The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-12-31
BUSY DAYS AHEAD
FOR LAWMAKERS
Continued From First Page.l

/ Continued From First Pageo
ries with copies of his biennial mess
age. which Will be read e length in
both houses and ordered to BIO printed
Tho interesting initial flgh: will be
In the Joint caucus OF the Democrats
OF tho Senate and House, to bo held
either on Thursday or Friday night OF
next week. for tho nomination OF
basement officers Edwin p. Cox will
DC chosen chairman OF tho Joint caucus
Tho contests arc over the positions OF
Auditor of Public Accounts, Second
Auditor and Register of the Land
Office, there being no opposition to the
present Superintendent OF Public
Printing. Two nights may be con.
sumed in the choice of these officers,
should there be a prolonged deadlock
over the authorship. which is not at
| all unexpected.
! Committee Probabilities.
Speaker Byrd has stated that he will
announce tho members OF all House
committees on the first day OF the
session. so that they may get to work
| at once. Judge Martin Williams, OF
Giles. Will again head that on Privi-
legea and Elections. It Is believed
that Alden Bell. OF Culpeper, will be
chairman of Courts OF Justice; Walter
Tansill Oliver. of Fairfax, of Schools
and Colleges. and Stephen Henry Love,
OF Lunenburg. of Asylums and Prisons.
Edwin P. Cox, of Richmond will sue
coed himself at the head OF General
Laws; a NJ Bowman. OF Roanoke
county. of Finance, and C. w. Throck-
morton, OF Henrlco. Of Roads and In
ternal navigation
In the Senate. the committees arc
chosen by steering committee, or a
sort of committee on committees. at
ter which the House of representa-
tives modelled It's plan upon the depo-
sition OF Speaker Cannon. It is writ
ten that Senator Saxon w. Holt, of
Newport News. Will be chairman OF
Privileges and Elections: c. Harding
! Walker, of Northumberland, Of Courts
1 Of Justice: Edward Echols. of Staun-
ton. OF Finance: w. A. Garrett, 81
Henry. OF General Laws, and A. c.
Hartman. Of Richmond, of Roads and
Internal Navigation. Senator George
TONNES Rison. of Pittsylvania, IS TO
be chairman of the Senate caucus.
! Rcdistrict State.
! Perhaps the issue which will bring
the most people to Richmond. and
\
will be the redistricting. No rear
rangement OF the congressional dis
tricts SO far proposed has met the ap-
! prevail of more than a minority. Ma
turally. every congressman. every
candidate and every prospective law
maker has an interest in this matter
and local feeling can be easily arous-
ed by the nero mention of new linee
to be drawn about districts, and the
. n nf nj 10 ~
| ~ less in the public mind Will be the
redictricting for seats in the Legisla-
ture OF which a great deal is to be
done.
| The Ninth District has by Ear too
many people for an average. while the
| Second and Third exceed the proper
percentage Other districts. notably
! the Fifth and Eighth, are too small In
population.
Theoretically. everybody is opposed
to a renewal of the contract for the
Il lease OF convict labor to the ,Tha che,
Shoe Company, which expires on MAY
], 1913. Months ago. the Governor an
nounced that he would urge the Legis.
lature to use the bulk OF the prison
labor on the public roads, others &c
go into quarries for the grinding O,
lime for the farmers of Virginia. Blu,
the question of cost must be consid
cred. 1t is stated that one estimate
places the expense to the State, in
Gliding the loss of income from the
shoe company, at 100000 year
Il Others say that the cost would be nc
more in proportion than now expend
ed in convict road camps To use al
the convicts. many counties would not
be able to get them in each year, and
the matter of continuing the State
money aid for road building in addi.
ton to all the convict labor, Will have
} to be considered.
Liquor Problems.
The Anti-Saloon League will, 1t II
presumed. ask for a law permitting
the people. by petition. to call an cleo.
ton on the subject of Statewide pro.
hibition.
The fight will be in the Senate II
is expected that the state license
taxes on the liquor business will again
be increased. although not in so large
; a proportion a at the last session.
! The suffrage bill Will furnish more
or less interest,
Speaker Byrd will reintroducc his
primary bill OF the last session, as
amended h. the committee. except
that he Will demand that only per-
sons who voted the Democratic ticket
at all, should take part in the prIma :
rics. The outlook for legalized pri-
mary is believed to be fair.
y Income Tax Amendment.
Ratification of the proposed Fed
eral income tax, which was approved
by the last Senate and rejected by the
; last House, will again be sought II:
fate is exceedingly doubtful.
\ But the real work OF the session
will revolre about the questions of
taxation. Asitated more and more o!
recent years. it is thought the work
of the State Tax Commission will nd-
cate to the representatives that some
change is necessary. and that a new