The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-17
DISCUSS OYSTERS
AND PROHIBITION.
L liquor Takes Front
Rank With Bivalves
in Legislature.
NONRESIDENT
CAN'T GET PLACE
House Adopts Lane Bill Requir-
ing School Superintendent to
Live in District Where
Elected-Corporation Com
mission Criticized in
Senate.

Prohibition as prelude and oysters
as a postlude were the leading features
| Of the bill presented on the legislative
| stage yesterday, eclipsing the main
| play entirely. Committee hearings on
| these two important subjects consumed
| parently oysters have been shucked
out. but prohibition will play return
engagement tonight.
Not that the sessions of the houses
| OF the Legislature were lacking in in
| terest, although here, as before COM
mittees oratory took the place of work
to large extent.
| To the surprise of many of the
| members OF the House, that body
| passed by large majority the Love
| Dill declaring nonresident of a
| school division ineligible for the office
| of superintendent The vote was pre-
| ceded by debate which consumed
most of the session. The argument
| that the bill gould accomplish no re-
suit whatever. since 1t does not affect
those superintendents recently elected
| for term OF four vars, and the next
| Legislature could repeal the bill If II
1 wished to do so. had not the least
| effect. There seemed to be a feeling
| that whether the bill was a nullity or
| not rebuke was needed.
\ Vote Surprising.
| Leaders In the House divided on the
| question in an entirely unexpected
| way, and. while perhaps the majority
of those who are credited with the
most influence voted no, 1t cannot be
denied that some who are known to
be conservative in thought and In
action followed the lead of Mr.. Love
in voting for the measure,
The bill now goes TO the Senate.
where it is presumed another fight
awaits IL.
! The House won its long battle
against spending money from county
treasures for the payment of land
i assessors the Senate agreeing 20 the
/ proposition. which leaves the matter
optional with county supervisors. The
two houses also got together on the
| number of freeholders necessars. on
(. petition calling a county election to
decide on the issuance of county bonds
for road improvements.
Official Work.
In joint session. the Senate and
House confirmed the appointment of
j. Richard Wingfield to be member
of the State Corporation Commission,
while In separate sessions, on a joint
order, civil justices We're elected for
the cities of Richmond and Nor
folk, the only places where this
sort OF court Is maintained. WIZ
liam NJ. Turpin, for Richmond. and
James u. Goode for Norfolk were
chosen without opposition.
/ The Senate consumed its session in
argument on the committee substitute
! for the King tax commission bill and
upon the Holland amendments. No
vote was reached. Senator Holland
advocated his change. which provides
that the commission shall be composed
of the Governor, the chairman of the
State Corporation Commission and a
tax expert. Senator'S Keezell, King
and Strobe opposed this feature. Sem
ator Sims said that the expert, If one
is chosen. should be paid a sufficient
sum to insure the services of compe-
tent man.
i Gets After Commission.
An exceedingly interesting feature OF
1he discussion was the criticism of the
official acts of the Corporation Commits
sion by Senator Keezell and in a milGer
manner by Senator Strobe. The Sena.
tor from Rockingham and chairman OF
Il the Finance Committee did not mince
: words. EIe disclaimed any personal
structures, but said that officially the
commission had shown far more pref
4 erence to the corporations of the State
than 1t has to the public For this
!. reason he aid not want tho chairman
4 of the commission to be member OF
the body to revise the tax system ot
i Virginia.
! Before the House Committee on the
4 Chesapeake and Its Tributaries in the
afternoon and the Senate Committee
on Fish and Game at night, people from
Tidewater came in large numbers tc
protest against the Byrd Wickham bill
I, providing for Strengthening the lines
of the Baylor oyster survey in the
James River. When the afternoon ses.
sion ended it appeared that the debate
was at an end, and Chairman Lee. OF
the State Commission of Fisheries. who
Z had not spoken except to ask and an
sWer questions, announced that he was
, ready to submit his case and to have
!. the committee go at once into eNccu-
tive session.
Mistakes in Survey.
. One of the witnesses introduced by
the opposition said that the recent sur
vey made by DIR. Moore, of the United
States government had not been effect
| ually conducted so far as the mud bot
, toms were concerned, but that in fact
the places where obstructions had been
Afound had been In large part passed
over befo@e the buoys had been dropped
in the water. There is no question that
many Of the oystermen, although adj
mitting that Mr.. Leo's official acts ii
the past have. unexpectedly to them
turned out to their advantage, ar.
afraid of this one and are inclined tc
regard 1t as the entering wedge by
means OF which rapacous planters
, Will gradually come into possession OF
! the natural oyster rocks OF the Com.
monwealth
y But inSpoint of public interest the
hearing on the Strobe Myers bills pro-
!, ytding for an election on the question
. of Statewide prohibition whenever
Y one-foufth OF the qualified voters petl.
ltion for It attracted the most attell-
!! tion, The meetings were joint. beine