Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-01-25

such take a prominent part in politics.
There is and has been demand Tor
years for the reduction of the fees paid
to some of these officers. many of whom
have grown rich while in Office. Under
the provisions of the bill, the maximum
to be paid any officer in the state is
of $4,000 or more meaning Norfolk and
Richmond. Other payments go as low
as $4,000 for cities of $4,000 and under
Examiners of records, who have been
to get not more than $1,000 year.
Some of these have been getting very
much more.
lobbyists from every part of the
state for, every conceivable interest
and for all purposes. are here in num-
bers. There are more here now than
lat any session for years and years. The
liquor people have large number in
daily attendance The Anti-salo1n
job. The advocates for a woman's uni
versity are not without a delegation
Woman suffrage has its full quota
|of champions. The league opposing uni
versal suffrage can rely on the support
of several well known ladies. The bank
ers have been in force since the open
ing of the session. The fee officers
of the state are certain to come to make
"a fight against the Brewer bill to cut
their fees For some time the lawyers
were on hand to direct the contest for
the judgeships. The legislators are
being almost worried to death, as was
evidenced when caucus was held to
name judges. the meeting lasting till .
o'clock members declining to adjourn
and permit renewal of the attacks by
the lobbyists They finished the mat
ter and disposed Of that party.
Tax on Bank Deposits Changes.
Bank deposits in Virginia will not be
taxed more than 10 cents on 500 in fu-
ture. For years the tax on money in
bank has been the same as taxes on
any other classes of property But ex-
perience has shown that when there has
been as much as $4,000, 900 in the banks
only about one-eighth has found its way
to the tax assessor for taxation 1t is
claimed that under the new law the state
will get very much more than formerly,
for the reason that persons who have
money in bank will not care to draw it
out and run the risk of losing or having
it stolen while evading the law and hav-
ing nothing in bank February I. For
years millions have been drawn from the
banks on the last day of January. to find
its way back to the banks February ..
In this way the tax is escaped. In dis
GUESSING the bill in the senate, Senator
Thornton declared that every year many
hundreds of thousands of dollars from
Virginia found its way to the District
of Columbia, where no tax laws of the
state would affect it.
With just week before Henry G..
Stuart takes up the duties of governor
there arc many reports to the effect that
he will leave very few of the "od issue
ofiiceholders in their positions. In other
words, the new governor is to see to it
that men who are not allied with the
old order of things get the plums from
his political tree. This has had the eff
feet of upsetting many persons. and it
may be that within a few days there
will come down a list of appointments
which will place the men who are at
outs with the organization in positions
which some of them have long sought.
and from which they have been barred
by reason of the fact that the high signs
of the faithful We're unknown to them.
The first man to drop from official life
after many years was Secretary Ben
p. Owen. long the man who filed the
position of office man for governors. The
adjutant general and the fish commits
sioner are to come next, and while there
is hope that the old men will be re-
tanned. the belief is that they will be
stricken from the pay roll of the state.
The hopes of the progressives are run
ming high, and fond expectation fills them
on every side.