The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1910-02-01
Senator Keezell Introduces Bill
Providing for Separate AS
sessment of Them.
MAY HELP FLETCHER BILL
Measure Designed to Meet Objec-
ton to Proposed Act Now
Under Debate.

Although Tuesday was given over
almost exclusively to the Inauguration
Of Governor Mann, q brief session was
held in the senate with President Pro
Tenn Echols in the chair.
one OF the most important bills as
yet introduced was offered by Senator
Keczeli. OF Rockingham County. The
measure provides for a special and
separate assessment of mineral lands
and mineral water springs. and al
though no part OF 1t. is supplemental
to the Fletcher tax equalization meas
ure on whichAa strong night Ia being
made in the Senate because OF its
alleged ineQuity.
Several senator's have raised their
voices against the plan to fix O prob
ably higher rate OF assessment on
farm lands and other property owned
by farmers, while no provision was
made for reassessing the mineral
lands, which. according to Senator
Folkes, and others are greatly under
valued in the annual assessments
Senator Keezel introduced his bill be-
cause Its absence threatened the lie
es tho thatcher hill
A number OF bills porviding for the
expenditure OF about $4,000 ON The
schools In Norfolk county. which
nave passed the uousos muKo a1AoAAo@
to committees.
The house has passed the bill pro-
yfding for a branch weather bureau
in the Capitol grounds. and the early
erection of the kiosh containing In
strumonts telling Temperatures. humid-
ity, rainfall and other atmospheric
conditions Is expected.
No session was held In the house.
That bareback in hard cider was
49, r,,tjaet nf nnch animated ana
emphatic discussion before the Com
mittee on General Laws of the Senate
Monday afternoon, when Senator
King sought to amend the Byrd law
SO as to restrict the sale OF the Juice
OF the forbidden fruit to farmers who
manufacture the insidious Joy wa
ter" According to Senator King.
quarters OF the seductive beverage in
Allegheny county not only assini-
lated "frst-class buns but whole
bakeries. 1t would seem" The patron
of the amendment read many tele-
grams from substantial citizens of his
district asking him to do everything
he could TO wipe out the cider sa-
looms He made liberal citations from
case tried In Allegheny county. the
testimony of which was most luridly
| graphic. revoltingly picturesque and
| imperative of remedy in the arid
county. Mr.. King contended that the
| cider saloon is a nuisance, and legis-
! lation should be had looking to ats
| abolition.
/ Opponents of the amendment de-
! clared its adoption would mean the
rttination of the apple industry In
I Virginia, IFS second 4Cfass fruit, which
| is now mascerated In cider presses,
would be packed for shipment with
the better grade of apples. and the
good record Virginia has for produce
ing fine fruit would suffer thereby.
The opposition. led by Q. b. Harvey,
of Clifton Forge; W. w. Glass, of
Frederick; Lindsay Gordon. of Louisa,
and John Boaz, of Alhemarle. fought
the amendment tooth and nail. and
| produced many kilograms and letters
| from fruit growers who protested
| against any legislation that would
| hurt their business.
| The Committee on General Laws
| will consider the amendment further
| before favoring or rejecting it.
| Pure seeds and a fixed standard
| of germinanon are the demands en-
| bodied In bin introduced in the
/ House by Mcasrs. Adams and West,
/ of Nansemond county. and Ii is not
| improbable that every farmer and
! trucker in the State will heartily en-
| dorse 1t In every way possible at the
1
| strictions and tables OF termination
| percentage 1t prohibits the sale of any
! kind of agricultural seed which Is not
up 10 a well defined standard.
About thirty kinds of seeds are
| enumerated. the required purity of
| each being given, together with its
| proposed termination percentage.
while special line of not more than
| $100 LIS provided for anyone selling
I
not average by tho double rating nc
| cording to the required figure.
Grass seeds are particularly looked
| after, and number of weeds are
| enumerated which are particularly In
| furious to these grasses, and 1t Is
| especially set forth that the presence
OF any OF these seeds In a package
OF grass seed shall disaualify the
| package and render 1t worthless
! State examination Is provided by
the bill, and of the funds so received
| $4,000 is to be set aside for the ex-
penses of the Department of Agri-
culture in seeing that the provisions
of the bill are carried out and in
reporting violations
/ The House bills amending the Com
| stitution of Virginia so as to provide
| for a 9o-day session of the Legfsia-
| ture, election of county commission
| ers and commissioners of revenue,
and TO have bills read only twice be-
| fore passage, are now on their third
/ reading in the Senate. vote will
| be taken on them this week. The
consensus of the Senators Is that he
/ bills will pass without a dissenting
| vote.
Teachers at the University of Vn-
/ ginia viii be eligible TO accept PEN
! sions from the Carnegie Foundation
II the House passes Senate bill Sl.
The bill passed in the Senate by a
4 vote Of IS To 0. and gives the Uni