Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-01-23
DELEGATES FAVOR
ECONOMY POLICY
Adopt Norris Resolution Limit
ing Size of GenSral Appro-
priation Bill.
MUST NOT EXCEED LAST YEAR

ReSOlutlOn VIII Bar STeatlOn or
New Departments Unless Cut
Is Made Elsewhere.
By. n vote OF A TO Il. the House Of
Delegates Yesterday adopted n rcsolu-
tion offered by Delegate L. O. Norris.
Jr. OF Lancaster, which provides tina:
the appropriation bin of the present
session shall not exceed In aggregate
amour. the appropriations carried by
tho budget measure of the session Of
1914.
Unless modified BY the House later
IN the session. this resolution VIII have
tho effect of practically barring the
creation Of new departments or other
wise materially increasing the appro-
priations 10 ANY Of the present depart
mcnts OF the state government. Con-
sdcrine the drastic restriction that Il
carries. the measure encountered re-
markably little opposition.
If the aggregate OF the forthcoming
appropriation bill is not allowed 70
exceed the aggregate OF the bill passed
departments or enterprises can be
made only by cutting down the allot-
ment TO already existing departments
q proceeding which. IL Is admitted
would be extremely unpopular and
next to impossible.
MAY HAVE EFFECT
on PENDING LEGISLATION
The restriction adopted By the House
"A
appropriation OF $4,000 asked for in
the coordinate college bill. the market
bureau recommended BY the Governor
and the Commissioned or Agriculture.
the new $4,000 office OF Commissioner of
Moral Welfare indorscd by the Anti
saloon League, ana a dozen other en-
tcrprises entailing expenditures not
countcrha!anccd BY expiring appropria-
tons in the appropriation bill Of 1914.
The resolution. however. is binding
only on the House. The Senate
Finance Committee is governed by no
such restriction. Differences between
the House and Senate appropriation
bills resulting from this situation. in
the event that concurrent action could
not be obtained. would have 10 be ad-
justed by conference committee.
Chairman Brewer. or the House Ap-
preparations Committee, indorscd the
Norris resolution. Incidentally. he
spoke pontediy OF the tendency shown
at the last session TO make appropria-
,ions with a reck less disregard of the
States ability To take care OF them
practice which, he said. com. clicd
him at the last session 10 withdraw a
hill looking 10 the reduction Of taxes.
for fear tina, II such bill were passed
N.r rnrtf "A l... TT
meet the appropriations.
JORDAN DEFENDS CONDUCT or
House IN LAST SESSION
Delegate Jordan took tho floor with a
sharp rcbukc TO Ar. Brewer for the
reflection placed by him on the con
duct OF the members at the last session
Ii was altogether unfair. he said, 10
permit the impression 10 90 abroad that
The last Hous" was culpably extrava-
giant. As a member OF the House mt
that session, he said. he desired to
rcfute that charge. Morcovcr, he said.
il the bin introduced by Delegate
Brewer. to which reference had been
made. had been passed. the State would
still have had enough revenue to meet
the authorized appropriations
The House dclycd deeply Yesterday
into serious business. spending The
most fruitful day Of tho present ses-
sion. it was called 10 order at 10
O'Clock and remained in session for
three hours. Nine bills were passed
on their third and final readings and
sent TO the Scuatc for concurrence and
y large number OF local and uncon-
endar.
IIUDGINS BILL SUBJECT
or SHARP DEBATE,
The sharpcst fight OF the day cen
tered about the liudgins bill. making
II n mlsdemeanor TO entice Il farm la
borer, hired for specified time. to
leave his employment without the { n
sent OF the employer, and to make n
person guilty of this act responsible
to the employer for unrcfunded ad-
vances and damages sustained thereby
For the passage of the bill it was
urged that 1t would cure an abuse
which is the cause OF great cmburrass-
ment and monetary loss to large
number Of farmers who after hiring
n man for 4 specified time. are left in
the lurch whca such employee Is en-
ticed to other fields by the offer of
higher wages
Delegates Gordon, of Louisa, and
Myers. Of Richmond, attacked the bin
'as class legislation OF the worst chr
acter. The bill, they pointed out, ,n-
dertook 10 punish third disin n.ercsted
person for offering work to a man mt
4 greater wage than he was earning
when such man had already con-
tractcd To work for another-a princi-
pie that is monstrous. they said since
1t strikes at the heart OF the economic
law OF supply and demand and attempts
by Legislation to impose an artificial
barrier between an employee on n
farm and the avenue TO advancement.
MYERS LEADS FIGHT
AGAINST ms ADOPTION
Il, is wrong to impose on a third
person tho blame for the violation OF
a contract to which he is not n party"
declared Delegate Myers. "The con-
tract Is between the farmer and tho
laborer, and when II Is broken one or
other party is liable-not the third
person who has made the laborcr an