The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-09-13
LEGISLATORS TO
CONFER ON PLAN
Chamber of Commerce Will Ar
range Tax Reform Confer
ence in Richmond.
TO DISCUSS SEGREGATION
Before Opening Of Legislature,
Delegates and Business Men
Will Study Problem.

conference % members OF the
General Assembly to be held i'm Rich
mond the last of September. to be fol-
lowed by conference Of business men.
farmers and professional men later i'm
the fan. to study the tax reform oues-
ton In detail Is now proposed by the
legislative committee OF the Chamber
| OF Commerce. and heartily Endorsed By
leaders in the movement for reform
or the state taxation plan. Prominent
members of the House Of Delegates
have approved the proposed prelimi-
nary gathering of Legislators in prep
aration for concerted action when the
| Assembly meets.
Already the legislative committee of
the chamber Is pledged to the system
or tax reform proposed recently by
state Auditor c. Lee Moore; or rather
the committee has Endorsed Mr.. Moore's
general scheme without agreeing to
all details OF the plan 1t is understood
! that the State Auditors segregation
| idea Will be presented to the two con-
ferences as the basis of tax reform,
! and each VIII take action on the plan.
| To Amend Moore's Plan.
! Exception to Mr. Moore's segregation
| plan has been taken by the legislative
| committee and tax experts on the
grounds of It's inelasticity and efforts
Will be made to remedy this alleged
lmperfcction before the plan Is sub
mitted to the conference Critics OF
| The Moore plan of tax reform declare
that in case of falling of In the reve-
nues Of public service corporations the
| State would find itself short OF funds
and without means Of raising any
under the plan. as originally proposed
| by the State Auditor II has been
| suggested that the Chamber of Com
merce correct this situation by In
| cooperating an amendment providing
for small emergency levies real
estate before presenting the segrega-
| ton plan 10 the Richmond conferences
The Legislative committee, headed BY
| A. NJ. Cannon. has been occupied with
the problem OF bringing about intelli-
| gent tax reform at the next session OF
| the General Assembly for some months
| finally hitting upon ,the scheme of
! bringing the Legislators to Richmond
| for conference with tax experts and
| political economists before the actual
meeting in January. Mr. Cannon Will
| call a meeting of the committee early
next week. at which the plan for the
two conferences will be thoroughly
determined.
Delegates Favor Plan.
| Members OF the General Assembly
| have already expressed favorable
|
! form. and have more or less pledged
! themselves TO follow his system when
! the Legislature meets in January
| There is a disposition on the part of
| some OF the committee to Invite TO the
! September conference only those who
are avowedly favorable TO the segre-
! cation idea, provided, of course. q
! majority is found to look with favor
on the plan. Delegate Il. +. Cox. a
leading candidate for the speakership
| Of the House. sees danger of untago-
! nizing the Legislators who are not in
! Hited 10 the conference. and when con-
! suited by the committee. advised that
I all representatives in the General AS
sembly be extended the invitation
He did not entirely convince the
/ committee however, and he has been
| asked 10 appear at the meeting next
/ week and explain more fully why he
/ believes harm would come to the seq
! regation idea il only majority of
/ the legislators are asked To the Rich
! nond conference. Mr.. Cox believes
that every member of the General AS
| sembly. particularly the newly-elected
/ Delegates who are naturally not thor
! ougEly familiar with the difficult prob
| lem of tax reform. should be brought
here and given "a chance to have the
( proposed system explained by tax ex-
/ pcrts
/ The legislative committee Is com
".
| II. Funston, r. Peyton Giles, 0. A.
! Hawkins, j. +. Ryland and G. c. Val
entinc.
General Conference.
| After the Legislators have met in
/ Richmond. reviewed the tax situation
and come to some action on Mr.. Moore's
| amended segregation scheme the
! chamber proposes to invite here a great
| gathering of men from every walk Of
! business and professional life to study
I the situation and make strong CO.
/ hercnt representations on tax reform
/ TO the General Assembly when it
! meets.
/ In the effort to arouse the interest
! of the entire State In the conference,
. the chamber will enlist the active CO.
operation of all the commercial organi-
cations of Virginia. asking each to send
delegates to the tax congress. Invi-
! tations will be sent to lawyers, farm
| ers. doctors and men in every vocation
| in the hope of giving the movement for
| intelligent tax reform the flavor of q
| universal demand.
Mr.. Cannon, having made the pre-
| liminary preparations. will lay his
plans before the committee and ask
assistance In determining the exact
nature of the proposed conferences and
the best scheme to make them sue
| ceSsful.
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