Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-23
INCREASED PAY VOTED
HEALTH COMMISSIONER
House Concnrs. 50 to 30, After
Every Physician in Body Has
Spoken Favorably.
OBJECT TO VIRGINIA CREEpEIs
Delegates Fear Its Adoption as State
Emblem Might BE Taken us Sym
bolical OF Their Own Progress in
Disposing OF Calendar.


tho State Health Officers salary from
$500 to $1,000 a year was yesterday
adopted by the House of Delegates. SIS
to 30. Tho measure was rejected scv-
eral days ago by that body. but had
been held on the calendar under mo-
ton to reconsider tho adverse vote.
Yesterday and at the time OF each prev
rioug effort to have the measure passed
1t was attacked by Lindsay Gordon
and Wilbur c. Hail as an effort TO
force additional needless expenditure
upon the State Treasury.
Argument on thi3 aud the Wright
Dill. designed TO make the Virginia
crccpcr the state floral emblem. con-
surned much OF the days session, but
the body found time TO concur in Senate
amendments TO several House bills. to
pass several OF it's own measures
through their final readings, and TO adj
vance practically all of the local un-
contested measures to cngrossmcnt. AT
tho opening OF the session Speaker
Houston advised tho members that IL
tho large work before them waH to
he done intelligently before the adj
journmcnt or tho Assembly il would
tee meetings and hold three sessions
n day. beginning with Monday. Floor
Leader Willis suggested. too. that no
more bills be taken up out OF their
order. and that all debate be limited
EVERY PHYSICIAN
SUPPORTS HEALTH OFFICER
The bill To increase tho salary OF the
State Health officer who is DR.. Ennion
g. Williams had the support OF every
physician on the floor. prs. Rolston,
Ragland. Martin and Winston were es-
pecially active III pcrsuadinE fellow
members that tho work Of DR.. Williams
deserved larger reward than tho state
IS giving him. They were aided by
DELEGATES Williams Mectzc. Boschen.
Eitzhugh. Shackleford. Hudgins, Major
Anderson and many others.
When the measure va put on It's
second reading. many OF is supporters
wcrc absent. and II failed OF adva nee
ren. b. Just seven votes Or. Roiston
then moved that the vote by which II
was rejected lie rcconstdcrcd. lie won.
"Wednesday II was brought up again
Al that time Mr. Gordon did not have
his opposition thoroughly lined up and
requested that the bill be passed by
until Friday
Throughout all the fight for the bill's
passage Mr.. Gordon and Mr.. Hail
fought II vigorously. ~ first Mr.. Cor
don characterized 1t As a salary garb
"a raid upon the treasury Later he
opposed it more bitterly when he found
tina. il contained n clause which per-
mits DR.. Williams TO employ such help
as he deems necessary at salaries he
considers adequate Eo;h he and Mr
Hall admitted that Dr. Williams. as
head OF the state Department of Health,
was doing wonderful work for the
people OF Virginia. and that nc perhaps.
could earn a much larger salary in some
other field. They coutendcd. however.
that the present was no time TO raise
salarics--that those who were earning
rs much rs Dr. Williams was should
place duty and service to the State
above money.
DIR. WILLIAMS has NOT
ASKED FOR INCREASE
Advocates OF the bill contcndcG that
DR.. Williams had not asked for an in
crease OF salary. They said they were
merely Interested in getting for him n
remuneration more commensurate with
the service he was rendering. In the
hope that he might be retained as head
not the result OF any request from DR..
Williams.
Tho Wright bill. designed TO make the
Virginia crcepcr the floral emblem OF the
State. was defeated IS to 81. after Dele
gates Cherry and J. $. Brown had regis
tered their objections to the adoption
of the crecpcr. Mr.. Cherry was OF the
opinion that so lowly Vine would not
he acceptable to the women. Mr..
Brown was afraid some one might con-
slider that the General Assembly had
adopted an emblem symbolical of its
own progress during the session.
The House also concurred in minor
amcndWcnts made by the Senate to the
Cherry mothers pension, the increased
Confederate pension and the Amherst
County road bills. and pa s::e.l rho SEN
atc bill dc:igncd TO protect sheep In
Rockingham County.
The bill 10 permit corporations in
corporatcd in Virginia. but doing no
business here, to operate without tax
alton save the franchise fec was
passed by but six other House meas
urcs were passed without opposition
These were bills TO permit counties to
form districts Of themselves for tho
care of the poor: to provide better
methods OF assessing personal property
for taxes; ~ provide redress for err
ropcous tax collection; to regulate
hours of work for women factory en-
ployees: to amend tho act regulating
county road bond issues. and to de-
crease fines for automobile speeding
Practically all of the local bills on
the House calendar for the second read
ing were advanced to cngrossment
without opposition.