The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-08
Attack in Senate Centers on 40 Cents Per 5000
 Franchise Tax
RIGHT OF APPEAL
 IS RECOMMITTED
House, However, Accepts Conference Report by Overwhelming Vote After Explanation of
 Danger in Delay
By l.. .. BETvY

Montgomery. September s.-tSpe- einl.)-Protest against practically ev- cry important feature of the new rev enue bill was made in the senate to- 6ay on the question of adopting the conference committees report on that measure. The reading of the report wns the signal for another fight against corporations. the right of eranting exemptions, the franchise tax provision and other features of the bill thnt were SO vigorously contested when the measure was up for passage in the senate.
 The debate on the report continued nearly the entire day without the at tainment of any definite or final re- mains to be settled-that relating to the right of appeal in matters of tax valuation. Tomorrow, probably, this question will be adjusted and, unless indications fail, the revenue measure will then be in shape to be prepared for presentation to the governor
 In the house there was no great fight on the bill. That body adopted the committees report by a vote of 64 to G.
 Principal Attack in Senate
 The principal attacks in the senate on the committees report were directed against those provisions fixing the franchise tax against foreign corpor- ations on flat basis of 40 cents per 5000 and the granting to corporations the right of appeal to courts in mat ters fixing the, valuation of their prop erty without granting the same priv ilege to individuals.
 With respect to the franchise tax as- sessment of 40 cents. which was a re- auction of 35 cents in the assessment as fixed by the senate, that body to- day refused to recede, from the com rittee's report. but the senate did de- cline to concur In the committees rec ommendation relative to the right of appeals from property assessments.
 By. a vote of Is to 13 the senate asked that this question again be sub nlitted to a conference committee with the request that property owners be given the same right of appeal to a jury in matters fixing property yalua- tions as that enjoyed by corporations.
 Lead by Lusk and Hill
 The fight against the adoption of the committees report was led by Senator Lusk of Marshall and Senator Hill of Montgomery. They asserted that the re- port of the committee was an out rage" that 1t was discriminatory In favor of corporations, and that the committee was attempting to ram the bil1' down their throats
 Tn their debate against the adoption of the committees report, Senators Hill and Lusk dealt with practically every phase of the revenue bill. The every other feature of the bill to which tfere was opposition when the meas ure was up for passage was again de- Lated.
 It was clear to the friends of the bill that strong effort was being made to defeat it. As a matter of fact. Senator Lusk admitted that the state old revenue law as under the new, and for time it appeared that the bill was hanging in the balance.
 Strong Appeals for Adoption
 However, supporters of the mea sure made strong fight for the adoption of the report. Senators Bulger of Talla-
 
 bile and others argued that not to adopt the committee's report would mean the defeat of the bill. and the defeat of th, bill would mean that the state, in It's present financial condition, would have to operate for the next four years under the revenue laws of 1911
 The vote on the two sections above indicated came at 5 o'clock this after noon. The senate declined to adopt the motion to ask for another conference on the franchise tax assessment by vote of 19 to 12. but on the question of fixing a different basis of appeals in matters of valuation the senate did vote for an other conference committee.
 The same conference committee that had been at work for the past week in an effort to adjust differences between the house and senate with respect to the rev. enue bill was commissioned to renew its labors on the much debated bill.
 The committee at once began it's task and by tomorrow morning will probably make its report