The log cabin Democrat., 1911-05-26
SENATE SESSION
IS VERY SHORT
OLDHAM BILL PASSED
REVISED B r A d H A NH URS T
BILL THOUGHT TO HAVE
A CHANCE.

than an hour, and in the afternoon
about ten minutes, when it adjourned
until p. m. Saturday. At that time
That body will have the distinction of
meeting on Saturday the first time in
the history of either the regular or
the extra session. The senate appears
to be playing a waiting game, waiting
on the house to pass some sort OF gen
eral revenue bill. The senate is also
showing a disposition to antagonize
the wishes of the governor. although
MS friends assert that they will be
able to show majority for the pas
sage OF some measure that will meet
Ihe approval of the administration.
The senate Thursday passed the
oldham bill, for IAN act to levy the
general revenue rate of taxation. to
provide a method of determining same,
and the manner of certifying it out
by the state auditor" The bill pro.
vldes that the county clerks shall Ger
tfy to the auditor the total assess
ment OF their respective counties, and
upon this basis the auditor shall de
termine the total assessment of the
state. He shall thereupon certify to
the revenue to support the state gov
efnment and its institutions. being
that number of mills on each dollar
which, when applied to the total as
sessed valuation, will produce an
amount equal to one-half of the sum
total OF the appropriations made bv
the next preceding general assembly. .
minus such other funds as NAV be
PAID into the general revenue fund
Such rate of levy, however, shall MOI
exceed the constitutional limit. Up
on his basis, the levy 70 rthe ensuing
assessment must be sufficient to pro-
duce little more than $1,250.00O.
The assessment is predicted at about
$500 200, 900, and the levy will there
fore be nearly three mills. For sew
eral years the levy for general pur-
poses has been one and three-fou
mills. AS matter of fact, the fnan-
clal troubles of the state began sew
eral years ago, when the levy was cut
down from two and one-half mills.
1t is the general revenue bill upoa
winch the two houses are having the
greatest difficulty in getting together.
The celebrated Bradham- Hurst bill.
with one-flfth of it cut out, and other
features changed, has been introduced
IN the house as the Simms-T -Thweatt
OIL, and IN the senate as the Turner
Dill. 1t has no more friends in the
senate than it had before, but even
Its enemies are making wry faces and
admitting that they think it will pass.
Senators Covlngton and Tonev are
again Its most active opponents, but
announce that they will adopt no dill
latory tactics to defeat it, although
they consider it vicious measure that
ought to be slaughtered Thursday
afternoon President Toney ordered
the roll call on its final passage, but
It's friends became suspicious and
caused further consideration of il TO
be postponed until p. m. next Tues
day In the meantime the Simms-
Thweatt bill, of which it is a copy. and
which is now on second reading in the
house, may be passed by that body and
be sent to the senate, where it could
take the place of the Turner bill and
simplify the situation.
Raise the revenue and reduce taxa
ton" is the interesting problem set
the solons by the governor, and thev
are making more or less sincere en-
deavor to find the answer. This eff
fort took the shape yesterday of bill
by Mr.. Newton, for IAN act to determ-
Inc the state capitol tax and to reduce
taxation" This act provides that:
The tax of one-half mill on each
dollars worth of taxable property in
the state, levied under the act of April
70, 1901, and continued by the act
of April 16, 1908, is hereby directed
to be discontinued after the levy and
assessment of the same in the year
1872, same to be collected and paid in
to the state capitol fund at the proper
time following the levy. No greater
amount of money than is collected af-
ter the levies of 1911 and 1912 shall
be used in the completion of the state
capitol"
This bill did not meet with the APP
proval of the admins istration forces,
who succeeded in preventing its sec
ond reading, and it took its place on
the calendar.
A reflex of the states financial con
dition was seen in a resolution by Ker-
win of Jefferson, directing the chief
clerk to place a number of electric
fans in the hall, and the head janitor
to see that plentiful supply of ice
water was kept in the lobby. He made
an eloquent plea for the necessity of
the fans, which brought Brown of
Cleveland to his feet in behalf of Bill
Jones, "who is now bending his back
under the boiling sun in the cotton
patch or corn field, without fans or
ice water" Working up a pathetic
picture of the woes of Bill Jones, he
exclaimed, dramatically, "Then shall
we, a lot of parasites, place this addi-
tional burden upon his back?" And
by their votes, they refused to so place
the burden. In the meantime, the ice
man came, and the house proceeded to
mop their heated brows, while the
) clerk perspired over the reading of the