The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-20
Davis, Believing Senate viii
Stand Pat, Sends No Mes
sage to House
EXTRA SESSION
NOW LOOMS LARGE
AS PROBABILITY
Delegates Disagree With Ex-
ecutive About Salaried Com
pensation 6 o IN mis- sio n.
Many Members Go Home

A compromise between the assem-
bly, and the governor on the appro-
priation bill had been agreed to yes
terday, and the details had been in
corporated In n new message to be
sent to the assembly by the governor
at 4 O'Clock yesterday. when at the
last moment the governor decided TO
send no more communications to the
assembly on the subject of the appro-
priation bin until action had been
taken on the recommendations made
in his message presented to the house
on Monday.
The reason for this change OF front
on the part of the governor was the
belief that while he belieS@d the house
was likely to concur In the compro-
mise. there was strong probability that
the senate would decline 10 concur in
the modified reductions agreed to by
the governor and the subcommittee OF
the joint finance committee, the re-
port of which was accepted by the
full committee at a somewhat stormy
and turbulent meeting lasting for sew
eraf hours.
At this meeting strong protest was
made by several mem bers against be-
ing forced to accept or reject the COM
promise as "a whole. aud prof@~lnced
hostility 10 the governors course I'm
IAe Aa& Ter utAtlNilRd- W Hfie fpfAfA
IT, accept the report, many members
Indicated that they would oppose
many or The proposed reductions con-
tanned in the compromise. some in
sistiBg that they could not yield to the
governor In his stand on the salary in
creases others that they could not
agree with the governor on the cuts
made in appropriations for iustitu-
tons, and still others holding out to
q
amount appropriated in the bill for
those purposes, claiming that II should
30 stand regardless of the additional
provision made by the special levy of
four cents for schools and three cents
for roads.
A canvass Of the situation after the
adjournment of the committee. and
after conference with Lieutenant-Cfov-
ernor Buchanan. Speaker Houston,
Chairman Brewer and others convinc-
ed the governor that the temper Of
the senate was such as to preclude
acceptance by that body Of the com.
promise. and he thereupon informed
Chairman Brewer that he would have
no further communication to transmit
10 the assembly at present
House Kept Waiting.
Meantime the house WAS wtxS in G
expectantiy for yhs message from the
governor containing the recomm enda =
tons based upon the compromise
Chairman brewer returned to the
house and moved TO adjourn. He then
stated that the only course left for
the house was to refuse to concur in
the recommendations contained I'm the
governors message of Monday, leav-
ing the way clear for tina governor TO
veto the measure, after which the
house could draft and pass an en-
tirely new appropriation bill.
As matters stood when the house
and senate adjourned late yesterday
afternoon. the situation was regarded
as altogether unpromising Governor
Davis has informed Chairman Brew
er OF the house that he will not call
an extra session. Members OF both
houses are becoming restless, and al
ready several members have left for
their homes. with others planning to
leave today. 20 attend to important
personal affairs,
Quorum May Be Lacking.
There Is a possibility, unless the
differences between the governor and
the assembly are speedily adjusted.
that there will not be a quorum for
the transaction OF business.
Many members freely state that
this legislature will not remain In
session for many DAYS, and that IL
the governor does not call an extra
session there will not be sufficient
members in attendance tos constitute
4 working quorum.
Chairman Brewer has stated that
IL win take at least 1--WE days to
draft and pass a new appropriation
bill.
The resolution under which the as
sembly Is now working extends the
session to fifteen days from March .,
and the session will therefore ex-
pire by limitation at midnight sun
day, March -.
Embodied in the compromise
agreement was the plan to have the
house take up and pass the bill levy
ing e-sixteenth of one per cent
franchise tax on corporations, which
would yield about 100000 In addi-
tionai revenue as exclusively stated
in The vireiaian yesterday
This bill was referred TO yester-
day on the floor OF the senate as
sleeping in the house. 1t Is the
present plan OF the house managers
10 take up this bill and pass it. pend
ing adjustment OF the appropriation
bill tangle.
In the senate the governors rec
concentrations reducing the amount
appropriated in the prohibition bill
were rejected, and In the house the
governors recommendations elimi-
mating the separate commission to
administer the compensation bill was
rejected after several strong speeches
in favor OF standing by the bill as
passed.
senate Stands by Record.
Following up the claims that the
statess revenues ares ample to meet
II r