Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-02-21
SENATE TO RESUME
TAXATION INQUIRY
Committee Will Consider To.
Night Increase on Telegraph
and Telephone Companies.
EARLY VOTE ON COLLEGE BILL
Measure Providing for Co-Ordi-
nate Institution for Women Is
Slated for Debate Thursday.

senate tax students VIII turn their
attention tonight 10 telegraph and
telephone companies for the purpose Of
examining into the ability OF these cor
poratlons to bear Il slightly increased
tax burden. Their brothers OF the
steam and electric transportation field
have already been slated by the Finance
Committee for fax increases that arc
estimated TO yield the state additional
revenues of more than 100000 an
punlly. II IS regarded as more than
likely that proportionate tax increases
Will be recommended by the committee
on the revenues Of telephone and tcle-
graph companies also.
Representatives OF these corporations
will be given hearing tonight by
the Senate Committee on Finance IN the
state Corporation Commission court
-oom. At tho same time the committee
VIII hear also from companies operat-
ng in this state fruit, refrigerator,
tank. oil and other special cars :.
bill passed By tho special session OF
1915, bringing the rolling stock of
these companies under taxation, was
found TO be imperative, and an effort
: will be made by the present session 20
correct the defects OF the measure on
the statute books and impose on these
interests their proper share Of taxa.
,ion. new bill to this end has be"n
introduced az the instance Of the State
Corporation Commission.
RATIFY NAPP HILL IN
SENATE THIS WEEK
This week viii! sec the ratification
' Of the Mapp bill IN the senate and the
shifting OF the prohibition spotlight
20 tho House. The bill is expected TO
reach a final vote in tho Senate some
time tomorrow. It's passage is Ger
tain. The bill Will be referred on the
other side OF the Capitol 20 tn. House
Committee on Moral and Social We'll
fare. OF which Delegate Jordan. of
Pulaski. is chairman. This committee
will lose no time In reporting the meas
u-e. and IL Will probably b" on the
House calendar bE tho end y: 'he week
The crystallization OF the General
AsSenbly's sentiment or the troublous
subject OF taxation has resulted in
clearing Of the fiscal situation cna-
bling the frnmers OF the appropriation
bill TO put in several productive ses-
sions. Chairman Brewer, OF the House
Appropriations Committee, was of the
belief yesterday that The general hill
appropriatInE the estimated revenues
ot m" Commonwealth for the years
1916 and 1917. will lac ready for intro
duction IN the House probably hy
Thursday.
tO-OhDINtrI: COLLEGE,
COMES TIP THURSDAY
uml"ss there is a bitch in the plans
Of onposin.; leaders. tho coordinate
c"!i"e" bin will come up special
order II ;hc House on THURSDAY
probably reaching vote on the same
day Around this bin ccnt.rs what is
in many respects The most picturesque
light OF the session. on no bin before
the present General Assembly is the
sentiment 81 divided
Among the advocates OF tho CO.
ordinate college bill arc numbered tho
leading men in tho lower house. Twenty
members sponsors FOR the bill AS
patrons. tho list Including Speaker
Houston and Floor Leader Willis
Counting to-day. the General Assem-
bly, OF 1916 has eighteen more working
days I'm which TO dispose of It's bust
ness. Already II il apparent that
large number Of hills Will 30 TO their
death because 1t will be impossible to
ind the time in which 10 consider them
On the House calendar are about 1870
hills, and on the senate calendar
number almost large. Moro than
d, 100 bills are still awaiting action by
House committees. and must take their
place at the foot OF the calendar II
they are fortunate enough to he re-
ported.
BUSINESS IS IN GOOD
SHAi'f: FOR ACTION
While the congestion Of the cal
cndars is becoming marked. the bus-
ness of the two houses is probably in
better shape than ii was at this period
of any session in recent years The
score or moro measures of the first
Z magnitude that viii stand ont as the
big work of the session OF 1916 have
either hcen brought TO vote or are
in such position that there will bo
ample opportunity for their considera-
ton between now and the end Of tho
session.
There has been marked tendency
at the present session to avoid tying
mp the machinery of legislation with
the consideration OF subjects involving
a large amount OF attention and re-
search. Thus. with tho exception OF
the passage in the House OF the auto
mobile tax bill, there has been no at
tempt TO work out q general readjnst-
mcnt Of the road laws This arduous
task bids fair to be delegated to
special commission, which works In
vacation. Two resolutions having this
for their object have been introduced
in the House.
wORKINGMEN'S COMPENSATION
BEFORE COMMISSION
Similarly. both houses avoided what
promised to he a long -drawa-ou fight
on the subject of workingmen's COM
pensntion laws. by voting for a joint
commission charged with the duty of
presenting a bill adapted to Virginia
conditions at tho next session. Had
the present session attempted to deal
with this question it would undoubted-
iy have been prevented from dealing
with other measures OF perhaps more
immediate Importance.
The tendency to make greater use OF
Legislative commissions is evidenced
further by the Browning resolution
appointing a joint commission TO make
Il study Of the entire chinery OF
state government, with tho view Of