Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-08-07
NINE DAYS REMAIN,
ONLY FOUR GENERAL
MEASURES ADOPTED
Committee Official Sees Lit
tie Hope of Relieving Con-
geSton Wasting Time,
Assembly Warned

opinion of leaders in both houses ex.
pressed Saturday. The present SEES.
sion ends Wednesday, August Is.
Bills introduced in the house of
representatives Saturday brought
the total number up to $50, and very
few of them have been finally dis
posed OF. In fact, the house has
passed only four measures Of gen
efal application at the present SEES
sion, and there are 165 general bills
still on the calendar, according to
Representative Herman Miner of
Dodge county, vice chairman of the
rules committee.
Mr.. Miner has been trying for the
last two weeks to speed up legisla-
,tien, as he realized that the present
situation would certainly come ia
pass. He has fought motions to ad
journ, insisted on double sessions
daily, favored earlier hours for con-
Vening, and has backed Saturday
sessions.
Despite these efforts, Mr.. Miner
realizes that there are scores of bills
now in the hopper that cannot come
out, unless something unusual and
almost impossible may be brought
about. The rules committee has
made an effort to advance bills
against which there was opposition.
and takes some consolation in the
fact that many of the measures that
are yet to come up will be unop-
posed. However, the rules commit
tee cannot take full charge until
next Thursday.
Senate Marks Time
President George Carswell, OF the
senate, and Speaker Cecil Neill, of
the house, have warned the two
bodies time and again that much
t;mes was being wasted and a con.
gestion would certainly result. Pres
ident Carswell has succeeded ID
keeping the senate up with its call
endar, but the upper body has made
little actual progress because only
four general bills have been sent
ever from the house.
AS an indication of just how far
behind the house is in its legislation,
that body had up for consideration
Friday house bill number two. This
bill, reported favorably by substi-
tute, is that of Representative
Mann, of Glynn county, and Win
cate, of Baker county, providing
for three-cent tax on gasoline, one
third of the proceeds to go to the
state treasury; one-third to the state
highway department, and one-third
TO the various counties for the con-
struction of post roads, apportioned
IN basis of rural route mileage.
Representative McMichael, of Mar
ion county, offered as a substitute
for the substitute, a bill providing
for q three-cent tax on gasoline, the
proceeds to be added to the revenues
derived from the license tax on au.
tomobiles. and the entire amount to
be divided between the state high
way department and the various
counties. His bill also contains GER
tain regulations for the highway de-
partment.
The house spent much Of the SEES
sion Friday discussing these two
measures, and will resume their con-
sideration Tuesday morning. The
indications are that most of the day
will be spent on the bills. Monday.
when there is usually a slack at
tendance, is to be devoted to minor
measures.
Budget Bill in Senate
The senate is scheduled to take up
the general appropriation bill Mon
dav morning. The appropriations
committee of that body agreed upon
its report Friday, after adding to
the bill about $4,000 more than was
contained when the measure came
over from the house. When the bill
is finally passed by the senate, it
must go back to the house for an
agreement to the changes made, and
a fight on some Of the amendments
is certain.
House bill number one, to repeal
the tax equalization law, was pass
ed by the mouse more than two
weeks ago, but is tied up III a SEN
ate committee lat the request of the
author, Representative Stovall, of
Gilbert county. It is believed that
the senate would have killed this
measure, if it had been brought
out OF the committee, because OF
the reported determination CT the
majority If that body not to repeal
any present revenue producing
laws until substitute laws are en-
acted.
Governor Walker has insisted in
two MESA ges upon the repeal OF
the tax equalization law, apd fail
ure to repeal it at the presn,ir ses-
sion will be an additions. rcason for
an extra session &xll it is be.
lieved.
Tax Bill Tied Up
The senate nearly three weeks
ago passed the Langfort bill pro
riding for a. limited income tax, but
this measure has never been re
ported out by the constitutional
amendments committee of the house
After considering the Langford bill
the Iders tax measure, and the
Bussey tax measure, for more thar
week, the committee appointed {
subcommittee to draw up aIe entire
( ly new bill. This subcommittee
drafted compromise measure pro
viding for limited income tax ant
a property classification tax, which
has been favorably reported by H.
general committe as a sub ;tituts 4o'
the Elders measure, or house III
numbe" sixty-two.
AS the senate voted down a cIassi
Hca tloE TAX Dill introduced by Sen
ator Mason, there is coIs.dprani,
speculation as to what that bod,
will do with the house bill contain
ing similar provisions.
The repeal bill and the comprom
Use revenue measure are both consti
tutionaI amendments. and there i.
an increasing belief in the house
that no constitutional amendment
can be passed at such a late date
Members who have seen their pc
measures and local bills disappear
into the general hopper, are begin
ming to clamor for postponement O.
consideration of constitutional
amendments until an extra session
or even the next regular session il
1924. There are others who believe
that everything else should be side