Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1912-08-08
NEGRO FIREMAN
BILL IS PASSED
BY HOUSE
Measure Aimed to Bar Blacks
From Locomotive Sticking
Barely Gets Majority.

BY a bare majority of SO votes. the
lowest number which can pass bill.
the Garrison BILL intended to bar negro
firemen from the locomotives on Geor-
S1a railroads, passed the house this aft
ernoon, slightly amended. The bill
came up for passage yesterday, was de-
bated holly and went over as unfinished
business until today
The bill prescrbes an educational
test for tlremen of engines on all rail-
roads operating in Georgia, test which
will virtually eliminate the negro, and
it was fathered and supported by union
flremen and other labor organizations.
Representative Bowen. of Decatur
county, gave notice that he would move
for reconsideration of the bill, and If
few votes can be changed it is pos
sible that the measure may yet be de-
feated. 1t has yet to pass the senate
Veterans Can Hold Jobs.
The bill was amended to put the law
into effect six months after its pas
sage, instead of four and its operations
were limited to regular common car
riers, excepting short lumber roads and
other lines not really within the intent
of the measure. An amendment pro-
viding that the law shall not affect
present employees was adopted, giving
the veteran negro firemen now in SER
vice the right to hold their jobs
The house of representatives TODAY
voted for the first afternoon session of
the year, and at the end of this week
the first Saturday session will be held.
The house will be in session this after
noon from to o'clock.
The legislature is dropping behind in
its work and the leaders are realizing
the necessity of more work, harder
work and less talk. The rules commit
tee put over a report today limiting
all debate on any bill to 80 minutes.
holding individual members down to
five minutes, and even taking away
from the chairmen of committees
their cherished privilege of talking 90
minutes at the conclusion of all de-
bates.
Speaker Holder had to order the
doors closed and send pages scurrying
into the Hobbies when the session open
ed to round up late Corners who had
stopped to finish after breakfast cigars
in the smoking room and halls There
was bare quorum voting after several
attempts to draw the members to their
seats.
Flood of Local Bills.
A food Of local bills on passage fol
lowed. Speaker and clerks ran verbal
races to read their captions, announce
an arbitrary vote. record a bill as pass
ed" and go on to the next. Perhaps
score were made laws in so minutes
with few members paying any atten-
tion to bill or vote.
Representative Alexander and Field
had bill passed giving the town of
Decatur the right to condemn land for
school purposes.
The invitation to members of the leg
islature to attend barbecue at Coch-
ran. in the new county of BIeckley, was
accepted by the house today, but it
precipitated heated debate over hold
ing a Saturday session for passing 10
cal bills. Members who have local
Iegisations pending were up in arms
MT. DG6Se, Oh uldSiNl, dulIlOl VI the III
vitation, even offered motion that the
house meet at O'Clock Saturday morn
ing, transact its business. hold the spe-
cial train for Bleckley county until bus
mess is over and then take the trip.
Cochran To Entertain.
The house, in an uproar of laughter.
passed the motion, but quickly recon
sidered.
The matter was settled by deciding
on Saturday session and granting a
leave of absence to all members de
string to go to the Cochran barbecue.
There will hardly be a quorum in the
house Saturday.
The Cochran board of trade will pro-
vide a special train free transportation,
a brass band and a big feast to cele-
brate the creation of the new county of
BIeckley, which it has been trying TO
put over for several years. Cochran is
just below Macon on the Southern rail