Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1915-01-16
HANG.f|RE IN
LEGISLATURE
House is Challenged to Test
Vote on Plans for
Taxation.
DOCTOR PAGE SPEAKS.
Attempts to Ascertain Relative
Strength of Advocates OF Segrega-
ton and Capitalization.
Relative

| hclllNoRu, Jan. IO-Dy vote OF
y TO 40 the House yesterday refused
TO go into immediate consideration Of
the tax reform bills. The questions
Of Capitalization and segregation
ere now before the Finance Com
mittee, and will not be before the
House, according to the present pro-
gram until the committee reports
SOME time next week.
The vote was taken on a motion
of Delegate White, of Rockbridge,
to discharge the committee. This
argument was made that the Legis-
lature is wasting time, that no mat
ter how many hearings the COM
mittee holds. and no matter what it
reports, the bills will have to come
up in the House on their merits, and
that, therefore, the delay proposed
by the committee is useless and cost
iy, since the two branches OF the
Legislature are merely marking
time.
Mr. Whites motion was bitterly on
posed by members Of the Finance
Committee. They were challenged by
Mr.. White to tell the House what
benefit. could possibly accrue from
the delay since both the segregation
bill and the Capitalization bill are to
be ultimately reported.
The advocates of retaining the
bills in committee replied that the
committee was under obligation to
the Senate Committee Of Finance to
hold joint hearings, and that il
would not be courteous to the
Senate committee if the hearings
should be conceled.
Mr.. White replied that the Sen
ate committee refused to meet the
House committee Thursday and had
refused to enter into any joint con-
ference until next week. He could
not see, he declared, why both bran
cheS Of the Legislature should
be forced to mark time day after day
'anG do practically nothing in order
that a point of courtesy might be
made.
The House will vote Monday as to
whether it prefers segregation or cen
tralization.
Though he announced several days
age that he would introduce no tax
bil Delegate White yesterday chang,
cd his mind and offered a measure
providing for segregation. He would
rive the State all taxes upon intan.
giple personal property and upon the
rolling stock Of steam railways. The
taxes upon real estate and tangible
personal property, except the rolling
stock of steam railways, would be
Local.
Departure from the Legislative
program resulted in the sprlnglng o1
several surprises in the House yes
terday Delegate Smith, of King and
Queen, demanded that the Finance
Committee be discharged from further
consideration of the tax bills; Dele
cate Gum, of Henrico county, called
for an official Investigation Of the
school book question, and Delegate
Land of Nottoway, challenged the
! House to test vote to prove the re-
lat;ve strength of the advocates of
| the segregation and Capitalization
plans.
II was the plan Of some of the
leaders to adjourn both branches Of
the General Assembly so that the
two Finance Committees might con-
tmue their, consideration Of the tax
| bills. but an invitation had been en-
tended to DR.. Thomas Walker Page,
Of The University of Virginia, a mem
Der Of the Tax Commission to ad,
dress the Legislature, and DR.. Page
tne,nc present, the Legislature went
into joint session at 1890 o'clock
10 hear him.
Delegate Smith, who wished the
Finance Committee discharged, was
unable to press his motion, as the
thine set for the joint session arrived