Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-31
IMPORTANT TAX
PROBLEM MAY Be
PUSHED To FRONT

The Georgia legislature will con-
vene Monday morning with fifteen
days to go, counting Saturdays, and
nothing passed except "pecker'
wood bills" to quote President
George Cerswen, of the state
senate. Leaders in both houses are
beginning to show alarm lest the pres
ent assembly go down into history as
a Edo nothing body"
\The house OF representatives, sit
ting as a committee Of the whole,
began consideration of the general
appropriations bill last Monday, and
at the end OF the week had con-
sidered sixty-seven items on 1T.
Theirs are seventy-six other items
to be passed on by the committee
OF the whole before a report can be
made to the house itself. Among
the items yet to be considered are
appropriations Of $1,250,000 for Con-
federate pensions and 100000 for
the state sanitarium at Milledge-
vile, the second and third largest
appropriations in the entire bill.
Pension Fight Sure
The pension appropriation pro-
vides only 500 per year for pen
sioners of the old class, and there
will certainly be an effort to in
crease this appropriation. There is
an element in the house favoring
larger pensions for individuals and
appropriations for the new classes
as well as the old. 1t is probable
that more than a day will be spent
on the pension appropriation alone.
It also is predicted that efforts
will be made to increase the appro-
that institution for several years has
been compelled to come back for
deficiency appropriations. Support
ers Of the institutions claims say
the appropriation should he $780,.
600.
After the committee of the whole
completes consideration of the ap-
preparation bill and makes it's re;
port, there will be fights on the
A battle is certain over the decision
Of the committee that appropria-
tons for the state bureau of mark
cts be eliminated . from the bill.
These appropriations were cut out
by vote of so to So, at a time when
three other committee meetings were
in progress and 88 members of the
house were either absent or not vOt-
ing. An effort to restore these ap-
preparations is already under way.
Tick Battle Not Dead
There is also the probability that
the fight to reduce the appropria-
ton of $4,000 for cattle tick eradi-
cation to $4,000 or $12,5 500, will be
carried to the floor of the house.
Practically an entire day was spent
in arguing this clause in the com
mittee of the whole house.
Close observers in the general as
sembly do not believe that the house
will complete consideration Of the
appropriation bill until we'll toward
the end Of the week, and it must
then go to senate committee for
further consideration. AS the bill
originated in the appropriations COM
mittee of the house, the senators
are not familiar with its provisions,
and much study must be given it in
the senate committee and by the
senate itself. The indications are,
therefore, that the appropriations
bill will hang on until the final days
of the constitutional period allotted
to the legislature.
I'm the meantime, measures in
tended to meet these appropriations
are making slow progress,
The income tax measure OF Sena
tor Landlord, of the Fifteenth dis
trict, is further along than any 9TH
err revenue measure, by reason OF
the fact that the senate has passed
it. 1t provides for constitutional
amendment giving a future legisla.
iture, or the present one in extra
session, the authority to pass an
enabling act imposing an income tax
up to five per cent. The bill would
leave it to the future body to fix
the rate and allow exemptions
Other Tax Proposals
The bill of Representative Elders,
OF Tatnall county, providing for a
tax system similar to that in North
Carolina, including income, corpor.
alton, franchise, Occupat iOn, inheri-
lance and luxury taxes, occupies the
next position on the house calendar,
as it was introduced some time be-
fore the Bussey bill.
The bill Of Representative Bussey,
OF Crisp. county, providing for taxes
on capital stock of banks, franchises,
capitalization, and valuation of pub
lie service corporations, premiums
collected by insurance companies,
incomes of all persons except farm
ers, and taxes on various other
forms OF properties. including in
visibles; is also under consideration.
All three of these tax measures
are now tied up in the house COM
mittee on amendments to the consti,
tuition. The committee has had hear.
ings on all these measures, but has
postponed action until after a sub
committee makes its report. This
subcommittee, consisting OF Repre-.
sentative Aubrey. Barrett, Steele,
Rutherford, Ellis, Jones, of Coweta;
Culpepper, Copeland, Sutlive, Ennis,
Fleming and Van Landlngham, is to
meet Monday morning at 10 o'clock
to consider tax measures, and an eff
fort will be made to report to the
committee of the whole Monday
night.
Scarcely Organized
Iha faY GIL b. q Il 1 G o