Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-14
SENATE HOLDS Up
GENERAL TAX ACT;
.O-K'S Set. GAS TAX

The general tax act passed by the
house of representatives. on Saturday,
containing several new imposts and
increasing many items, will, in oil
obability, go over until the 1921
session of the general assembly be-
fore it is given consideration by the
senate, according to indications
Monday, after the senate finance
committee had expressed itself
rather definitely on the subject.
The committee voted to have
copies of the bill printed. These
copies will be in the hands of the
senator's Wednesday, the last day
of the 1923 session. The committee
also has promised the bankers and
insurance men that they viii be
given plenty of notice of a hearing
at which the merits of the new
bank capital stock tax and the new
insurance premium tax will be
thoroughly threshed out.
This, many senators contended,
makes it practically certain that the
tax act will nut come up in the SEN
ate this year. In fact, Senator
Landlord, chairman Of the finance
committee, expressed the opinion
that it would be we'll for the sena-
tors to take copies of the act home
with them to study during recess.
returning next summer better quail
flied to pass on the measure. Sew
eral other members of the commit
tee agreed with him.
The senate on Monday passed the
house bill by representative Mann,
of Glynn county, increasing the tax
on gasoline from one cent per gal
lon to three cents per gallon, The
one cent tax was imposed two years
-ago,salids the Mann bill adds another
two cents on each gallon. The sem
ate vote was 26 to Is.
There was no debate on theAmeas-
ure. 1t now goes to the governor
for final approval, and he has in
dicated he will isgn the bill. Under
provisions of the bill the revenue
received under this act win be used
by the state highway department in
building roads. It is estimated that
it will add $2,000,000 a year to the
revenue of the state.
Inspection Force Unchanged
A bill by Senator Grantham. seek
ing to abolish all oil inspectors in
the state except six, was lost in the
senate Monday by the vote of "A to
II. A measure by Senator Pace sub
shutting the United States navy test
of gasoline for the specific gravity
test now employed in Georgia was
adopted, 80 to 0.
Senator Grantham offered his bill
as a substitute for the Pace meas
ure. Senator Pace announced that
it was acceptable to him. The
measures We're identical except for
the added provision in the Grant
ham bill to abolish the inspecting Of
ficers.
"These local inspectors Senator
Grantham said, ARE part Of big
political machine. Six men can in
spect the oil in Georgia JUS as wei
as the horde of inspectors now draw
ing pay There are one or more in
spectors in every country in the
state, and some counties have three
or four
Senator Granthan proposed 10 nix
the salary Of six inspectors at $3.50
a month each and to allow t.sm
an expense account for travelling
over the state. His bill further pro-
posed to reduce the inspection fee
on gas from one-half cent per gal
lon to one quarter cent per gallon.
He said that this reduction would
not take any money out of the
treasury, as the local inspectors
have been receiving it.
System Defended
Senators Kings, Pace and Hodges
made strong speeches for the Gran
wine, Mason and Arrow defended
the present inspection system and
urged that the present corps of in
spectors be retained.
The houe bill repeating tho tax
equalization law Internationally
was given its second reading in the
senate and recommitted 10 the fl
nance committee. A hearing on it
may be held Tuesday afternoon al
though the committee already has
reported favorably on a senate sub
stitute which repeats the present
law but retains most of its provis.
ions.
A bill by Senator Davis, seeking
an increase in salary for the insur-
ance clerk in the comptroller gen.
erals office, was tabled by the SEN
ate after debate.