The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-20
LONG DEBATE ON
LIMESTONE BILL
Favorable Report With Minor
Amendments Expected From
Committee To-Day.

After being favorably reported by
TWO House committees and one commit
tee In the Senate. tho lime grinding bill
gathered Its last onslaught; before
the Senate Committee on Finance last
night. and was, at the end OF four hours
OF argument, turned over to Subcom-
inittee. which VIII return u final report
on II this morning at 10 O'Clock. The
specia! committee intrustcd with the
task of clearing UP q few minor points
In the bill consists of Senators Massio,
Rlnehart ana Garrett. The impression
Immediately after adjournment at mid
night was that the bill will be reported
iavorably this morning with minor
amendments.
Tho case for the enactment OF the
measure into law was opened by Editor
j. +. Jackson, OF the Southern Planter
lie reiterated his argument before tho
three other committees, giving IL as his
opinion that Virginia Will never attain
her maximum prosperity until ground
limestone Is available at price cheap
enough 10 place II within the rsach OF
every farmer.
Invading Private Rights.
That the enterprise contemplated by
the state WAC an invasion of the rights
of the individual and an unwarranted
confscation OF private property was
the contention OF W. E. Carson. OF Riv-
erton. manufacturer of lime and
ground limestone. The State, he
thought, was about to take q step in
thu dark, being egged on by an ire
sponsible crowd of theorists. Tho con-
tended superiority of ground limestone
over burnt lime. he said. had never
been satisfactorily established, and the
State would be therefore lending itself
TO gamble with public funds. lie
ridiculed the idea that anything less
than $4,000 would be enough TO put
into operation a successful plant
He told OF the 100000 invested in
the Industry and the $4,000 people de-
pendent upon II for thoir daily bread.
With the entrance of the State into tho
field. he said. this wealth would be do-
stroyed and the people left destitute.
The proposed step. he oontended. was
highly sociolistic in its nature and was
step in the direction OF the destruction
of all private initiative.
SiIty-Ccnt Limestone Impossible.
Ground limestone at 90 cants ton.
said Warner Moore. another manufac-
turer, was a physical impossibllity. It
cost more than that to mine the rock
He quoted from the 1910 report of Gov
crnor Denecn, OF Illinois, to show that
the total consumption of ground lime
stone by the farmers OF Illinois during
that year amounted to $4,000 tons. To
the claim that the Virginia plants were
insufficient to supply the demand, he
answered that the single plant which
he represented was prepared to furnish
10000 tons annually.
Senator Tavenner produced a petition
from farmers in Shenandoah county pro-
testing against the enactment of the
law. FIe spoke vigorously against the
bill. Admitting that each Of the two
proposed lime grinding plants would
give employment to fifteen convicts. he
denounced the economic folly of appro-
priating 100000 20 give employment to
thirty man. Rather than put them to
work In this manner. he said. he would
prefer for them 10 remain in the pen
itentiary making shoes. 1t was an In
suit to an old and established Industry
to threaten It's destruction with the
employment Of thirty convcts. and n
degradation to the 5000 free workmen
now employed in It. He called atten-
ton 20 the fact that there are fifty
one lime manufacturers in the state
each one OF whom was prepared TO en-
duct at an advance OF 10 per cent. over
cost
CInss Legislation Charged.
Attorney NJ ]. Fultrn. of Richmond,
quoted from the Bill OF Rights and
the Constitution to show that the whole
enterprise was antagonstic to Amer-
can and English principles OF govern
ment 1t was nothing moro. he said.
than an attempt to tax the public for
/, the benefit Of "a special class-the
farmers. Although couched in general
terms which permitted the State
ground limestone to oe purchased. by
any citizen OF the State. II was as pure,
~ farmers measure, he said, as II
st contained an express provision that
only farmers arc entitled 10 Its bene-
nts, He doubted II there was a Jaw