The Birmingham age-herald., 1911-03-25
Revenue Measure Passed With Many Amendments
 After Long Debate
ANOTHER FIGHT IN
 HOUSE SURE TO COME
If the House Refuses to Accept the Insurance Feature an Extra Session of Lawmakers Is Inevitable
By BERRyMAN G. BETTY

By BERRYMAN c. BETTY
 Montgomery, March 24-(Special-The state revenue measure, burdened down with numberless amendments since 1t passed the house of representatives last week. and cumbered with at least two features that bid fair to compel at least another days debate in the lower house, passed the Alabama senate shortly after o'clock this afternoon. Discussion of the measure started shortly after the hour of Il o'clock in the morning, iron. which time until adjournment in the aft ernoon the senators stopped neither for time nor adverse tide.
 The dread insurance feature in the bill, which seeks to make mandatory upon tax assessors an investigation of the insur- anee carried on property before such property is taxed, was voted in the bill after bitter discussion which took up much of the five hours debate. Vote on the amendment was II to 16, prior to the taking of which, however, pyrotechnics of unusual brightness were flashed throughout the chamber. The amendment to the bill, however, did not pass with out a change over the amendment as or .ginally proposed by the committee on finance and taxation, inasmuch as the insurance carried on "alr' property, 'ex- cept household goods and kitchen furni ture," is made the basis of taxation
 Opponents of the original measure see in the exception a material improvement ba
 In addition to the attachment of the insurance clause to the revenue bill, the senate prior to passing the bill late this afternoon incorporated is the measure a provision that denies to the back tax commissioners of the state fees on tax raises, though permitting such commis- sioners fees on licenses and escaped taxes.
 Incorporation of this amendment in ths bill practically assures the fact that the senate would have passed the Pegran bill which was debated the entire after noon in the house, and which has proved ono of the most dison ieting problems that that body has yet had to solve. Th' senate amendment was almost identical with the Pegram measure.
 Votes Were Close
 Votes on these two clauses in the reve- nue bill were close and bitter to the end On the insurance feature, those who voted to incorporate the insurance clause were Senators Allen, Atkins. C. w. Brown Espy, Fite Frazer, Justice, Kilby, Moody Nance. Plowman, Renfro, Sherrod, Spra- 4an nd Naf1
 Those who voted against the amend ment were Senators Morrow, Beasley, W T. Brown, Crumpton, Curry. Folmar Godbold, Loveiaee, Merrill, Moukthrop Norman, Rogers, Screws, Sloan, Sprot and Stevens.
 Vote on the back tax commissioner clause was 15 ayes and 13 noes, as fol ows:
 Noes-Curry, Folmar Frazer, Godbold Justice, Merrill. Moukthrop, Nance, Ro gers, Screws, Sherrod, Sprott and Ste vens-13.
 Ayes-Anen, c. w. Brown. Crumpton Espy, F'ite. Kilby, LovelaceJ Miller Moody, Norman, Plowman, Renfro Spragins. Stokes and Tunstall-15
 Significance Attached
 More than a little significance is at tached to the senate proceedings, espe- cially in view of the fact that only two more days remain in which the measure can be concurred in by the house amended by the governor, again con- cured in by the two houses and become effective. The fact that the insurance clause in the senate measure was defeat- cd in the house is necessarily indicative of another fight in that body. Should the house fail to concur in the senate amend ments an extra session of the Legislature cannot be avoided. According to the con stitution, the revenue bill must be effec- tive by the forty-fifth working day be- fore it can become law.
 Quick work was made by the senate in disposing of the various committee amendments, more than nine-tenths of the suggestions being passed in a lump without single boboie. only TOUT oi- visions of the bill were discussed in the inner house. but each of these amend n,ents incorporate provisions that have nroved bones of contention and horns ot dilemmas ever since the revenue meas ire came to the attention of the two houses.
 Amendments Explained
 As soon as the revenue bill was reached In the upper house senator Snragins arose to explain the various amendments which had been prepared hv inc committee on finance and tax tion The amendments proposed were read at length by the senator until the entire list had been exhausted. Sew eral times during the explanation the oyerflowing gallery and senate lobby had to be rapped to order by the pres ident.
 In his explanation of the amend ments the senator read twice section 5M of the bill, which has been so rigorously contested by the business mon of the city. As read to the sen ate however, the amendment was minus the phrase which required the assessors to use as basis of taxa tion the amount of insurance carried on "all" property. The committee changed the amendment to except "household goods and kitchen furni- ture"
 Senator Crumpton at the end of the explanation offered further amend ment for the licensing of peddling, hall of the fee to go to the county and inc other half to the state. The max mum license was made $100. Old Con- federate veterans and all tive-year res idents of the state not holding S100t worth of property are sought to be permitted the privilege without license
 Amendments Divided -A Senator TomQStevens of Mobile of fered a motion that the committed amendments be divided into four classe. o,a dieoussed as a class Ha st,rUest