The Tupelo journal. (Tupelo, Miss.) 1876-1924, 1917-10-05
WORK OF THE
SPECIAL SESSION

jackson, Miss, Oct. 3-The spe-
eial session of the Mississippi legis-
latare convened Tuesday, the 25th
OF September, with qnorum pres
ents While Gov Bilbo outlined the
work expected to be done at the
special session in his proclamation
ca ling the legislature together, yet
Waeal they convened he was not ready
Wlsh his message. On Wednesday,
however, he appeared before both
houses and read his message calling
on the members to take up the mat
'ters embraced therein and enact suit
able laws to put them into ffeect.
The most important item in the
message was that asking for an APP
preparation to run the public schools
until January 1st. For more than
twenty years there has been lapse
in the last quarter of the year and
no provision made to pay the teach
ers during this quarter The object
of the bill was to cover this period
with an appropriation to run the
schools until January 1st. A bill car
ryiag an appropriation of 1922, 900,
one-fonrth Of the annual appropria-
tioas was presented by the appro-
priation committee and passed both
houses. At the January session an
appropriation viii then be made for
1918 covering the period from Jan
uary lst to December 31st, thus get
ting the entire year covered with the
necessary appropriation.
The next matter of Importance was
the tax rate question, which was
brought before the house by the ways
and means committee with a recon-
mendation that the state levy be
fixed at four mills There was con-
siderable discussion of this bill, but
it finally passed the house fixing the
state levy at four mills and the coun-
ty levy at ten mills. The senate ac-
-cepted the four mill state levy, but
amended the bill reducing the county
levy from ten to eight mills. The
bill was then sent back to the house
for further consideration.
aiie governor in his message rec
commended that exemptions be made
frem taxes for five years of all ho-
tells .ands shipbuilding plants estab-
lished on the gulf coast. He con-
tended that the coast section ad-
jacent to the Mississippi Centennial
grounds was not supplied with hotel
facilities necessary to accommodate
the crowds that will attend the cen
tenial when it is opened in 1919.
Another recommendation was the
passage of bill creating a home
guard in the various counties or
sections of the state, to take the place
of the state militia which has become
a part of the national army The
governor contends that should
strike or riot occur the civil author
tiles would be unable to deal with
either and he would have no means
of coming to their assistance. The
passage of this bill would authorize
the governor to use the home guard
when necessary and would carry an
appropriation Of about $4,000. The
measure met with but little sympa-
thy in the house and when presented
a motion to indefinitely postpone it
was carried almost unanimously.
All the counties in the state have
not reported to the State Tax Com
mission and for that reason fixing of
tax rate should have been postponed
until the legislature could ascertain
definitely just what the total assess
ment for the state would be. | am
of the opinion that the special ses-1