The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-01-29

he said. II may not come back. blu,
i am not going to sing any swan song
do not expect this House TO follow
my say so. There are ninety
others and IL they defeat everything
/ advocate / am going to grin and
bear IT. 1t Is 3ust as important to be n
good loser as to be a good winner"
/ Colonel Leedy. OF Page. preceded
Mr. White, speaking briefly In favor
OF the commission plan you gem
f ton. but disintegration he declared.
You are preparing to. divorce the
/ localities from the State
MFR, browning Opens
George L. Browning. OF Orange,
followed Mr White. speaking in IA
vor OF the tax commission bill. Mr..
Browning based the major portion
of his argument upon the fact that
men who had studied the question ia
Vored the commission plan.
The jury In a court case or the
chancellor in a chancery suit" he
said reaches a decision by weighing
the evidence and giving heed to the
preponderance of that evidence.
Every Judge so instructs the jury
The preponderance OF the evidence in
this cause, gentlemen, Is in favor Of
the IAS COMMISSION.
Mr. Browning paid tribute to the
three members OF the Joint commit
tee on tax revision who favor scgre-
cation, but pointed out the fact that
seven of the ten favored the commits
sion bin. Calling them by name and
pointing out their special qualifica-
lions for the work of tax revision, be-
ginning with Professor Page. Of the
University of Virginia, Mr. Browning
declared that these men and their
views must overshadow the views Of
the three who disagreed with them.
But ] do not rest my case upon
that" he declared THAT is not all
of my evidence"
He then read extracts from the
messages OF former Governors Mon
tague and Mann and others. Being
Interrupted by the arrival of the hour
Tor the Echols memorial exercises In
the Senate. MIR. Browning suspended
until the House reconvened at
O'CLOCK In the afternoon.
The Afternoon Session
On resuming at the afternoon ses-
sion. Mr. Browning cited the expert
ences with the commission form OF
other States, mentioning Colorado,
Florida. New Hampshire and Kansas
as examples OF States with powerful
commission that had accomplished
great deal toward equalization OF as
scssinents To the objection that the
commission proposed in the ChalkIey
measure has only advisory powers. he
gave Montana and Texas as exam
pies of States which have obtained
good results with such commissions
Following Mr.. Browning came O.
Il. Jordan, OF PULASKI, in advocacy OF
the tax commission bill. Mr.. Jordan
began by saying that the General AS
sembly was called into extra session
to equalize assessments throughout
the state. In response to a just public
demand. If We did not come for
that" he demanded to know. what
did we come here for? Will some
advocates OF segregation tell me?"
came from one OF the so called
pauper counties" said Mr. Jordan,
out my people want only justice sor
all. They were keeniy hunviliated
when the report OF the joint commit
tee on tax revision showed that their
lands were assessed below the aver
age, and believe they want that
condition corrected. They do not
want anything at the expense of 9TH
ers. l am told that my county gains
by segregation. and then again / am
told that we already get more from
the State than we give, because our
property Is unaasessed. want moth
ing. ana my people want nothing. but
correct and equal assessments"
Dcprecates Suspicion.
Tho Pulaski man contended that
the joint committee that recommend
ed the bill for which he was speaking
were men selected by the General
Assembly and tho Governor OF the
state to acquire Information and
make recommendations and that I'M
less strong reasons could be given for
rejecting that committees common
datlons they should be accepted. Mr..
Jordan also referred to that OF which
some of the members of the Joint ia n
committee have already made com
plant.
Il oan not" he declared, under
stand the suspicion on the part of
some members OF the Legislature of
the, report OF that joint committee.
II In absurd. gentlemen: II Is ridicu-
lous. As business man | think we
should accept the report OF the ma
Jority unless there be presented
strong reasons appealing clearly TO
our intelligence"
Mr.. Jordan then went into dis
onssion OF the powers and duties of
the proposed tax commission, seek
ing to show that II avoids. on the
one hand, powers that might make 1t
and on the other hand
avoided making those powers so small
as TO make the committee useless. The
Dali strikes happy mean, he thought.
some OF you object to the pro
posed commission because II lacks ad-
equate powers. and others like my
friend from Giles. object to Ii because
" mas plenary powers. 1t must DO
about right"
Mr.. Jordan concluded at 9 o'clock
when the House adjourned until this
morning. when other advocates OF
the commission plan will speak, fol-
lowing which the segregation leaders
~1A present their side of the case
So far. Hugh White. of Rockbridge
is the only segregationist TO address
the Asse mbly.