Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-02-01
TEN DAYS REMAIN FOR
TAX REFORM LEGISLATION
Special Session to Determine Shape
of Bill Will Take Place During
This Week.
SAFEGUARDING NEARLY OVER
Time for Voting Is Mt Hand-Mem-
hers Facing Reelection in Fall
Are Becoming Anxious rs to Fate
of Local Bills.

u OF Local Bills.
| Exactly ten working days are left
! to the special session of the General
Assembly in which to agree upon II
/ plan of tax reform, TO perfect the ma
chincry OF assessment and collection
| which is to give life TO the method of
reform selected, and to dispose OF a
| rather bulky calendar crowded with
local bills OF many descriptions.
This Is a program which. according
| to hardened Legislators. the General As
sembly will find il hard to complete in
| the short time that remains. Members
of both houses. discussing the situation
| informally last night in the hotel lob
bies, expressed deep concern over tho
general legislative situation. although
each, when cornered, made the predic-
| ton that there will he no adjournment
without the previous enactment OF a
| more or less satisfactory tax reform
program.
EXPECTS SEGREGATION PLAN
WITH NOTIFICATIONS
LAS sec the situation" said Senator
Gravatt. of Caroline, the main ques-
! grcgationists will yield ground to COM
mission plan ideas. That the plan that
will be adopted will be segregation
| with an admiXturc OF commission plan
ingredients seems now to be generally
admitted.
while | have no definite Information
upon which to base my estimate, l
should say that pure. unadultcrated
segregation plan, such as seemed To be
! favored by Il majority in the House
some days back, would find IL hard to
! poll majority in the Senate. At the
same time, 1t is absolutely certain that
| the commi ssion plan would never at
tract the support OF Senate majority.
I'm such a situation the logical thing,
! ii apcpars to me, is to devise COM
| promise plan that will he supported by
| majority Of both Houses. and which
| will at tho same time answer the de-
mand for reform. My own idea OF such
a compromise plan would be substan
/ TALLY what is known as the segregation
| sch enc with the addition of State and
| local commissions clothed with advts-
Org powers only.
DEFINITE STEPS WILL
DE TAKEN THIS WEEK
| whatever is done will be done this
week That something will he done.
! that Il tax reform plan Of some de-
scription will he passed by both Houses
| and sent TO the Governor. cannot be
| doubted. Nothing short OF impending
disaster could induce the General AS
| sembly to adjourn after thirty days OF
| work and admit TO the people OF Viz
J Einia that tho special session from
which so much had been expected and
| upon which the State has expended ap-
proXimately 100000 counting he cost
| OF the Tax Commission, has been a
| failure"
The House OF Delegates has fixed to-
4 E..
! There was well-defned feeling last
night that the which plan" question
has been debated ad ncuseam. and that
the time has como for n definite align
mcnt. The vote in the House will he
watched closely by Senate leaders and
will probably influence to n marked de-
! gree the treatment of the segregation
bill in the upper House where this
| measure is now on the calendar in the
amendable stage
| While the tax bills properly occupy
| the centre Of the stage, and while it Is
admitted that their disposition will de-
! terminc the success or failure Of the
special session. the swiftly approaching
END or the present Legislature has
! heightened the interest of individual
| members in local hills which they have
introduced. and which are still a long
way from the Governors signature.
COMING ELECTION ADDS
| INTEREST TO Local, BILLS
interest in the local bills is height
| ened by the fact that with adjourn
ment next week the General Assembly
as at present constituted disbands for
! ever. The trainers Of several local bills
VIII either not stand for reelection or
expect keen competition at the next
election. and desire especially to Sc
cure tho enactment of their bills into
| law while they are yet members of the
General Assembly.
Among the special bills on the calen-
dar In which the city OF Richmond is
f, Interested. is Senate Bill No. SO. whic..
proposes an amendment to the act de-
timing the powers of the State Corpora
tion Commission designed. according
TO the City Council TO allow the Chesa
peake and Ohio Railway Company to
sell its water rights in the James River
and thus jeopardize perpetual privi-
lege now enjoyed by the city. The
Richmond delegation has been asked
by the Common Council to oppose the
passage OF the bill. and 1t is more than
probable that 1t will die on the calen :
dar
Another bill which interests the city
is the ono introduced by Delegate
Stubhs. which appropriates $4,000 to-
wards the Confederate reunion which
will be held in this city next June.
The city Council has provided $4,000
for this purpose in the new budget
and the additional $4,000 would be
welcomed by the Confederate orRani-
cations that are engaged in working
out the plans for the big meeting.
WILL DISCUSS THE WAR