The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-02-21
WORKING NOW ON
FINANCE BILLS.
Legislative Committees to Map.
Out Appropriation Measure,
Long Delayed.
TO VOTE ON TAX COMMISSION
Myers State Wide Bill Likely
10 Be Recalled at Meet
ing To-day.

with joint meeting Of the Senate
and House Committees on Finance III
executive session Tonight, tho actual
work of preparing general appropri.
alton bill will he begun. Not that these
committees will agree in Joint sessions
on tho provisions OF the BILL for ouch
favor 1t is the opinion OF tho mem
bers based upon experience. that bet
ter results arc accomplished by hold
ing preliminary meeting. like the
one tonight. to map out the general
lines Of the bill, and then to get up
bills in separate sessions, distinct aa
to details.
1t is understood that the Senate COM
mttee could at any time within the
past three or four weeks have gotten
up an appropriation bill within forty
eight hours. The information of this
committee was secured In December.
when 1t met by virtue of resolution
adopted In the closing hours of tho
session of 1908. But 1t has been
deemed best TO wait until the revenue
bills received favorable action. SO
| that the committee could know about
what the future revenues OF the Com
monwealth might be.
Did Not Comply.
IT has been recalled that the lam
guaee of the Fokes resolution of two
years ago, calling the Finance Com
mittce together thirty days in advance
OF the next session. required that body
to get an appropriation bill ready and
have IL laid on the desks of the MEM
bers on the first day. 1t was further
stated In the resolution that no other
| business should be considered until an
appropriation bill was passed
| This resolution having expired when
! the session began, no serious results
are likely to follow the failure to en-
force 1t. senator Folkes contemplatcs
the Introduction OF a resolution asking
| the committee to bring In its bill not
later than midnight of March IL. In
| asmuch as the General Assembly will
| adjourn on March IL, 1t would seem
that the request of the Richmond Sem
ator Is reasonable.
The House committee has nearly
completed its public hearings, although
action remains to be taken on several
| important revenue measures. on tho
| whole. the work OF the session on mat
tiers relative to taxation is regarded
as satisfactory. Many dollar will ba
added to the receipts of the State by
] virtue OF the laws of the session of
| 1910.
VIII Vote ON King Bill.
| A vote is likely to be reached in tho
Senate to-day or tomorrow on tho
| King tax commission bill. There
seems to be little doubt of its passage.
| With this measure out of Its way tho
Senate Will be able to take up great
| mass of routine business which has
accumulated during the time taken up
| by debate on the Fletcher and King
bills.
There is plenty of Importance for the
Hotme to tackle this week. 1t is mere
ly u question of what is taken up.
| THIS body has developed q good
! warm discussion every day during the
1 past week. and the same may expect
! ed to continue Many of the contested
measures which were passed by when
| local bills were advanced are still on
| the calendar. and will be reached this
/ week.
The Byrd primary bill, with the
| other primary bills which were uufa-
! vorably reported. the Byrd liquor bill.
the bin requiring the members of the
! state Corporation Commission to be
elected by the popular vote. that pre-
scribing four-year intervals between
local option elections. the street car
| among the possibilities for the week.
Possibly some OF the members of
the House who have contested bills
on the calendar toward which the
| House is moving but slowly. VIII be-
come restless and seek to begin af-
ternoon or night sessions. A number
Of the eaders:S96weyer, say they They =, Want I, mt
work. before .devoting their entire at
ltention TO business on the floor.
Prohibition Bill.
The House Committee on Privileges
and Elections may take up the Myers
Statewide prohibition bill this morn
ing. 1t Is understood. however, that
first the committee will get together
4 been suggested before going into the
merits of the bill. The Senate COM
mittce. it is supposed will consider tho
/ strobe bill at the meeting to be held
4 Wednesday morning.
i At the same time. 1t is expected. the
Senate Committee on Fish and GAME ~,
providing for strengthening the lines
(. Of the Baylor oyster Survey in the
! James River. What its decision will
] or Lee. who was in the city Saturday.
was pleased with tue result in the
| House Committee on the Chesapeake
and Its Tributaries, which reported
! this bill without recommendation Of
! any kind, tile vote being a tie,
). The special Joint committee on spc-
|cial, private and local legislation has
been requested.by both houses to meet
to-day. perhaps for the last time, TO
pass upon the constttutionality OF the
local bills and to decide whether or
not their objects can be reached by
general law. The other committees,
! which will get these bills Tomorrow,
have been also requested to take mp
4 and dispose of local matters and get
them onethe calendar. so that the llll-
contested matters can be put out OF
}, the way.