Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-11-20
GENERAL ASSEMBLY
ROAD NOW CLEARED
FOR FINISHING WORK
Adjournment Possible Be-
fore End of Week. SoIonS
Encouraged by Passage of
important Measures

! L nG 1GOLSid S6uGI dl dSSC1llDlJ
made such progress last week that
it is entirely possible for the legis-
lature to complete their program of
| tax reform and adjourn the extra
/ session by the end of the present
week, and certainly before Thanks
giving, in the opinion of the mem
bers of both branches. The clouds
that gathered over the capitol dome
on Wednesday and Thursday lifted
rapidly Friday.
Governor Walker expressed great
encouragement at the situation on
at the give and take spirit" as he
expressed it.
"There is now an amicable spirit
in both branches of the assembly
and a large majority of the legisla-
tors want TO accomplish something"
the governor declared.
"Only one development can now
prevent tax reform legislation from
being enacted, and that is for some
faction to take the position of you
have not given us exactly what we
want, so we refuse to yield to any
, point l do not believe this situa-
ton will develop"
Important Bills Passed
The encoura ging tone of legisla
tvrs who expressed themselves Sat
urday, resulted from the passage Of
the general tax act and the hill to
repeal the tax equalization during
thn CT wool in no hnI1Cn
success OF the Pace auditing bill
and Landlord income tax measure in
the senate These four measures
will take care of five of the big is
sues before the legislature, if final!v
adopted, since the Landlord bill also
includes a provision for reduction },
the ad valorem tax rate.
The Landlord income tax bill will
be reported out by the constitutional
amendments committee of the house
Monday morning, so that it can b.
read a second time, even if it is
necessary to have it resubmitted to
the committee later, it was decided
at a conference of members of the
committee Friday afternoon. Gov
ernor Walker appeared before the
committee members and urged that
the bill be reported Monday, even l.
it were necessary for the committee
men to spend the weekend in At
| lanta to threSh out any differences
that might arise.
Landlord Bill Waits.
81. The Landlord bill@can not be put
upon passage in the house until
| Tuesday, as it can not be read for
! the second and third time on the
same day. However, it is the plan
to call up one of the house income
| tax measures for discussion Mon'
dow, in order that a day may not be
wasted. The discussion will apply
to any form of incorno tax, and the
debate will be that far advanced
when thu Landlord measure is taken
up for final action on Tuesday.
The constitutional amendments
committee of the house did nor
muster quorum at the meeting he'1
Friday after the legislature had All.
journed, but the majority of the
members present expressed them
sell as being opposed to the clause
in the Landlord bill giving an oppor'
tunity to offset ad valOrem taxes
against income taxes. 1t was claim.
ed that this system would exempt
railroads a. other corporations
/ from paying any income tax at al
because of their extensive property
interests in the state.
Tax Reduction
There was also a strong sent
ment among the committeeman TO
go further than the senate did i'll
amending the Landlord bill so that
the ad valorem tax rate shall be re
duced from five mills to three mills
1t is probable that the committee
will offer an amendment eXempting
! property from all ad valorem taxes
for state purposes. 1t was the
sentiment of the committeeman pres
ent that such an amendment would
be the only satisfactory relief of the
present tax burden upon real estate
and other property in Georgia, and
that the income tax aud exemption
features would aid each other, if
/ incorporated in the same measure.
The committee will oppose any eff,
fort to offer a substitute for the
Landlord bill, since it has already
received the required tWo-thirds
vote in the senate, and time will be
conserved by merely amending the
measure and appointing a conference
committee, if the senate refuses to
house.
The finance committee of the sem
ate will hold a hearing Monday on
the general tax act, with the inten-
ton of deciding upon a report on
that measure by Tuesday. There
will be a fight before the commit
tee on the additional tax imposed
upon manufacturers of syrups used
in making soft drinks, put into the
measure by the house. There is
also a possibility that insurance
companies will oppose the increase
from l IL to per cent in the tax
or the receipts of insurance com
ponies.
A fight also is expected on the
amendment to the general tax act
introduced by Representative Stew
art, of Atkinson county, and adopt
ed by the house, taxing corporations
500 for each million dollars of their
capitalization in excess of $1,000
900. 1t is claimed that this clause
would tax some foreign corporations
as much as $4,000.
General Tax Act
The senate is expected to make
short work Of the general tax act
when the committee reports it, as
most of the provisions in the meas
ure are the same as they were last
ye; and they have been studied.
The house had the measure under
consideration for four days.
The majority of the members. of
the senate ale known to be antag-
cnistic to passing the bill repeating
the tax equalization law before some
substitute revenue measure has
been adopted. Therefore it is con-
siGered probable that the senate will
take up the classification tax meas.
ure and the proposed house amend
ments to the Landlord income tax
measure before considering the
Knight repeal bill. If this program
can be followed, the danger of a