Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1922-04-21
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM
THE STATE CAPITAL
BY F. R. BIrdsaII
Mississippi solons Adjourn at High
Noon on Saturday, April 8.

met on January 3, and adjourned on
April 8, at high noon, will not go down
in history as having passed much con-
structive legislation. A big section
of the legislature, according to the as
bers of that body, came to Jackson de-
termined to subordinate every other
interest to the destruction of the Of
flee of state revenue agent. In this
they failed utterly and the revenue
agents office, which has been assailed
by alleged tax dodgers and trusts and
combines for thirty years, is unimpair-
ed, and will continue to function In
the public interest, making all inter-
ests disposed to violate the antitrust
laws, toe the mark by court decisions,
and will continue to collect by due
process of law all taxes which have
escaped by concealment or by dodg-
and municipal treasures. That is to
say, 80 per cent of such taxes which
have escaped, and which would con-
tinue to escape but for a vigilant rev.
enue agent, will go into such treas
uries, and 20 per cent will go to the
revenue agent, to be divided between
that official and his attorneys, depu-
ties, clerks, stenographers and other
expenses. The present revenue agent
is Stokes V. Robertson who, after four
years of service, was re-nominated in
the primary campaign of 1919, by the
greatest vote ever given any man fof
any office by the white people of the
state.
Under the constitution, the COVER
nor has the authority to veto any item
in an appropriation bill. This does not
mean verbiage, but it means amounts
In other words, If the governor thinks
that an appropriation has been mado
for wholly useless or unnecessary
office. or If the appropriation is re
garded by him as excessive, he may
veto the proposed salary or other item.
and the matter is dead unless the same
is passed over the governors veto by
a two-thirds majority. The governor
vetoed the salary of $500 each for
the years 1929 of the Hon. Robert
Powell, supreme court reporter, to-
gether with the salary of his stenog-
rapher of $1,000 for each of the afore
said years. No motion was made to
pass the vetoed item over the COVER.
| nor's disapproval. Judge Powell is
chairman Of the state democratic ex-
ecutive committee, and one of the most
astute politicians in Mississippi.
While revenue and appropriation
bills under the constitution have the
Legislative right-of-way, neither of such
measures was passed at the recent
session week before adjournment,
so industriously engaged was the leg
islature in minor matters, and in use
less Investigations which cost the peo-
pie many thousands of dollars Such
dereliction is being pointed out even
by members who acknowledge that
they were powerless to facilitate Leg
islation, and the suggestion that an
amendment be adopted to the consti-
tuition forbidding the introduction OF
any resolution, bill or any other mat
ter at any regular session until reve-
nue. and appropriation bills are passed,
seems to be quite popular with patriot
ic members of the legislature and with
large section of the press Of Missis-
sippi.
The legislature. which has been
criticised more or less for arranging
for it's own pay the first week, aild
which failed to make an appropriation
for the salaries of all state officials
and members of the Judiciary, togeth-
er with all employees of the state, in
cluding porters and laborers, within
the constitutional five days before ad-
journment, cut the salaries of all such
officials and employees, a little less
than 10 per cent from that paid them
by the law OF 1920, which law increas-
ed their pay thirty-three and a third
ployes have had to borrow money and
pay interest to subsist, and only be-
gun to get their salaries and wages
after the legislature adjourned and the
members are enjoying the luxury Of
home life.
No fire insurance legislation was
passed by the legislature. Governor
Russell announced in his biennial mes
sage to the legislature when it con-
vened his opposition to such legisla-
tion. After several months efforts the
two houses passed rating bill which
reached the governor at the closing
hours Of the session. That is to say.
it did not reach him five days before
adjournment, and as the constitution
gives the governor five days to hold
bill before returning it. he stuck 1t
in pigeon hole, where it will remain
for two years. just as though unpass-
ed. Three days after the legislature
convenes in 1924, under the constitu.
tiOn the governor must either veto mr.