The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-01-31
STILL HAMMER|NG
ON FLETCHER BILL
Senate Likely to Reach Vote and
Pass Tax Measure by
Thursday.
NOT MUCH IN SIGHT THUS FAR
Session, However, Is Young and
There Is No Telling What
Might Be Done.

Were ono asked what laws were like
ly to he enacted by the General As
sembly during the coming week. can
dor would compel the admission that
there isn't much in sight. The session
is still young, the measures on the
calendar are for the most part local
bills or are designed to correct unim-
portant real or imaginary defects in
the Code and were reported first be-
cause there was no opposition to them
in committees.
There are. of course, exceptions. The
Senate is still hammering away on the
Fletcher bill designed to provide a tenn
porary plan of tax equalization. Avote
is likely to be reached on "Wednesday
or Thursday, perhaps earlier, and there
Is said to he little doubt Of it's pas
sage. The only other bill on the SEN
at calendar which is of Statewide im-
portance is that largely Increasing the
State license taxes on dealers in anL
manufacturers of Intoxicating liquors
This will in all probability receive
early attention, for the Finance Com
mittee is anxious to get favorable ac-
ton on its bills designed to enlarge
revenues, before 1t formuatcs. its ap.
propriation bill. In point of fact, the
committee members say that these bills
must be enacted Before they can or vii
report bill which gives the states de.
partments and institutions the support
they need.
Things May Happen.
OF course, nobody can tell what may
break loose. To paraphrase Edwards
of old when legislator takes his
stand upon the floor, few remarks to
make" there is always a pleasing pos
sibility that he may say something
which will unleash the dogs OF
rhetoric in the bosoms OF his fellows
and cause something which will make
good copy. So when, tho session over
they. like "fair Ines" 20 into the
West. they are received with plaudits
by idolatrous constituents, or else with
a frigid inquiry as to what they ac
conplished with their talk
The average legislator fails utterl,
to agree with Horace in the propost
tion that every production should Ii,
for nine years in innocuous desuetud
before 1t secs the light of day. Tt
the contrary, the rule is that out OF
the abundance of the heart the mouth
speaketh, and the lawmaker says
exactly what he thinks How it might
read in 1919 does not trouble him
for the chances are nine in ten that
he won't be In the same seat then. So
he goes on, like Addison's upholsterer.
"deposing princes, settling the bounds
OF Kingdoms, balancing the power of
Europe With great justice and i'm
partialitS."
Legislators Work Hard.
But ANYBODY who thinks that the
member of tho Virginia General AS
sembly haS sixty days of continuous
frolic when hn comes to Richmond IL
vastly mistaken When he does his
duty, as nearly every one of them
does, he workslhardcr than he would
at home, flo has committee meetings
linnumerable immense volumes of do
Iltail which must be gone through, and
he must ever be on the alert when
confronted with any one. OF the myriad
questions which face him,&A
Important committee meetings arc
scheduled for this week onAmany sub
jects. Primaries, taxation, appropria-
(Contlnued on Second Page.)