The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-03-02
Bill Iuposing Half Cent
a Gallon Fee Report
ed Favorably.
SOUTH BOSTON MAY
GET DISPENSARY
Former Action Of Committee Re
versed-Halsey Liquor Bill
Reported Unfavorably-Law
Examiners Bill Passes.
Poll Tax Bill Allowed
to Sleep.

Illuminating oils are to be taxed a
cent a gallon, as provided IN the
Byrd bill to that effect, If the House
Committee on Finance is to decide the
question Much to the surprise of the
men who have been lighting this BILL
the committee decided at meeting
held yesterday morning to report IL
favorably. 1t was presented to the
House at the beginning of yesterday
session.
Earnest attacks have been made on
| this bill, which seeks to establish a
system of oil inspection to determine
| the luminosity of all oils brought INTO
| this State for sale. An inspector Is 70
| be appointed, and he is TO have the nee
| cssary assistance. The tax OF \. cent
! gallon is levied for the purpose OF
| paving the expense of this inspection.
| But 1t can be readily seen that the
! state treasury would be benefited by
an enormous amount, anywhere from
4 $500 900 to s1,0o0,0o0 a year.
! Those who are opposing the bill did
| not seem to be much disturbed BY the
4 committee's report, and claim that they
i can defeat ii on the floor when 1t comes
4 I'm for vote Independent dealers
say the Standard Oil Company will not
fight II, as the consumer VIII pay the
tax, and the worlds biggest corporation
will not be injured.
Disrensnry Bill Again.
/ AS has oeen said several times, no
/ bin is absolutely dead in Legislature
until the final adjournment Is Feached
I without favorable action. This was
4 shown forcibly yesterday afternoon by
:, the action of the House Committee on
Counties. Cities and Towns. which re.
ported favorably the bills allowing the
!, people of Bannister Magisterial Dis
trict. in Halifax county, to vote on the
. question of the establishment OF dis
/ pensaries.
These bills have already passed the
Senate. When they came TO the House
}objection was made by many citizens
!, of the district affected, who opposed
any dispensary election at all, and. II
; such q contest were to be heid, they
wanted the people of the entire dis'
Itrtct. Including the country residents
10 participate. The towns of South
Boston and Houston alone were vote
. under the Senate bills. After consid.
era tion the committee then consigned
the bills to entire oblivion.
l The whole question was reopenec
Yesterday on an agreement between
3 both sides to have the election by ais
. tr:ct vote, and not earlier than mex
s December. two years from the contes
: which rendered the towns dry. Ih'
: committee was influenced in this actor
by a letter from r. S. Barbour. of souti
0 Boston. dry leader. who said h
would withdraw his opposition. Al
i, election on saloons is contemplated Il
December, and he preferred a dispen
G sary election with the whole distric
: to a saloon election with the town o
s South Boston alone voting.
Many Bills Acted On.
e Both houses of the General Assembl
y disposed of a great deal of routine bus
mess. The Senate was occupied for tn
most part in advancing bills from thei
second reading 10 their third. NO q!
ternoon meeting was held.
The STROBE Statewide bill, which
on rs second reading. was reached o
the calendar. In the absence of tn
IT patron the bill, on motion Of Senate
= Folkes, was passed by
II The House put in five hours. and !
: that time finally passed no less tha
J. fifty-seven bills. Nearly all OF thes
le ware minor or local matters, for spt
ic cial rule was enforced designed to r.
ID the calendar of this class OF legislatio
n. Possibly the most important bill .eI
acted by the House was that Introduce
,s by Speaker Byrd creating, State Boar
= IA
take the work of examining applican
~ for license to practice law from Il
he Supreme Court of Appeals. 1t will
" no expense at all to the state, sin
f. lis expenses will be paid by fe
,g charged the would-be attorneys.
rs No More Fortune Telling.
Another bill of interest passed w
that forbidding fortune telling, pair
istry and clairvoyance for gain. The
were a few dissenting votes, but n
Harwood made an explanation Whic
IN though partly veiled,. was apparent
IN satisfactory to the House.
w Senator Halsey's bill. eliminating S
he looms from the State and requiring 7
an sale of liquor to be in packages on
no was unfavorably reported from
Senate Committee on Finance. II
he understood that the vote was clo
the bill developing strength which
Of been unexpected, considering the IA
let that both sides are apparently hghti
*. such measure The idea is prac
cally a dispensary system, run tor p'
. yate instead of public pront.
,er NO favorable action is expected lre
mt the House on the proposed al'lelo'.ie ~,
lid TO the Constitution reducing the III
v,han noll taxes must be paid as pT
is raouisite for voting from sin mont
,e. ~ 'ninetv days Mr.. Parr, the patr
rrll of f the amendment. tried hard to secr
an the discharge of the Committee
ks Courts of Justice from iurther cons
as aratinn of the measure, out the Hol
stnoh by the committee and defeat
as the motion.
snrs. believes He Got Cold Deal.
Mr.. Parr was not IN an especia
on good hun1or over the action of
;ht Committee in administering chlorofo
..o9 .o9 10 tho bill. He thought he should
'he 'he able to get a report or some kind
&c, HI. Chairman Page vigorously defel
re- ed the action of the committee in pa
eW ling the bill by indefinitely.
~ There is no hope of any sort of s
. eral game legislation The joint s.
committee of the two houses, to VIII
sep- all game bills were referred, repor
ng- ,,,I,,, "A a., -1Lj,.I1 =, -