The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1910-02-03
BY J. n. STUART.

fight over the county unit extension
bill did not end when the bill was
referred to an unfavorable committee
In the senate 10 days ago. for the
friends Of the bill are still full of en-
ergy and propose to keep trying every
way to push the bill through. II has
been tacitly understood that the house
by considerable majority would vote
Tor the bill, so when the senate took
what was considered unfavorable ac.
ton on the measure, its friends in the
house planned a reprisal movement.
They began circulating a written
pledge amongst the representatives
stating that each member signing IL
would refuse to advance a single sen
ate bill In the house until a direct
vote was taken on the passage OF the
county unit bill in the senate. After
some dozen or more had signed it.
the promoters learned that such a
movement would lose the bill several
votes in the senate. so the matter
was dropped. The opponents Of the
/ bill now claim that IL It comes TO
vote in tAe senate a majority will
vote against It, but that can not be
proven till the vote is taken. though
It is known that the senate is very
evenly divided on the proposition.
The final result is being watched with
much interest all over the state.
Senator Burnam of Madison has in
troduced a bill intended to help de-
crease the dehcit in the general ex-
penditure fund in the state treasury.
His measure proposes to divide up
the revenue derived under the 80
cents on the 500 tax rate that is now
in force, a little different from its
present division. At present the
school fund gets 26 cents Of the so
cent tax, the general expenditure fund
gets 2ll5 cents, the sinking fund .
cents and the State university one
half a cent. He proposes to reduce
the school fund TO 24Ik cents. the
sinking fund to ~ cents and to in
crease the general expenditure fund
to 23h cents. leaving the State uni
versity just as it is now. He says
investigation shows that the Decent
rate allowed the school fund increas-
ed the per capita for school children
last year 10 over 81. and by reducing
the amount to 24iR cents, the per cap
tia will still be as much as 81 which
he thinks is amply sufficient. and will
at the same time increase the rev
enue that goes into the general ex-
penditure fund sufficiently to help
pay off much of the deficit. He says
further that as the state has practic-
ally no debt. there is no need TO keep
that rate at cents, since a 1ih-cent
rate will bring in enough revenue 10
meet in 20 years the $500 900 OF
bonds that may be authorized by this
legislature.
Governor Wilson has decided not .
to send all his advice to the legisla
ture al one time, but will give II to
them in broken doses. He sent In an
other part of his message Friday, the
larger part of which is taken up in
the tax question. lie in
iOrses the work done by the tax com
mission and urges that the necessary
amendment to the constitution be
made so that a new tax system may
be enacted. He recommends that the
state be allowed to collect taxes only
1n personal property, the county to
collect taxes only on the real estate
n the county outside the cities in
hat county and that the cities be al
owed to collect taxes only on the
'eal property inside the city limits
lie says it is too much of burden
low on city taxpayers TO pay state,
county and city taxes on the same
)iece of property. and to pay the
anne taxes on bonds and stocks takes
III the profit derived from that sort
# property, hence people who own
tocks and bonds perjure themselves
~ not listing them for taxation He
ndorses the bill which seeks to ere
tie a state tax commission.
He recommends that law he pass
d authorizing the performance of the
urgical operation of vasectonomy, to
'revent the bearing Of children by in
ane people and habitual criminals.
lie says the law as to inquests on
unatics is too loosely enforced and
ecommends that I'm each case two
physicians from a neighboring county
hould examine every one accused OF
eing crazy or a lunatic.
He says Architect Andrews recon-
lends that 100000 more be appro-
rated to complete the work Of deco
ating the new statehouse and beau
flying the grounds. He says there is
o hurry for some of the things the
rchitect recommends but says that
100000 ought 10 be provided by this {
legislature for the purposes mention
d and ais to pay for some more
md adjacent to the capitol.
He remi..ds the legislature that !
here is NJ use to make appropria- !