Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-01-15
RECOMMENDS REPEA
| OF LAND CRABBERs' LAW
|Chalkley Bill, Reported as Substitute,
Makes Provision for Sale OF De-
linQuent Land.
1CosTs PAID BY LANDOWNER
Balance Over and Above Costs and
Taxes to Revert to Owner-Love
Defends License Tax on Retailers
OF Tobacco.

| The Finance Committee OF the House
tof Delegates devoted It's session yes
j terday to consideration OF the mer-
| chants license schedule of tho Tax
Baker, of Chesterfield. acted as chair
4 man.
When the Tax Commissions report
was compiled many sections were left
open TOR amendment" The Finance
! Committee practically completed con-
schedule. and tho bill will be reported
! favorably. In amended form. this
lmorning.
Two other bills approved by the com
J rnittee are the delinquent land tax
measure. of which Mr.. Chalkiey is
| patron. and the capitation bill. MIR.
( Lowry. patron.
isrRbbers' law and makes provision for
I tho sale OF delinquent lands by chan
l Gerry proceedings. the costs TO be paid
l by the landowner and what balance
| there may be TO revert to him.
{STOREKEEPERs ARE GETTING
RICH, SAYS DELEGATE; LOVE
Tho section Of the merchants license
measure placing specific tax of 50
| on retailers who have also "A general
retail license was challenged. and Dele
gate Love defended H. He spoke with
great fcrvor He denied that country
| merchants were not aDIe 10 pay thiS
additional tax. He spoke from his own
| observation Of country storekeepers
who wax wealthy. He told the COM
mittee that his family doctor was not
worth a sou until he set up n drug
| store. Now he was rolling in wealth
| Delegate Love warmed up to his sub
Ject.
Nobody can better afford TO pay
| licenses and taxes than the men who
arc making money FAST" he said. 81
come here from Lunenbnrg. and see
around here from all parts OF the State
| looking after their own interests.
Now, l am here TO look after the in
ierests OF the State and the interests
Of Lunenburg. That Is what the pco-
rle OF Lunenburg sent me here for.
And, by tho boots Of Brutus, I am
going 10 fight this proposition until
| tho cows como home. We want that
| 50 tax TO go on the sale OF tobacco
Men who sell tobacco can afford to
pa" IT,
| BILL RUSHED THROUGH
IN DYING HOUR U1' SESSION
Along came a bill In tho dying hour
OF the last Legislature. taking the So
| tax of. In the rush and hurry. mo-
body noticed IL. ! didn't understand
IL myself. ] voted for IT before | dis
| covered what l Was doing, but by
now. and l am here TO insist on rectify-
| ing that mistake"
Delegate Loves oratory and earnest
ness were irresistible. The opposition
withdrew.
| The section cXompting from taxation
persons conducting temporary eating
or lodging houses. horse lots and con-
| dictionaries at religious gatherings
from license tax" was briefly discussed
and allowed to stand. Mr. Montague
remarked that many OF his constit-
ucrts were complaining because church
organizations were allowed to run res
tnurants on Main Street in competition
with the licensed restaurants.
The hotel license provision was
adopted with an amendment stipular
ing that for summer hotels. which are
open for four months only or less. the
license shall be so cents for each he'd
room and % cents for each bath
HOUSTON RIDICuLES
AUTOMOBILE LICENSE LAW
The automobile and garage section
was the subject OF much discussion.
Fifty years from now Delegate
Harry r. Houston remarked. the idea
OF charging n man a license to operate
u motor driven vehicle on a public road
will he regarded as ridiculous" He
also suggested that the law requiring
Am automobile owner to pay full
years license when he applied for
license in November ought TO be
changed. Tho committee was not dis
posed TO make changes In the provi-
sions referred to.
Mr. Grasty insisted upon and finally
secured an amendment by which the
reward paid to constables and police
officers for the arrest OF persons oper-
atinE automobiles without license was
eliminated. This will be "a source OF
grief to constables who overhaul auto
mobiles on country roads driven by
tourists passing through the State.
Another amendment relieves auto
mobile owners OF the necessity for
taking out n chauffeur's license for a
servant employed for other work whom
they occasionally employ to drive the