Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-07-01
| ANY CONTRADICTIONS
3 FOUND IN NEW STATUTE
Conflicting Provisions as to Manner
Of appointment OF Exam
liners Of Records.
APPLICANTS FOR POSITIONS
Spirited Contests in ut Least Four
Judicial Circuits-Attorne
eral May Be Asked to Construe
Provisions of New Act.

With spirited contests in at least
Your judicial circuits. and vacancy
70 be filed in another. the State Tax
Board will meet at IL o'clock this
morning in the Governors Office. TO
Its powers in the matter of appointing
examiners of records. Its ablest legal
advisers have puzzled over the act of
March %. 1916, which undertakes TO
make examiners appointive and re-
movable by the board, since It became
law on June Il, without agreeing as
TO its meaning.
, Until this act is construed. the ex-
aminership contests must remain un-
settled. The Tax Beard will proba bly,
requisition the services of Attorney
General Pollard In the disentanglcment
OF what appears to be the most con-
Trajectory piece OF legislation enacted
by the last General Assembly.
This remarkable act became law on
June II, 1916. Yet. in the very begin
ming, it directs that the State Tax
Board shall appoint an examiner OF
records for each judicial circuit Of the
State on or before May !. 1915. and
every two years thereafter. AS if this
were in itself not enough to try law
Hers soul, the same scction directs
that when SO appointed he shall be
appointed for term Of years.
Apparently II had been the patrons
Intention to have the term Of years
specified before the bin left the COM
mIttee. It was never inserted. however.
and the act reads, no term what
ever is prescribed.
OTHER CoNTR
IN TERMS OF ACT
The contradictions do no, by any
means end here. Having opened with
the direction that the examiners shall
be appointed every two years. the act
proceeds IN the same section 80 direct
= that III any or all OF the present ex
aminers OF records are acceptable TO
the SAID Advisory Board on Taxation.
the board shall. hy resolution, so de-
clare. in which event any OF said Of
hcers declared 10 be acceptable shall
remain in Office for term OF four
years from May !, 1916"
But there is still another section
which contributes its quota of con-
fusion. II provides that the terms OF
examiners appointed By tho Circuit
Courts OF the Common wealth-the ex-
am!aers now serving. in other words
shall expire on May 30. 1915. or as
soon thereafter as their SUCCESSORS
shall be appointed and have qualified.
Apparently designed to. bring to an
end the terms OF all present examiners
OF records In order that they may re-
ce.ve their new terms at the hands
OF the Tax Board and thus come
definitely under its authority, the act
directs that their terms shall expire
on May go, 1915. In an opening sec
lion. however. the act directed the APP
pointment OF examiners on Nav !,
1si6-twenty days before the date
fixed by the same act for the cXpira-
t!on OF the terms OF the incumbents.
Incidentally, toe act could neither d.
rect an election on May l. nor AN ex-
pirat!on on May 40. since i, did not
itsel. become law until June II.
These are some of the incorrruitics
that the Tax Board Will Grapple with
to-day in an attempt TO arrive at the
true meaning Of this disordercd piece
OF legislation. The whole matter Will
in all proha hilty be referred TO the
Attorney-Generai
SEVERAL CONTESTS
FOR PLACES AS EXAMINERS
In the meantime. On the assumption
that the State Tax Board will soon be
called upon either to reappoint tho
present examiners or name others in
their places. friends OF rival candidates
I for appointment in several of the ju-
d!cial circuits, are conducting a lively
campaign. Noluminous Endorsements
have been filed with the Governor.
State Auditor Moore and Judge Prem
It's, OF the State Corporation Commits
the Tax Board
In the First Juuicial Circuit Lloyd
W. peterborough, the present ex-
am.ner OF records. is being opposed by
S. Burnell Bragg and r. p. Spindle.
Jr. In the Sixth Circuit. ]. s. Easiey,
OF Houston lis being opposed by Tucker
c. Watkins, Jr.. of South Boston There
are contests also In Twenty-eighth Cir
cult. winston Parrish. of Portsmouth.
incumbent: and in the Twenty-fourth
Circuit. where the office is held by
J. NJ McLemore. OF Appalachia. In the
Th!rt!eth Circuit the office is vacant.
Landon Lowry. former examiner of
records. having resigned.
The examiners of records now hold
ing ONCE are:
First Circuit-Lloyd w Broken
brough, Norfolk.
Second Circuit-Richard McI!lwaine,
Jr Norfolk
Third circuit-R. W. Arnold, wav-
erly.
Fourth c:rcuit-Gcorge Mason. Pc
tersburg.
Fifth Circuits. L" Ferguson. Apo
mattox.
Sixth Circuit. f. Easley, Houston.
Chatham.
Eighth circuit-John s. Chapman,
stanardsville.
Ninth Circuit-w. c. Williams.
Orange
Tenth Circuit-william II. Sands
Richmond
Eleventh Circuits. r. Buxton. New
port News.
Twelfth Circuit-C s. Towles. Reed
vile.
Thirteeth Circuit-C. Fl. Smith, Glou
cester.
Fourteenth Circuit-Sidney Smith,
Yorktown.
Fifteenth Circuit-w. D. Cardwell,
Richmond.
sixteenth Circuit-W. n. Lipscomb.
Manassas.
a seventeenth circuit-H. F. Byrd, Win
chester.
Glasgow
Finca stle.
twentieth circuit-walter NJ Pierce.
Christiansburg.
Twenty-first Circuit. Fl. Rhudy.
Galax.
twenty second Circuit-w. Il. sniaow,
Pearisburg.
Twenty-third circuit-A p. Hutton,
.