San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-01-07
IS SET
FOR OPENINGOF
1 LEGISLATURE
Members of Senate andLow-
er House Arriving in
i Austin.
TO CONVENE TUESDAY
Many Important Measures
to Be Discussed by
Lawmakers.
TO CONVENE TUESDAY

OF tie regular session OF the Ihlrty-
eighth LEGISLATURE on next Tuesday at
noon. and a quorum in both branches Is
assured, as with Saturday nights ar
rivals there were upward OF ITO men,
bers of the lower house on the ground,
While there were approximately sixteen
senator's and the remainder are sched-
uled 10 arrive Sunday and Monday.
Secretary of State S. J.. Staples Will
call the House 10 order and preside
unti. the election of a speaker, while
lieutenant Governor Lynch Davidson,
!. will cal; the Senate to order and pre-
I; side for one week, when he will re-
4 linauish the position 10 Lieutenant Gov
ernor T. ". Davidson, following the
latter's inauguration.
ORGANISATION of the House is e1-
pected to be completed on Tuesday and
| on Wednesday morning the lawmakers
( will be ready for business. A caucus
/ of Senate members is expected to be
I held probably Monday afternoon when
I the officers and employees of that body
Evil be decided upon. This will expe-
Edite the organization of the Senate on
Expect Short Message.
Governor Neff is not expected to
transmit to the Legislature his initial
message until Wednesday, and it is I'M
derstood he plans TO send up a COM
Z paratively short message which will be
followed by other messages as the ses-
sion PROGRESSES. This plan has been
followed N recent years by Texas gov
ernors and Dies away wfth one bulky
message at the opening OF the SEES
sicn.
Probably the first important bust
ness to be transacted will be to ap-
point a joint committee to canvass the
returns for governor and lieutenant
governor and arrangements for the in
augural ceremonies Tuesday, Janu-
airy 16.
1t is already becoming apparent that
no serious effort is to be made to pass
the general appropriation bills during
the regular session, unless it should be
determined to accept the figures and
bills prepared BY the State Board of
Control, but the indications are the ap-
propriation committees in both branches
will want to carefully scrutiniLe these
measures, and will also grant hearings.
These bills which carry a total of $751;,
100000 for the support of the state
government for the next two fiscal
years, have been carefully prepared and
much time would be saved if the Legis-
lature would accept without serious
changes these measures.
Probably Last 20 Days.
II is also indicated that the aver
age law-maker will not want to tarry
at Austin at the expiration Of 60 days
when they cease TO draw IS per day
and will have to make laws at 50 per
diem.
This means that The regular session
will last probably 70 days and the
(, chances are the special session will not
Ebe called by the governor until some
ftime next summer 10 pass the Appro-
fpriation bills.
The Question Of a constitutional con-
vention is scheduled 10 Be disposed Of
early during the session, and despite
1.-THE fact that it requires only a majority
Fin the House and Senate to adopt a
concurrent resolution calling the con-
lvention, indications are the resolution
Twill be defeated. The majority of the
tlaw-mskeys interviewed so far have ex-
pressed themselves as being opposed to
the calling of the convention. Varied
reasons are assigned for these views,
some declaring that it would be defeated
twhen Submitted TO the people for ratifi-
cation and money spent in framing
Ia new constitution would be wasted,
others taking the view that there is
no urgent necessity for new organic
! law at this time.
SsRporsexs Plan Resolution.
! Supporters Of tie constitutional con-
4 vention proposition expect to have a
resolution prepared for introduction
next week which will meet the diverse
views Of those faVoring the calling of
! the convention. A committee of the
supporters of the measures will meet
I Sunday evening for the purpose of
preparing sReh a resolution.
One Of the subjects Of vital import
snce to be considered during the pres
emit session of the Legislature is the
question OF revenue by means Of taxa
tons Phere have been prepared and
will be introduced approximately 80
bits on this subject which includes oil
tar legislation, a cent or two cents gas
oline tax. moving picture tax, chewing
gum tax, cigarette and cigar tax, sew
erance tax, increase gross receipts tax
{ and every other kind of tax that may
suggest itself 10 the lawmakers. There
will also be introduced bills to
strengthen the present tax laws, especi-
ally the delinquent tax law.
There is also considerable doubt as
: 10 the enactment Of these new tax
measures while the chances are ex-
cellent. to pass laws making more
: stringent and effective the present laws
dealing with taxation. A strong eff
! fort will be made to pass the bill pro-
( posing TO create a state equalization tax
: board for the purpose of eQualizing the
burdens of taxation. 1t is claimed by
the supporters of this proposition that
an adjustment of all taxables in the
underpaying counties to the basis of the
i overpaying counties. fully 100000
would be added TO the available school
fund annually, from the 50 cent state
ad valorem tax alone.
School Legislation Likely.
School legislation is also 10 be an i'm
portant subject which will be considered
during the present session. 1t is pat
pnt TO an that the schools need more
money, but the problem will be where
The additional is TO come from. Repre-
sentative J. 81. Nelson of Sulphur
Springs, has already prepared several
measures on the school question, among
them being bill carrying an apprOpria-
ton Of $4.0OO,O0O TO supplement the
available school fund. He also has
several measures prepared proposing
raising Of additional revsnuc, including
severance tax measure.
Bills re also being prepared car.
wing ont Governor Neffs law enforce
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