not pass.
AS forcasted in The Times-Dispatch
Yesterday. there was no disposition TO
smother the bill in committee. a MEM
her said after the meeting that the
vote stood 10 TO for the unfayoraole
report.
This action means that the commit I
tee says that II Is best for tlI~ iinaaciai u
interests of the State that the Dill!
.Yhould not be passed. II Is peculiarly
the duty Of this committee to be thos-
ourhly fanltar with the condition ot
10 treasury and to know what Viz
sinia can and cannot AFFORD to 90.
Tho financial side OF tho question
was the only one brought out in the
argument, which was presented fof
the bin by DR.. Myers, Senator STROBE
and Or. James Cannon. lr. The Dill
was opposed by f. q. Thoniasson and
samuel L. Kelley.
n, r. q p. outlook.
Highly satisfactory was the fepor'
OF the special Joint committee whlch
was delegated to examine into the
merger and reineorporation OF the
Richmond. fredericksburg and polo-
mac and correlated railroads. the
report, signed by the Governor ana the
other members OF the comh'!ttee' !" az
nresented to both Houses. II said
fbat to all appearances the road was
ready to surrender its charter and It's
snecia, privileges and be rid OF us
special burdens -,
with the report came two bills-one
nrcnared by the subcommittee, allow
inr the merger and reincorporation OF
tho road. and the other delaying the
oneration of the Cooke amendment tc
,he sunday railroad bill for SIX
months, TO give time for settlement
of the question. In the House the re
,,or, was unanimously agreed to. The
Senate referred the whole mater, 20
rether with the bills. to the Commit
fec on Roads and Internal Naviga-
tion.
The Joint resolution proposing ar
amendment TO the Constitution. which
Will in future years allow cities tc
adopt a commission form of govern
ment. was agreed to by the Senate
rhe House has pre- siously adopted the
resolution, and it now goes to the
Governor. Senator Hart opposed the
amendment, SAYING that this kind Of
government was not success. sena'
tor sale defended the measure
Bills Advanced.
Most OF the day in the Senate was
nut In at the uninterestins job of ad'
yanclng second reading bills TO thell
ene,rossment Many such measures
most OF them local or uncontested "a
were taken UP and disposed OF in thi:
way.
Several bills We're passed by th'
House during the morning hour, the
only one of general interest being tha'
recurring dentists to be graduates II
medicine and surgery. IT does no.
become operative for four years, ahs
consequently does not AFFECT any prac'
ticing dentists nor those now engaged
in the study of the profession who car
quality within the next four years.
1t was really the first day of actua
hard work in the House. That bod.
met at ii o'clock, and took UP tn
Byrd bill at 1890. At 2 o'clock re
G ass was taken until 4, when the bod,
again met. 1t was not until half f-pas
that final vote was reached' AM
the House adjourned.
Cider People Mon.
The earnest fight waged by the eide
interests was thoroughly effectual. an
no legislation aimed al the fruit IN
dustry will be in the BYRD bill. Fo
this the apple growers OF the PIED
mont section should be largely crate
ful to Mr. Ten,pleton, one Of the mem
bers from Augusta, who has worke
faithfully to protect their interests
The final amendments on this cues
tion as proposed by Mr.. Templeto
were accepted by Mr.. Byrd.
Dr. Dunn, a member from Albe
marie, also won In his effort to tax
care of the wine interests of his coun
ty. Things looked very shaky for hi,
and for them for time, but he stoo
by his guns, and what he wanted wa
Incorporated in the bill as llnall
passed. I.
Efforts We're made to change the sig
of towns in which LIQUOR can he sol
but they We're mavailing In III
present bill no town which has fewe
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