Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-12-15
ENNIS MEASURE
IS PASSED AFTER
BOTH HOUSES YIELD
Hopeless Deadlock Indicated
on Income Tax With Gen.
eraI Bill Also Tied Up in
Conference


representatives agreed on one meas
ure over which there had been a
deadlock Thursday afternoon, but ap-
peared to be hopelessly tied up on
the Landlord income tax bill and
had not reached an agreement on tho
general tax act.
The bill on which the two houses
finally agreed was that OF Repre-
sentative Ennis, of Baldwin county,
providing for the creation of a state
department of revenue as an indie,
pendent organization. The senate
had amended this bill so IS to place
the department under the supervis-
ion of the state tax commissioner but
receded from its position on recon-
mendation of the conference commit
tee. The house then receded on its
stand for a twenty-five per cent pen
atty to be assessed against delln'
quent tax payers and agreed to a
twenty per cent penalty. The house
then adopted the conference commit,
tee report which had previously been
adopted by the senate and the bill
will become a law as soon is It Is
signed by the governor.
The house voted to insist upon
nineteen of the twenty amendments
to the general ia act from which the
senate would not recede, and APP
pointed Representatives Ennis, Of
Baldwin, McMichael, of Marion, and
Stewart, of Atkinson, as a confer.
ence committee on house bill eleven
known as the general ia act.
The sixth conference committee
on the Landlord income tax bill re-
ported to the house Thursday after.
noon that il could not agree and
asked that a new committee be ap-
pointed.
Senators King, Garlicll and Red
wire and Representatives Howard.
of ChattaEo :; Beck, of Carroll,
and Dykes, of Dooly We're appointed
as the members OF the seventh con-
ference committee.
The house members of the sixth
conference committee in submitting
their report offered a resolution for
adoption by the house and senate in
structing the conference committee
to recommend that the house recede
on two amendments and the senate
on one.
This resolution, which carries out
the message of Governor Walker, de-
livered to the general assembly on
Wednesday, was to be introduced by
Representative Harris, of Jefferson
county.
1t was pointed out that the failure
Of the sixth committee from the sem
ate to recede in any way from the
provisions of the senate bill, might
be taken as committing eighteen
members of the senate to stand-pat
policy, and to indicate that the SEN
ate would not recede on the setoff
clause
The point was raised that it would
require a tWo-thirds vote of the en-
tire membership to instruct a COM
mittee on bill that would amend
the constitution, but Speaker Neil
held that the resolution was merely
a suggestion and expressive of the
will of the majority of the. house
He ruled that it could be passed by
majority of a quorum, since any
report of the committee would have
to be passed on by the members
when submitted and would require a
two-thirds vote at that time.
Under this ruling several legisla-
tors who are opposed to an income
tax voted for the resolution, and it
passed by a large majority.
Friends of the administration tax
program held a meeting in Governor
= lot
formed plans to make a final effort
for an agreement on the Landlord
income tax bill. They were encour-
aged by the good effects of the chief
executives message Wednesday, in
which he put it up to the general
assembly to get together on the tax
bill, or adjourn and stop spending the
public funds.
House May Rccede
The result of the conference was
not made public, but it was predicted
that an effort would be made to
have the house recede from it's
amendments, and restore the bill to
the form in which it passed the sen.
ate, with the exception of a provision
that net in the bill would not af-
feet taxes upon gross incomes i'm
posed in the general tax act. 1t had
been stated that a constitutional
amendment providing for a tax on
met incomes" would nuIlify the pres
ent tax on insurance company re-
ceipts and soft drink revenues in the
general tax act.
The house Wednesday agreed to 20
senate amendments to the general
tax act and disa greed to 90 amend.
ments, upon which the senate later
voted to insist. This puts the gen.
eral tax act in the hands of a con.
ference committee.