The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-01-19
Delegate Land Proposes
to Garry Home Rule
to Counties.
CUTS PETTY DETAIL
FROM CALENDAR
Impossible to Consider Matters
of State Importance in Sixty
Days Under Present Condi-
tions, He Says-Bank De-
post Tax Before Com
mittee To-Day.

BY cnlar&inS the powers or county
boards Of supervisors. Delegate w. A.
Land. OF Nottoway, In q bill now being
prepared. proposes to relieve the bien-
nial sessions OF the General Assembly
of a vast amount of special private and
local legislation. open the way for Sc
rious consideration of matters OF State
wide Importance. and at the Same time
apply to the counties the democratic
principle OF home rule.
The General Assembly OF 1912 was
severely criticized" said Mr.. Lind last
night, FOR Its failure TO take action
on many matters of State Importance.
While II is true that few such bills
were enacted, IL would not be fair to
say that the members did not work.
They got on the statute books 349 acts
Of all sorts. Nearly every member had
three or four bills of,a local nature
that had to be enacted. and there was
not time In the sixty day session for
more general business.
Onc-Mnn Affair.
For instance. the County Of MOTTO
way wanted TO borrow $4,000 to carry
on some road work. I presented n bill
permitting the county to make the
loan. Probably not another member
knew personally OF the Facts In the
gate II was passed without question.
But every other man had similar bills
of Importance to their communities,
and their consideration by committees
ana the roll calls In the House took
time.
II am preparing bill TO enlarge the
powers and duties Of supervisors of
counties. providing for more frequent
meetings and giving them authority in
all local matters within certain de-
fined limitations. the powers 70 be SINH
lar to the powers OF councils OF towns
under the present general law.
primarily my object is to relieve the
General Assembly of this mass of work
which prevents serious consideration of
more important matters affecting the
whole State. My plan Will make the
supervisors OF counties practically a
commission with powers similar to
commissions and councils in towns, and
provide for regular meetings with com
pcnsat!on.
Should Elect Good Supervisors.
1T is objected that in some counties
the supervisors are not competent to
undertake this responsibility. The an
swer is that the counties should elect
men who are competent. I am sorry
for any county which has not sucn men
willing TO serve on it's board. AS q
matter OF fact, such matters are now
passed on by one man-thc delegate
from the county in the General Assem-
bly,. who alone of all the members gives
such private and local bills strutiny.
The counties would certainly be :s well
safeSuardcd By the action OF Il board
Of representative supervisors as they
are by their one representative in the
General ssen.bly. 1t merely carries
TO the counties the same democratic
principle of local home rule already
delegated by the General Assembly to
cities and towns. Why should the
,,fN ka actka aI
to pass special bill empowering the
supervisors Of some count! to build a
bridge over 4 creek no member OF the
Legislature save the representative of
that county has ever seen? Wouldn't
the supervisors elected directly by the
people be better able to judge whether
such bridge is needed"
Il expect to have the bill ready in n
few days, and, if adopted. believe it
Will do much to free the calendar OF
this detail and allow time for serious
consideration of matters OF interest to
the whole State. In sixty-day ses-
sion. under present conditions no mem
Der can be blamed IL he pushes first
for the local matters his district de-
mands"
Tax ON Bank Deposits.
The House Finance Committee will
meet this morning at 10 o'clock TO con-
slider the Weaver bill. segregating the
tax on bank deposits to the State
alone, and placing the nominal rate OF
cents on 800 as the State tax. Chair
man Weaver has held several confer
cnces with Governor elect Stuart who
has objected to n purely nominal rate
OF taxation. fearing that people will be
tempted 10 convert securities into cash
over the taxing period, in order to
escape taxation. Several delegations
Of bankers from different sections are
here to be heard on this bill In past
years tho law was n dead letter and
people calmly did not return money in
bank for taxation. Since grand juries
have been agitating the matter Of tax
returns. there has developed a dispo-
sition to withdraw money from bank
over February ] the taxing date
To meet this anticipated demand, the
banks have put severe check on busi-
ness by refusing to make loans, and
Diling up large cash reserves Chair
man Weaver said that he and Mr. Stuart
disagree only in the amount of the
tax, and that when this was adjusted.
the bill would be reported as an ener-
gency measure for passage before Feb
ruary /. It's adoption is strongly re-
commended by Governor Mann.
The enabling act will come up in the
House to-day on it's first reading The
tight over amendments Will not come
until the bill is taken up on it's second
reading. Committees in both houses
will begin to-day their regular sched-
ule of meetings, and ir. few days the
calendars Of both houses will have
ready a number of routine bills for
final disposition.