The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-02-12

The action OF the joint COmm1ttees
Of the general assembly on finance
yesterday morning. when they decided
that commission OF twenty members
be appointed from the house and sen
--ate-ta- Study ~ths~tax- situation and "a
port to an extraordinary session Of the
legislature, has reused storm Of pro-
lest from the legislative committee of
the chamber OF commerce, which rep
resents the Virginia tax conference,
The Joint session of the finance
committee was at Q o'clock In the
court room of the corporation COM
mission. Although the session was
executive, 1t is stated that 1t was de-
cided that a commission should be
appointed, consisting of twenty mem
bers of the general assembly, to make
a study OF tax reform and report to
an extra session, which they recon-
mend should be held the second We'd
uesday in January.
According to the legislative commit
zee of the chamber of ,commerce, they
we're invited to appear before the
Joint session this morning for the
purpose of presenting the resolution
Of the Virginia tax conference, which
they represent and to ask for the pas
sage of the bin introduced in the SEN
ate by Senator Walker. This bill
The tax conference.
Ask Commission OF Five.
The bill provides for commission
Of Ave. instead of twenty, as decided
m. and also provides that one of
lhese members shall be DIR. Thomas
w Page. dean, of the University of
Virginia, who for the past twenty
years has made an exhaustive study
Of the tax question, and who Is one
of the few men in the state who is
equipped to handle the situation. The
other four members were to be APP
pointed as follows: One from each
branch of the general assembly and
the other two were to be appointed by
tho governor,
Resolutions similar TO those passed
by the tax conference In their meet
Ing in Richmond. January Goth 81 st,
were passed by the Farmers union.
at their meeting
These two organizations. composed
Of the principal farmers Of the State,
and the leading business men, wielA
n powerful influence and II was
thought the actions of these two or
ganjzations would have some weight
with the finance committees In this
step.
The legislative COMMITTEES. II ts
claimed. appeared at the capitol at
The hour set for their hearing, .
o'clock. and were told to wait a short
while and they would he allowed TO
present their debate.
Not Given Hearing.
They declare that for two hours
they were left to cool their heels IN
the corridors Of the. building. and at
Ii o'clock were informed that the
faint session had acted on the mat
ter and that all bills including the
walker bill. dealing with the subject
If The tax commission. were thrown
aside
The tax conference. composed OF
lawyers business men, and men rep
resenting the labor unions, and men
IN almost every line OF business in the
state, had made deep study or the
tax situation and carefully complied
the resolution from which the Walker
biil was drafted.
Its representatives were highly in
diEnant over the treatment they were
given at the capitol and they claim
that throwing the wishes Of the farm
ers and the business men back Into
their faces will have sweeping eff
feet.
The idea with which the finance
corn mtttees worked out their pro-
grams tor the COMMISSION WaS titti
sufficient strength had to be mustered
to pass the bill when the legislature
met in extra session. Every section
Of the state has its different tax to he
remedied and without a representa-
tive looking after the interest Of his
particular section. II Will be impos-
sible to cover all Of the points neces-
sary at the extra session and the work
IF the commission would be futile as
far as tax reform is concerned.
In speaking of the meeting. Mr..
Weaver. chairman OF the house COM
mittee on finance. had the following
TO say;
''The statement that appeared IN
one Of the morning papers TO tho eff
feet that there was bitter fight over
the appointing power OF the COM
mttees. was wholly erroneous. As
matter OF fact il was conceded by all