The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-09-12
WAL TON PLAN TO' LEVY SEVERANCE. TAX IS ABANDONED
House Passes Measure Put ting 50-Cent Tax On Each
 $500 In Legal Papers
STATE CAPITAL BUREAU ]
 THE AGE-HFRALD Montromery, Ala, Sept. II

MOntR0mery, aid.B SepIs II
 The administration hope of ob- taining additional revenue for the state during the next four years was pinned in a bill imposing tax of 50 cents on each $500 represented by deeds, bills of sale and similar instruments recorded in the offices of the judges of probate which was passed by the house of representa- tives with majority of only four Tuesday.
 This was the last day for the pass age of revenue bills. All other meas ures intended to provide for addition al state funds died on the calendars in committee as the constitution re- quires the delivery of revenue meas ures to the governor not later than the forty fifth legislative day, which will be the first legislative day next week.
 The proposal for the taxing of deeds and similar instruments came as a surprise. There had been no discussion of the subject. The action of the committees on ways, means and appropriations last week in mak- ing favorable report on the Walton severance tax bill caused many to believe that the administration would urge its passage. But when the last day came for the handling of revenue measures the Graves bsll taxing deeds was taken from a dis tant page of the calendar by the rules committee and made special order for immediate consideration.
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 Bill Though Sufficient.
 When the bill was taken up the announcement was made by friends of the administration that Governor Brandon believed the passage of this bill with the increase in corporation franchise taxes made by another bill already passed by the two houses would provide sufficient revenue for the immediate needs of the state and would remove the necessity for any immediate extra session of the leg islature.
 Although no estimate was made during the consideration of the bill 1t was talked privately that the tax on deeds, bills of sales, etcetra will give the state about $200.0oo addi- tional revenue annually The cor poration franchise tax increase will provide about sT00,000 annually. The increase from the two sources will be little more than one hundred thou- sand dollars less than the annual deficit estimated. by the state budget commission and Governor Brandon.
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 Counties Get Third.
 Under the bill taxing deeds and bills of sales, two-thirds of the col lections will go to the state and one-third to the counties. Repre- sentative Fred Fite of Jefferson sought to amend the bill so as to give one-half to the counties. This amendment was defeated MT. Fite then offered an amendment striking theH section which gave the probate judges five per cent for the collection of the tax. When 1t appeared that the house was inclined toward the adoption of this amendment Repre- sentative Kilborn of Mobile offered an amendment to MT. Fite's amend ment which reduced the fee for col lecting the tax to two and une-half per cent. This amendment was adopted. The fee will not be paid to the probate judges In counties where the county officials are on a salary basis.
 Representative Powell offered an amendment requiring the use of the proceeds from the special tax ih the construction of a state sanitarlum for tubercular patients but this amendment was laid on the table by vote of 54 to 15.