The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1914-03-16
MANY GOOO BILLS
WERE DISPOSED OF
Legislature Transacted Much
Business Of Importance After
All Before Adjournment.
Among Them the Enabling
Act, Bank Tax and Rolling
Stock Bills, and Age Of Con-
sent Bill.

sions for the purpose of signing Bills
and cleaning UP of the work remains,
general review of the 1914 session
legislation was disposed Of and more
bills Of Statewide Importance were
passed than any session in the history
ar the Virginia general assembly.
The enabling act. the law giving the
people of the State of Virginia the
right to vote on the question of
Statewide prohibition was one of the
first bills TO become a law. having
been passed by both branches early
in the session and signed by the gov
ernor When the necessary number
of qualified voters have signed the
petition and IT has been presented to
the governor. he Will. through the
secretary of the Commonwealth order
an election. which is to take place
In September. There Is little doubt
as 10 the final outcome that prohi-
hition will prevail in Virginia on and
after November /. 1918.
Then came other bills of sweeping
Importance. which were as follows:
The bank deposit tax law, segregat-
ing the tax on bank deposits to the
State and reducing the rate of tax
alton TO twenty cents on the Sloe.
the bill governing the tax on the roll
Ing stock Of railroads. which equally
divided the revenue derived from this
source between the cities, towns and
counties through which the railroads
operated thereby giving the counties
an enormous increase at the cost OF
the cities In which the railroads nave
their head Offices; the tax commission
bill. which provides fer the appoint
naent Of a tax commission or ten men
four OF whom are TO he appointed
frnm the house OF delegates. three
from the senate and three TO be APP
pointed by the governor.
The duties Of this commission VIII
he to study the tax situation of the
state, with view 20 revision. and
to draw several hills which are To
he presented AT an extra session OF
the general assembly, which will be
called IN January The Idea OF the
com mission drawing several bills y
TO give the Legislature every possible
form Of taxation from which they
may choose. the best
Normal school Board.
The Grasty- Duke bill. placing the
four normal schools under one board
went through both branches with fly
ing coIors. This hill abolshes the
four boards which now govern the
normal schools and brings them an
der one head. So that perfect har-
monv will be maintained and the
schools will be placed on the same
footing The bill Will also tend to
cut down the tremendous iohhies that
flock 10 the general assemblies in the
interest Of these people.
interest OF these schools.
Then comes the primary bill. which
was introduced for the purpose OF
remodeling the primary system OF
the State and 10 give relief from the
present state Of affairs existing under
the old regime. The bill providing
for the revision Of the code of Vir-
rtnia was another measure Of great
Importance. This bill provides for
the selection Of ten men by the SUI
prene court. three Of whom are To
be appointed by the governor as a
code. with proper indexes and ref
erences 1t lis planned to get this
commission at work at once that the
work might be accomplished speed
sly 1t ss declared the State will de-
rive enough revenue from the sale
Of the books to pay the costs of the
revision.
With a bare quorum voting the bill
raising the age of consent for girls
was passed on the last night or the
session. This bill raises the age OF
con.ent from fourteen to eighteen
years. Many women prominent In
the state appeared before the COM
mittee on general laws and argued
the matter from a mothers stand
point. A law regulating child labor
was made. which will do much to-
ward the relief OF the small child
employed In the factories Of the State.
Another bill Of Importance to wom-
en- was one amending the ten-nour
law, 30 as to include mercantile
houses and laundries. and adding a
new section to the law prohibiting
the employment of males under the
are OF twenty-one years and females
IN places where liquor Is manufac-
tured. bought sold or shipped. This
bill was bitterly fought and several
attempts made TO amend 1t so as to
exempt women who did not come In
personal contact with liquor, or those
employed FASTING labels on bottles.
but these attempts were defeated.
To Abolish Capital Punishment.
A first step toward the adjustment
OF capital punishment In Virginia
was made in the passage OF a bill
giving a Jury the right to sentence
a man TO life imprisonm ent or death
for murder In the first degree. 1t
was thought that bill abolishing
the system OF taking life by law would
be introduced at this session, but In
view OF the tremendous amount OF
work, it was not prepared.
The pension bill which was passed
nv the house. died In the senate. nut
the Confederate veterans were amply
provided for in the general appro-
priation bill, which gave them q
twenty per cent increase In the PEN
eions allowed The anti-fee bill. linn
it.ng the amount OF fee which certain
public officers should receive was also
enacted into law. This bill will cause
a general revision OF the state. caus-
ing some very desirable jobs to dwin-
die to normal size. While the bill Is
not inst what was desired It has
onened the way for further iegisla-
Hon, as IN will give the next general
(which each ONCE In the counties.