The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-11
Review Shows Many Meas
ures Were Passed by Cen
eral Assembly OF 1912
MANY WERE ALSO
LEFT ON CALENDAR
Convict, Rolling Stock and
Other Bills Met With
Little Real Oppo-
sition


Although the Legislature failed to
redistfiet the state as required ps the
CONSTITUTION. ana although many oiits
died on the calendars of the senate
and House. much legislation Of vice
interest and Importance Was passed
Growing ont OF general dtssauNac-
ZION with the shoe contract at ths
stale renltentiary. and a demand tnat
she contract system be anplishcd u
possible, the Lcsner convict bill put
ting all male prisoners on the pup
si,, roads except the vicious and the
life term men, met with little opposi~
ton Nine bills were before the Legs
Iature. Joint committees selected from
them tho Lesn"r bill and added amend
rnents. II found praetfea Die. the small
number OF corvicts left III the reniteh-
tiary VIII be put 10 work making ar
ttcles or utensils for state use. III
this cannot be done board on which
are the governor. the penitentiary at
perintendent and the peniientiary
board of directors may make any con-
tract IL sees At. Under a joint reso-
luton adopted by the General Assem-
oily the present contract cannot be re-
n@w@a.
Pleased With Rolling Stock Enactment.
Both city and country members were
t.s Il degree satisfied tttf he F.at3jIfs
stock bin as passed. offered in the
Senate By Mr.. Holt, OF Newport News,
it made the TAX distribution equitable.
Amendments adopted after some con-
troversy give tn cities containing RAFT
road headquarters 20 per cent OF the
tax with the remainder going to cities
and COMMITTEES through which railroads
run. The IS per cent. tax is appor-
toned iu proportion TO the assessed
value OF tracks and other property.
y. Congressional redistricting amount
ed to only one change. Halifax and
Charlotte counties are taken from the
Sixth district and put in the Fifth.
The long controversy between the
State and the Richmond. Fredericks-
burg and Potomac Railroad viii hc set
tied by commission.
An amendment to the Constitution
allowing city treasurers and commits
sioners of the revenue To succeed
themselves, defeated In popular cleo
ton, will be resuhinitted. Another
amendment. passed by the General
Assembly Of 1910. allowing 3 vote upon
the question of commiss.un form o:
government was confirmed by the
Legislature.
Fifteen thousand dollars was appro-
priated for establishing home for
feebleninded women at the State
Epiieptic Colony, at Lynchburg
Farmers will be sold ground lime
stone at cost. An appropriation OF
$4,000 was made to establish two lime
grinding plants to be operated by con-
yict labor. This met with opposition
from lime manufacturers only. The
bin was drawn at the instance OF
Governor Mann.
AS finally passed the Byrd Feather.
ston primary bill does little more than
legalize the Democratic primary plan
Primaries will be called by party
committees. and not at any specific
time. as planned by patrons Of this
bill. Speaker Byrd intended that
both parties hold primaries together
Few members of the Senate took
kindly TO this, although it was ap.
proved by the House.
That there is a general need for
a State bureau of vital statistics was
shown In the ease with which Mr.
Drewry's bill passed II its provi.
sions are carried out. the State will
have record in future of every
death and birth within It's borders.
Hon. Thomas Staples Martin and
Hon. Claude A. Swanson were elected
United States senators.
Will Try Again.
The Jordan enabling act. to allow
the people Of the State to vote upon
the question OF Statewide prohibition
which Wac killed in the Senate, me,
with greater antagonism than any
bill introduced. Its advocates will
introduce a similar bill at the 1914
session.
The Legislature put Itself on rec
ord as thinking the time is not ripe
for woman's suffrage. Suffrage bills
drew few votes. Many members OF
the General Assembly acknowledged
that some day they VIII have to pasa
= suffrage bill. The time. they say,
il not here.
A bill establishing coordinate
woman's college at the University Of
~ frEsnia sEaets With se3eat III ssss sses-
ate. A vote was not taken In the
House. The Bills rejection came
about because OF strong objection
from Virginia alumni In the Legis-
lature. who were as active as ad-
vocates Of the bill.
Many bills, to which were given
hours Of debate and consideration in
committees and on the floors OF both
houses. died on the calendar. Among
them were:
Pure election bills. establishing a
State board Of optometry pure
paint bill bills for the consolidation
OF almEhouses and State reformato-
ries. the abolition OF the Governors
stan. the Wendenburg bills to revise
contributory negligence laws. the
Featheryton baggage trust bill. the
West mileage book bill, the safety
appliance bill. child labor bills, the
anti-gambiing bill. the Fitxhugh anti
treating bill. to provide for the cleo
ton Of school trustees by popular
vote. To repeal local option compul-
sorry school laws. n bill to allow II
quor TO be sold by pharmacists In
dry territory. water pollution bills,
the Hartman safety match bill, the
Holt anft-jnsurance trust bill, a bill
TO raise the license for manufactur-
ing Intoxicating liquors. dozen OF
local bills.
YTNynI " prAHrNGprD