The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-03-10
MANY MEASURES
co TO CREDIT
OF LEGISLATURE
Session Of 1912 Was I'm
usually Busy and
Fruitful One,
DISTRICT LINES
ARE UNCHANGED
Gross Inequalities Of Represents
.tation Must Continue-West
Secures Resolution That (
Clerk of Senate Shall Secure
Information as to Fees.
Game Bill Fails.

Nothing OF especial moment naarka
ed tho hnal scenes of tho session OF
the General Assembly of 1912. The
Senate completed Its business at $40,
and half an hour later the membesa
of the House of Delegates dled out
singing and laughing. and glad that
tho strain of sixty days was ended,
The session ia matter of history.
For the next six days. at noon. half
dozen members will guther In the
chambers. whilo the president of the
Senate and the Speaker OF the House
sign bills as they come from the en-
rolling room. But no further business
can be transacted.
Much Work Wus Done.
1t would be .'stinctly inaccurate ana
unjust to characterize this General AS
sembly as one which had done moth
Ing. or even one in which title
legislation was accomplished. AS a
matter OF fact, it has passed a un-
usually large number OF Important
measures. The volume of work has
been enormous. 1t must be taken into
account that more was expected OF
this body than of any within IL decade
or course. every one interested In
any bill or any number Of bills which
did not pass. has the impression that
the Legislature has been Lax In it's
duty hut there will always be mora
people disappointed than satisfied AZ
the result of a Legislative session All
lawmaking. rs Speaker Byrd pointed
out in his farewell speech Yesterday,
is matter of adjustment OF per-
sonal and Individual opinions. and ali
laHmalting. il ia equally true, must
be matter Of education and of
growth.
Failed to Hedistrict..
There can pc no questions that the
most serious omission on the part OF
the General Assembly OF 1871. was In
tho matter Of rcarranging the districts
for representation In the Senate and
House Of Delegates. Tho Senate bill
on this subject could not he reached
yesterday. and an effort To take up the
House bill was defeated. Members
who might otherwise have voted for
IL. were unwilling to renew fight OIL
the concluding day.
As result, for at least two yeare
the old rcdistrctinS must stand. Tho
little county OF AppomlttiS. With its
utterly Inadequate and inconscquenlial-
~ small populate ion OF 5000, will have
similar representation with the com
bined counties OF Wise and Dickinson.
with $4,000. and with the city of Roa-
nokc. with $4,000, lncauitable ar
engagements of this sort exists from ona
cnd OF the state TO the other
The defeat of the bills was due both
to prohibition advocates who feared to
give the cities their proportion of rep
resentaton, because of the larger pro-
portion OF advocates of regulation OF
tho liquor trnnic, ana to those whose
diatricts are $50 small in population al
TO make their Encouragement newt
able.
sections DiskruntIed.
Members from the rapidly growing
sections predict a revolt "a a result of
conditions, and fear a rapid growth OF
tho Republican party. But everybody
is likely TO cool Oft before long
The constitutional mandate that the
state shall he rcdistricted In 1912 is so
plain that the Governor thought the
Legislatures as we'll able to read as he-
and will decline 10 call an extra ses-
sion of the Legisla ture.
III addition 10 the action OF Senator
Black burn Smith, who represents 90
Catrons district and OF others In sirsa
liar circumstances, there was added
tremendous political pressure from
Washingto to keep member of the
House from AppomattiX county. the
home Of Representative II. f. Flood. 3
All those who wanted to be left alone.
regardless of equity. arc we'll Satisfied
that no redictricting bill passed
May Get Fee Information.
All hope Of securing Information re-
garding the amount OF fees received
by public officials is not gone. In the
dying hours of the Senate session. sem
ator j. Il. West. tho author OF the fec
bill which was smothcred in the House.
secured tho passage OF q resolution
looking 10 the same end.
Ii instructs the clerk of the Senate
10 apply for the necessary information
from clerks, sheriHs and sergcants.
who are required by law to keep te+
books. giving the total of their receipts
for the two calendar years of 1912 and
1919. Tho clerk is to report tho re-
suits at the session Of 1914. II Is sup
posed that LEGAL or constitutional dif-
ticultt 80 will be found In the way OF
putting the public in possession of
this material Ht
Quite Unexpectedly the Senate passed
the bill providing that tho Governor
may buy the eastern half of tho Ford
Hotel property, in thfs city. lie Is to
~ up the buildings Tor temporary use
as State Offices. pending the construc-
ton OF public building on tho sito a.
some future day. An amendment was
agreed to putting off the payment until
such time as the surplus to The neces-
sary amount OF $4,000 Is actually in
the State troa sury.
Gnme BiIl Is Lost.
Although the Aloncnre- Ru HEREFORD e
game bill had clear majority In the
House in favor Of taking II UP out OF
It's order, 1t did not receive the rsquia-
itc two-thirds, and failed OF consider
alton. The members received many
complaints from people who protestsd
(Contlnaed on Third PagaJ