The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1912-03-07
LONG SPEECHES
keep OFF VOTE
SENATE OPPONENTS OF THE LIME
GRINDING BILL TRY TO TALK
1T TO DEATH
AMENDMENT OFFERED
MR., TAvENNER WOULD HAVE
STATE FIRST ATTEMPT TO
DuY FROM MANUFAC-
TURERs.

Lulled TO sleep yesterday by tire
musical tones of two senatorial ora
tor, the governors lime grinding bill
Is still on the Senate calendar. While
for an hour and a half these two men
maintained a filibuster members read
the papers. loiled in the cloaek room
and walked the corridors X. 5. Black
burn Smith began the attack. r. >.
Tavenner was talking when the Sen
ate adjourned at ? o'clock The bili
Will come up at ] o'clock today.
Mr.. Tavenner. who opposed the
bill in all its forms before the Conn
mittees on Fiance, Roads and Ayr
culture. offered an amendment "ester-
day which II adopted will change its
whole intent He would have the
State first try to make a contract for
agricultural lime for farmers with
Tnanufa cturers. Failing in this he
would then have the bill become cf-
tective.
The amendment reads:
BE fore the said lone term or des-
perate convicts are employed under
the Provisions of this act, and any
plant established. the board herein
before designated shaih make ali rca-
sonable effort to enter into contract
or contracts with one or more respon-
eible persons. firms or corporations
In this State to fial orders for ground
limestone and ground oyster shells AT
one dollar or better ton +. o. b. cars
at the plant of plants in fneness or
quality provided by the provisions OF
this act and in quantity equal To the
proba BILE output of two plants cap
able of being operated from the APP
preparation made in this bill. And in
the event the said board shall make
spensibie firms. persons or corpora
tons the said long term or desperate
convict shall not be worked at lime
ssteftt.~ oyster siseft grinding plants.
and the board shall not engage on ac-
count OF The State in the manufacture
ot ground limestone and oyster shells
Mr.. Tavenner had Just begun when
the hour for adjournment arrived.
He will have the floor when the bill
comes UP for consideration today.
Mr.. Smith declared the bill was
in violation Of the Virginia 1911 Of
Rights. The state. he said. under
The Constitution could engage in no
Intentional Improvement except the
improvement of roads and harhors.
The title was misleading. Although
the hill was said 10 he fer the cm-
ploNmeut OF eonViets, II had no such
purpose. but Was drawn to aid far
meFS OF fhe state. 1t the STA ts could
engage in the manufacture of ground
limestone. why not let this. Common
wealth manufacture shoes and plows
II start WAS made where would X
end.
The value Of ground limestone for
aRrie cultural purpose wHs exaggerated
and experiments should first he con-
Quoted at the State experiment farms.
The theory that ii was beneficial had
been exploded In many quarters. and
men who advocated its use had been
declared misguided by the United
States Department of Agriculture.
Mr.. Smith thought the bill placed
the Governor in false position, be
cause 1t made him a eo-taskmaster
with the superintendent Of the peni-
Tertiary. The Governor could not
hold two Offices, yet he was made a
member Of the board To establish
manufacturing plants The bill would
hamper and work harm to long es-
sablished industries that employ more
than a.5oo men and have invested
hundreds of thousands of dollars In
plants and lime beds.
The bill will pass by large ma
jority. Ii Is not thought there will
be more than eight or ten votes cast
against it. Ii is the purpose of the
opposition to postpone a vote to the
last possible moment. hoping to force
upon the Senate the Tavenner amend
ment.