The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1911-02-21
DEMOCRATS 4 tack
militia but EIAIL|
HOUSE ENDORSES AppRopaIA.l
TloN AS REcoMaENDEo sy Fi.
NANCE COMMITTEE.

Z . { ~ 40
CHARLESTON, W. Va. Feb. a..
Futile attempts were made ny Demo-
cratic members of the lover; House at
last nights session OF that body 10
abolish the office Of State GeoiogiSt
and the National Guard, when many.
OF the members Of the majority party
bolted against such tactics and voted
with the Republicans TO retain them.
Another blow was struck Of the nd.
,mlnlstration when the lower House
voted to shut on the $500 allowed by
the finance committee 10 the Forest,
Fish and Game Warden, who VIM IN
the future be compelled 70 pay Ibis
own travelling expenses An attempt
was made to strike out OF stheS Sfuldsfor
the purchase OF State properly tie
sum Of s1s,7so, which was 10 have (.
been used to buy property across
from the capitol, but the matter was
postponed. sll Ess.I
Increase Agriculture Fund. KS,
Z The House met shortly after s
o'clock last evening and remained m
session until nearly II O'Clock. going
over the general appropriation biz.
which was introduced by the chair.
man of the finance committee, dnd
on a number Of other measures, When
the appropriation bill was taken up
for consideration Delegate Law
moved to increase the appropriation
for the State Board Of Agriculture
from sl2,5OO to $4,000, but after d
lengthy debate compromise waa
reached and sthe House voted to lii.
crease the appropriation Tor this do.
partment to .s155oo.
Delegate Belcher. OF Kanawha couu
ty, attempted to have the appropria.
ton for the Department OF Mines in.
creased several thousand dollars, but
each motion he made relative to M
creasing was voted down by tho body,
Delegate Hubbard stated ne did not
think the Democrats should attempt
to make any changes IN the general
appropriation bill. as It had been very
carefully gotten up BY Chairman
Hall, OF the finance committee;
Attacks eeoloslst. 4 u ss
After his address Delegate Bel.
cher again took the floor and moved
to abolish the office Of State Geoio.
glst, stating that 1t was an ONCE that 4
did nothing but advance Information
to capitalists concerning the mineral \
and coal lands OF this State for q CON
sideratlon, and that these capitalists
then went to these sections and pur.
chaesd the property at a small sum
from the property owner, who Is un.
informed as to the value of the land,
Delegate Ice, Of Barbour, scored
the Kanawha county delegate for the
assertion he made and asked him II
he could prove his charges but Bel
cher admitted he could not ana his
motion to abolish the Office was lie:
feated by large majority.
This office has an appropriation o. Z
some 100000, and the work they are \
carrying on has had atendehcy a 10 atl.
yeruse the great advantages Of West
Virginia to the outside world and
thereby attract capital and investors. :
4, Militia Retained.
"A motion was made BY Delegate
Hays to strike out the $4,000 apprc.
prlatlon for the State militia, which
would mean the abollshment Of the
guard. HIS motion was defeated by
a vote OF so to s. Delegate Hays then
moved to cut the appropriation IN haif
but this move was also defeated: AL;
ready $4,000 had been cut from the
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