The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-03-19
CORPORATIONS ESCAPE
VAST SUM IN TAXES
Senate Bill is Lost" in the
House Complittee-Restora-
tion Will Go Far to Restore
Balance Between Prospec-
tive Revenue and Appropri-
atoms.

atoms.
As climax to a rapidly shifting
ettuation at the state Capitol yester-
day In reference to the governor
request that the assembly asduce it's
appropriations by million and a
quarter of dollars came sensational
disclosure late last evening revealing
that corporations had escaped taxa
tion to the amount OF something over
e4ee. 900.
This in turn lad to the discovery
that another bill was pending on the
house calendar, having been passed
py the senate, by which several hun
dred thousand dollars additional can
be turn ed into the state treasury,
In addition to this, II developed that
nu item of s200, 900 was appropriated
Tor roads which was not oonteui plated
by the house and senate committees
Ia charge of the appropriation hin.
II further developed that items for
eahoois and roads aegre eating sew"
anal hundred thousand dollars were
included in the appropriation bill tenn
porartiy pending the decision on the
6irect tax levy, and that these were
allowed TO remain in the bin as re
ported by the conference committee
and adopted by the house and senate,
contrary to the calculations Of the
mem bere OF the committee.
Hush Causes Confusion.
Again, il further developed that In
xh~ rush of the all night session of
abe house the senate conferees IN com
pleting the report 3 week ago last
saturday night the members Of the
conference committee were somew hat
ronfused I'm the MACS NJ figures and
OF provisions in the Dill
and did not have Q clear idea as 10
sust what the bill ala provide.
And as a logical consequence, when
the conference report was hlfiedly
read and acted upon by the senate
and house or sunday morning none
OF the mem bers Of the house and
henate had a clear idea as TO jGat Wh.a'
they had voted for.
From al Of ts5s It evolved last
might that d adjustment involving
approximately 100000 for each OIL
the two years VIII be necessary, and o
subcommittee OF the Joint house and
senate finance committees worked
late last night In conference with the
Governor and state auditor.
Looking for Revenue,
The subcommittee WAX given au'
shority to make these Adtustm ents ten
tat!vaiy on the part ~ the joint com
mittee. and given additional power to
devise ways aud means for raisinE
additional revenue to meet the dehci'
between the amount appropriated ane
he states estimated revenues,
One OF the substaHt al moves ~
this direction viii he 10 urge the gov
ernor to send a special message 20 the
housa TO have the rill fcryed 70 ~
the FIRST pararrsIh of this story r..
ported out OF the house comm tie
and passed by the house, thus ADDING
70 the sta e's revenu a sum rear s,
one half the amount OF the deHclt
Another move win be mad WI "
sorne OF the senators with urGe t1i
governor 10 $ nd special message c
the house urging the pa sage 4 Sc"
ate bin ass passed by the nate ait
Slura Der ng or the house c. ar
by which funds deposited with codrt
and long unclaimed shall be raid IN
to the state treasury. In two c"un
ties alone, these funds reach approx
mately $4,000. The total for the en-
tire state Is est mated 81 several hun
fred THOUSAND doiia s.
Another P,-sNft1t. t'instTnrtit.
Aside and independent Of these new
sources OF ~evenue. it was pra' i<all
settled at the meeting az which tn
vabcoYr7 ;,aittee was authorized to con
fer with the governor. that IN rad
ustments could be practically covere
~ r ducing he amounts prov ded fl
In the appropriations bill for rosa
and schools and utilizing II por1io
Of tie proceeds OF the special eigh
cent levy for those purposes, as va
originally intend
This If agreed " on win render un
necessary and material chang in h
sppropriatious for state q partmenu
and institutions.
II was made clear AZ the joint co0,
mittee meet nE hat the governor hal
no special objection To these appro
priaf.ons n there was Fufflcient mo ne,
In the treasury TO nv theH'. saw,
and accepting the salary i.ssy asses
ON this the executive and thu as
ssmnty do not ayr 81 but tnasnruch q
II involves only about $4,000 in AL
IL IL more than rkely that the saiar,
increases will finally stand as passet
by the assembly.
After conflicting reports al wari
GUS committee meetings aud senat
and house sessions during the day, /
was finally determined that the M
propriatiou bill and 7ffcits made u
by special appropriations totalle
$40 $50, 900 FOR the twoyear period.
The state auditors estimate OF rev
snne for the same period is siss67,21l
TO be added 10 his. however, is tn
100000 special franchise tax referee
to above, additional revenue 10 tn
Of the attorney-generars office in tn
armour cases. estimated at $500. 600. an
the additional several hundred thous
and dollars to be derived from the re
coyery by the state OF the funds nov
held by the courts
This would make the states esti
mated revenue considerably over $50.
600, 600. and with tine deduction off tn
S100,o 900 road appropriation erroneousll
Included in the appropriations prnc
ideally balance the revenues and ap
preparations.
Expect No Dedcif.
The statement was confidently mad
by several senator's that II the ap
Interpretations stood as already mad
there would not be one dollar Of dehci
at the end OF the two-year period.
still anoth source Of saving to IN
state was the effort made In the sen
ate by Senator Conrad TO take up an
PASS the bill abolishing the local board
off reviews. now costing the state an
counties each $4,000 a year, as urge
In q special message sent TO the sen
ate by Governor Davis. Cannon an
Robinson were the patrons Of this bill
hut IL went over until today becaus
or lack OF a quorum.
In the house last night Chairman
Sarn~ew introduced a resolution to tam