The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1915-09-21
WILL CALL EXTRA
SESSION FOR NOV. 1ST
AND LOCAL BILLS
ARE TO BE INCLUDED IN
THE OFFICIAL CALL.
GOVERNOR MAKES STATEMENT
Executive Will Probably Issue His
Call for Converting of Legislature
Sept. 25th or 27th. New County
Fights May Have to Go Over.

Call for Converting of Legislature
Sept. 25th or 27th. New County
Fights May Have to Go Over.
The extra session of the general
assembly will be called by Governor
Harris to meet on Monday, Novem-
Der list, and the call though he has
not yet made definite announcemnt
of it, will undoubtedly contain pro-
hibition, and will be open to consid-
Grafton of local matters germane to
the general subjects under consider
alton.
The Governors Statement.
81 think l shall put the opening
date of the extra session on the first
! business day in November, and it is
my purpose to issue the call thirty
days in advance of that date, at least,
in order that the members may have
a chance to properly advertise local
bills, if they have anything related
to the general subjects which | shall
include in the call which needs local
LEGISLATION. 1t has been heretofore
decided that when general legislation
is under consideration in an extra
session such needed local legislation
as may be related to the general sub
ject may be introduced in and acted
upon during the extra session.
cat the time when tae extra SEES
sion was called for consideration Of
the convict system the general tax
act was included for consideration,
and, as related to that, local legisla-
ton of a like nature was permissible.
The same would apply on this occa-
sion. If local legislation is related
to any of the general subject matter
it may be considered"
Implies Local Bills.
Governor Harris was asked if that
did not imply that there would be 10
cal legislation and his reply was in
the affirmative-that is, that such an
implication was in what he said.
That there is a possibility of the
general revenue of the stare being
affected by action OF the extra session
and through that a probability of the
direct effect upon many educational
matters is also admitted to be fact;
but all of this will depend upon what
action is taken by the legislature at
ter it has been assembled.
Under the rules it is not possible
for the governor to fix the order of
business for the legislature, though
it is in his province, and is fixed as a
duty, that he define the matters
which may be taken up during the
session. He may enumerate two.
three or a dozen proposed bills, but
the arrangement of consideration of
those measures is entirely within the
discretion of the house and the sem
ate separately. The senate may take
up one kind of legislation, included in
the call, and 90 through with that
while the house is engaged on entire
Iy different subjects.
If Prohibition Passes.
If prohibition is passed by the ex-
| ira session it is admitted that the
specific tax act-that fixing special
| licenses, professional tax and the
| like-will have to be revised and
changed. In this respect the general
action would bear on the counties
of the state and, in reducing the rev.
enue of the state by doing away with
the near beer specific tax, it will like
wise eliminate that source of income
from tn ecounties. To overcome that
the counties will have to take similar
action to what it is a certainty will be
taken by the state-haVe the specific
tax act of the county revised. That
will mean a general revision of those
acts in the counties where a fund is
derived from the sale of near beer
! licenses-if prohibition is passed.
State Warehouse Bill.
On the subject of the inclusion of
the state warehouse bill Governor
Harris had nothing to say today, but
it is practically a foregOne conclusion
! that it will be included. One
subject which has just been present
ed to him, and which is classed in
the presentation as extreme emergen-
cy legislation, is the necessity for
passing some new law controlling au-
tomobiles. The mandamus and suit
! brought by Sumter county is based
on constitutional questions. If the
county wins that suit, and there are
a number of lawyers of substantial
reputation who believe it will, the
present state law will be declared
unconstitutional, and Georgia will be
without any sort of automobile legis-
latiOn.
The w. & A. Measure.
The Western and Atlantic railroad
bill has been urged and will prOba-
bly, be in the call, but no definite an
nOuncement or anything that can be
construed as indicating a definite de-
cision, has come on that proposition.
Request has been made to handle
also the matter of the new counties,
and if constitutional amendments are
included in the call those bills can
be taken up. 1t is only the barest
possibility that the session will be
thrown open that far, though; and
it need not be surprising if the new
county fights have to go over until
next year.