The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-01-31
JUDGES SALARIES
FINALLY SETTLED
Senate Agrees With House on Increase
and Measure Is Sent to the Gov
ernor for Approval.
DEADLOCK ON NEW CODE.
Delegates Evince Unwillingness to
Adopt Report of Revisors without
First Giving 1t Thorough Study
Action May Be Delayed.

The house and the senate stand
fifty.fifty on matters which have so
far passed both houses, the other dis
agreeing, then sent to conference and
the report of the conference commit
tees adopted. The first was the bill
which sought to increase the salaries
OF the Judges elected several days ago
and whose terms begin as oftFebru-
airy /. The senate put In a provision
making the bill effective Immediately,
and then the house, to show that It
had some rights in the matter, struck
out the emergency clause and left
the newly elected judges up in the
air. They would not be eligible to
receive the increase until after the
expiration of eight years. The houses
voted to disagree and the conference
committee unanimously reported in
favor of the senate proposition. the
rCport was adopted and the measure
Is now on its way to Governor Stuart.
who will hsye to approve 1t before
midnight Thursday in order to make
IL effective. The matter was see-saw-
ing Tor a greater part of the session
of Wednesday. and its increase was
not allowed to go down without
protest on the part of Senator Jor-
his people that he stood against sa@-
airy increases till such time az the
underpaid, and overlooked school
teachers were given recognition. He.
with the four Republicans. cast the
vote against the measure in the sem
ate. There are 81 number OF other
Judges who will be elected during the
coming month, and they will also get
the increase IN pay that has been
@sw.H~ - D. L.
oath OF office Friday morning before
they enter on the terms for which
they have been elected. Senator Mapp
led the hght for the judges. saying
that no set of MEN In the state were
working harder and were being paid
less than the circuit judges, all of
whom, so far as he had been able to
ascertain, were men OF high legal at
tainments and any OF them qualified
to earn much more practictng their
profession than as judges. yet they
were making the sacrifice for the
state. Under the provisions OF the
bill they VIII receive So 600 a year.
There are seven judges affected by
the new law. and others will come in
before February l OF next year.
The second bill on which the two
toaies disagreed was the highway
bin. which had passed both branches.
but the house had placed amendments
on the senate bill. Then both houses
Insisted 1t was right. and a conference
committee was named This commit
tee wranslcd for more than an hour
and The senate was forced TO take
water 90 the position It had taken,
and the house amendments were
agreed t.. They were for the most
Tar dealing with minor matters.
$iSht changes of routes. to which
there Was no serious objection on the
par Of the patrons of the measure
III the senate-~siii OF whom are MEM
bers OF Thea conference committee,
Code Is Deadiocked
The new code has reached the dead
lcck stage. That report was sent to
the committees for courts OF justice
Ia 10th houses. and on Wednesday
morn ng-a long session was held. The
senate wants to adopt the code as IL
came from the revisers. putting II into
Effect as of December 81. 1919. and
the house takes the position that it
wants none of the code tin II shall
have been considered. discussed, de-
hated, changed. amended, altered and
iu4 proved at the hands OF the law
making body. which liz responsible to
tire people for the laws OF the state.
There is where the thing hangs. or
hung, and there is no telling what
will be the result. Ii may be that
the senate will take up the matter
Independently and pass on ii. sending
IL to the house, where 1t will be re-
jccted. and then there win be con-
ference committee to deal with the
whole proposition. The repart is g.
III pages. makes many changes, SIM
plifies many things that have been
eothcrsome for long time and laws
are so changed that the decisions OF
the court OF appeals IL stated as the
basic law rather than the mere acts
OF assembly.
For Purchasing Agency.
Senator Jeffrys has offered a bill
which provides for the establishment
of purchasing commission. The
governor is to be chairman of the
commission, with the superintendent
o. public buildings as a member and
the state hospital commissioner In to
be the purchasing agent. He is to
give bond In the sum OF 100000 for
the faithful discharge OF his duties,
the commission Is empowered to lease,
rent or build warehouses for the stor-
age of such supplies as shall be re-
CURED by the several state institu-
lions drawing support from the state.
and all supplies of any and every sort
are to be bought by the commission
ane issued to the institutions and de-
partments as needs may require. The
commission is empowered to name
whatever help may be necessary for
the operations of the commission
There is a powerful movement to have
tho state purchase by central agency
all the supplies for which she has to
pay The bill went to the committee