Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-08-01
ASSEMBLY SESSION
TWO-TH|RDS SPENT
WITH LITTLE DONE
Tax Equalization Repeal Is
to Pass House This Week,
Many important Measures
Not Considered

sion gone, the legislature has made
little Roadway along any expected
line.
Measures that were expected to
monopolize the time OF the senate
and house have received scant at
tention, while measures of no i'm
portance have occupied the spot,
light. =
Reorganization of the revenue of
the state, a survey of the depart
ments and institutions for the pur-
pose of consolidating where possible
and reducing expenses where 1t
could be done without impairing the
public service, passage Of a state
highway bond issue bill, passage of
a bill providing for a state-owned
and operated port terminal on the
coast, establishment of a system
of state auditing and accounting
these were some of the measures
that were expected to hold the right
of-way until disposed of.
None of these has come to a vote
in the house or the senate, and
there seems no immediate
prospect of speeding up any Of
them.
= Although the state owes Confed-
crate soldiers and widows more than
100000 for this year and next year
and though there is nothing in the
treasury with which to pay them,
nothing in the nature of a revenue
measure has been considered by the
house or senate, and no definite pro-
gram has been laid before either
branch.
On the contrary, the house has
indicated conclusively, by test
vote last week, that it intends to
repeal the tax equalization law,
which, according to Governor Hard
wick, Tax Commissioner Fullbright
and leaders of the finance commit
tees Of the house and senate, is
the states sole prop in the way of
revenue.
To repeal this law without enact
ing some substitute revenue meas
ure to take it's place, declared
Chairman Culpepper, of the house
committee on appropriations and
ways and meansS in a speech in the
house last week, will cut the reve-
nue. of the state from 100000 to
100000 year, and put the state
that much further behind with its
obligations.
Members of the house opposing
repeal of the law have urgently in
sisted that a substitute revenue
measure be put in it's place before
it is repealed. An effort was made
Friday to bring up the income tax
bill and the bill providing for clas-
sification and segregation of prop
erty.
RepeaIists in Control
Repealists in the house, having
and having demonstrated that they
have a majority, refused to consid-
er either of these revenue measures
until the equalization repeal bill
was passed.
The house this coming week is
certain to pass the repeal bill, and
then it will be up to the senate to
decide what to do. The senate once
during the present session has killed
the bill. 1t received a majority of
those voting in the senate, but lack
ed one vote of the necessary major
ity of the whole senate. Several
members were absent on the day the
vote was taken.
There is a much-debated consti-
tutional question as to whether the
house bill if passed by the house
can be considered by the senate,
owing to a provision in the consti-
tuition that neither branch of the as
sembly can propose to the other
branch a measure defeated by the
other branch during the same ses-
sion, unless that branch by a two
thirds vote consents to it's consider
alton.
When the repeal bill comes up in
the house the coming week. an
amendment will be offered to pro-
vide that tax values now on the tax
digests shall in no case be reduced
by county tax receivers without ar
bitration, and to provide that the
repeal of the law shall not take eff
feet until and unless the legislature
passes and the people approve an in-
come tax bill. To tax incomes re.
quires a constitutional amendment,
which must go to the people for
ratification or rejection.
Whether the repealists. will &C.
cept such an amendment remains to
be seen. Several of their leaders
have openly stated on the floor of
the house that they would vote for
an income tax and perhaps other
revenue measures, after the euuali-
zation law has been repealed. The
suggested amendment would give
them plank on which to walk over
and meet their adversaries in a
compromise.
Veto Not Unlikely
If the house and senate pass the
repeal bill without such an amend
ment as this. Governor Hardwick is
expected 20 veto the Dill. He has pub
licly stated on numerous occasions
that he would not consent to cut off
one source of revenue without open
ing another.
AS soon as the tax equalization
bill has been disposed of in the
house, the income tax advocates will
bring up their plan and urge its
adoption. Being constitutional
amendment. it requires a two-thirds
vote Of the house and senate.
Meanwhile, the house committee
on appropriations and ways and
means is sitting on the lid so far as
expenditures go. Chairman Culpep'
per has fought uncompromisingly