The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-01
HOUSE INCREASES
SCH DOL FUN DIS
Runs Total Above Limit by
Adding Delinquent capitation
Taxes-Williams and Luns-
ford Criticize Tax Commits
sion Bill-Child Labor
Measure Passed.


; Senate. at It's afternoon session yes
! ,erday. completed its consideration OF
the general appropriation hill. and
! passed that measure. There was some
r=adiustmen; of the prison fund so az
1 to care FOR more conyicts on tho roads
Tho Farmville Normal school was
given an Increased annuity of $4,000,
while $1,000 was put In tho bill for
the purpose of painting and otherwise
| beautifying the Capitol. Otherwise the
commit ea's labors were untouched.
| in the House OF Delegates the re-
I, suit was radically different. Although
| that body completed consideration OF
| only three or four printed pages of
| the appropriation bill, II made a
change in the public free school fund.
which adds to II about $4,000 the year
! from the State treasury. Chairman a.
VI Bowman. being uaacquaintcd with
| the actual results az a compromise
proposed by n. L. siessard. of Craig.
who led The fight fdr an increase in
the school fund asscntsd TO H. but
[ later Informed himself as TO the real
sltua tom He has not determined upon
| his neAt move. but rather thinks he
Will leave the hnarciering TO thos
! who have taken IT cut OF the hands
| OF the committee.
Limit Already Exceeded.
As 1t now stands, the tota! appro-
! priation. including special bills. ex-
cceds the limit OF ss500,0o0 sugg .sted
| by the Governor and the Speaker. and
aimed ~ by the committee.
| Tho Constitution Il 1902 stipulated
that 81 of each capl,ntion tax levied
Sbv tiat' instrument should go into
! the State school fund For Some
years tho total amount assessed was
| paid into this fund, regardless OF the
fact that large part OF 1t Is not paid
and is returned delinquent. Believing
| that Il was not the intention of the
| Constitutional Convention TO give to
| tho schools something which the State
! does not receive. tina last Legislature
! decided 10 require III, Auditor IN COM
putting the school fund TO deduct the
| amount OF capitatioIs returned del!n-
qucnt for the preceding year.
The hight OF that time Is well re-
| membercd. when judge Martin Williams
| proposed 10 cut the lions to
| the higher institutions of learning by
| 10 per cent. a compromise was ef-
! fccted, whereby the dclinquents were
eliminated, and $500 additional was
| added TO the fund 70, the aid of small
I SiINtu SCupo!S IN rlful districts.
This year the Committee on Finance
| gave a further sum OF 5000 direct
| TO the primary schools. AS a result of
| the night made yesterday by Mr.. SPECS
| sard. the fund levici on capitations.
| although not paid in will be put in
the school money. and the special
increase OF, $4,000 omes off.
| Conference May Change IT.
| The net result will be that $4,000
1 ht. IN hnt
| each of the two coming years. unless
| this Is changed in the conference COM
| mittce after the Hous, passes the bill.
| since the Senate measire was not al
| tered In this respect
| The House yesterda! passed the bill
| increasing the tax Of express COM
| panies from Sc to s. tie mile, tho hill
| requiring surety companies to sive
reasons for cancelling bonds OF en-
| ployes OF common carriers. and the
/ Byrd child labor bill. which forbids the
employment of boys under fourteen
| years OF age at night 1t defeated
bill recommended by Auditor Donohoe
requiring local treasur.rs and clerks
| 10 make monthly settlements.
| w. r. Walton. OF IIaiover. failed on
tie vote in an effort to secure CON
sidcration out of its order of bill
| providing for the election of school
trustees by vote OF the people. The
| roll call resulted: Aye. 81; noes, 81.
| iiammcrinE tn. Dill.
| Debate on the Byrd Tx Commission
| bill was continued. the principal adj
dresses being delivered ly Judge Mar
! tin Williams, Of Giles, ami C. NJ. Luns-
| ford, of Bntotourt. Btlh of these
| members were in opposition to the
| measure.
The end OF the discussion does not
seem to be in sight. Several members
| desire to speak. 1t Is now the i'm
| preston that the bill will be defeated.
although 1t will unquestionably make
better showing than the original
measure would have done
1t Is probable that It's advoca ties
/ would secure an immedia te vote. but
| for the fact that the present debate
| is regarded as educate and even
| If nothing can he secured In the way
| OF legislation at this session the
crystallized ideas may bear ffut at
! some future day
All sorts of objections are made.
| the burden of the argument being that
| 4 centralized power would come and
| interfere with the affairs Of the coun-
| ties. 1t is believed that speakers in
favor Of the bill will emphasize the
/ point that counties which pay II more
| than they take out are interested in
! that fact.
The Williams Amendments
| Judge Williams had two important
| amendments to offer, which were re-
| ceived with favor. and II they are
| adopted he Will cheerfuIly support the
| bill. One provides that tho commits
sion is to consist OF. three members.
one of whom is to be the state Ac-
countant, the other two TO be elected
| by the General Assembly, and 10 be
chosen from persons principally In
terested UNCONSTITUTIONAL pursuits, The
vi L. ;IS,onIf& an so,,e,,ts d. 5-o1------