The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-02-12
LEGISLATIVE COMMENT
By LEWIS H. MACHEN.
REVIEW AND PROSPECT

alumni of the university II Is House
/ bill n. SO. on it's second reading.
reading. The Senate committee has
proposed an amendment which is in
tcnaed TO eliminate any danger OF CO.
education IN the proicsslrnui schools
tho bill already Droviding against IL
IN undergraduate acadcnical courses
Indications Ut present are that tl,t.
bill Viii pass tho Senate. Its fate III
thn 1tousc IS contccturni. though the
opposition there VIII b" formidable
If not fatal.
The RoIiins Stock mn.
The BIN for the utrtsion Of tho taxa
| ton from the rolling stock Of railroads.
50 per cent to ". retained by the
cities III which s,c principal Offices OF
tho companies a:'c located and 30 per
cent. 10 nc distributed among The cotin-
ties and rities through which the
roads run. having passed tn" House by
a large majority Is special and con-
tnuing ordcr In the senate for next
Wednesday, when il VIII most proba niy
be passed.. There has hcen a struggle.
extending over eight years, to hlve
the rolling stock tax Distributed ana
the proposed compromise is considered
reasonable.
Convict Labor.
The Committees on Roads of The
House ana Senate, having Jointly rec
ommcndcd tritt as many as 500 con
victs be aired under contract TOR not
Longer than live years, il aecrns prob
able ;hat tfa contract syatem. mus
modified. will be retained. There win,
Of course, be "a !lcrc" hight wagcd III
! both houses against tue making or any
contract, but the necessity for revenue
and the fact that no practical way has
yet been devised to employ those CON
vcts not available for road purposes
make II unlikely that the contract sys-
tenn viii be aboiirhcd outright. The
growth Of public sentiment against the
system and the especial hostility Of
orsa nized labor give good cause to
hope that in hve or s!X years the
| State vii! abandon the system for
good.
Ink Commission.
The Finance Committee of the
House !s stilk struggling with the
| questions involved in the Tax Commits
sion bin, which was referred TO il
again after it's passage b. the House
In it's original form was found to he
! impossible All sorts OF propositions
scheme for segregation Of the subjects
Of taxation. The committee is said
TO be about ready to report some kind
! of measure. quite different from
few of Its features. which may possibly
pass the House. though it Is not bo-
lieved that the Senate can agree on
| anything of the kind at This session.
miscellaneous.
Inc stephenson aniiiya milling OIL
which passed the House by vote %
It's PROJECTS of passage arc not es-
pecially bright. a similar measure
passed tho House in 1905 but died in
the Senate calendar. In the latter body
1t is held that the present laws against
! gaming, II enforced, are quite adequate
10 remedy all genuine abuses OF the
The game BILL, reported TO the House
with an amendment which greatly
"eakens II. will not be reached this
week unless taken up out OF its or
The Senate has passed bill re-
curing. certain officers who handle
tuoiie FUNDS to mako monthly reports
, 20 the Auditor of Public Accounts 1t
Is almost certain that the House viii
concur and thu. remove much COM
plant that such ;unds are sometimes
periods OF settlement arrive.
Inc Byrd- Featherston primary cloc-
lions bin. which passed the House by
to,nignt by the senate Committee on
PTitileses and Elections. This com
rnau.ee ma. not been Ia favor OF pri-
V mary ELECTION legislation In recent
oe . for 1t. but 1t Is not believed Il
VIII attempt TO another this bill. \
mt M or Of the Senate is pretty sure
perhaps. few amendments. "'"'
| me House Com~'ittee on Privileges
a sae E Eesen,Ion r fGr
amendment, providing for the initia .
tive, referendum and recall. Il has ro
prospect OF passage by either houss,
put It's advocates assert that It will
De reintroduced each session until n
| ls adopted. -
The House and Senate committees
have reported bills for the modifir.s
don o. the doctrine of contributorv
| Negligence in suits for dumnres rio
report or the Senate COMMITTEES is i'm :
! iaHorab bile. Tho full train crew hin ha .
oeen passed By Indefinitely In coinrnit, ,
| lee, and thereby put to sleep
| the Investigation or the Departmco+
| OF Public Instruction has hecI orjercd
| oy the House. and it Is expected that
! his action Will be concnrrel in nv. III
Senate. possibly with an amendment
| hat the investigation take place dur
! .ng the recess OF the General Assem-,
| bly,.
! The resolution inviting Governo-
| iurc on the 10th passed the Senafa
| unanimously but the vote in tbe
! House was 10 TO Ia. IT would ba an
! agreca bic diversion, of course. to nav
this distinguished man speak to orr
| lawmakers. but he would have a hs ri
task to create more favorabIn i'm.
! preston than that left nv C;oycrno-
: Woodrow Wilson.