Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-12
TAX EQUALIZATION
REPEAL ADVOCATES
SCORE BIG VICTOR

port by general agriculture commit
tee No. on house bill No. So which
contains a repeal clause. The com
mittee will make its report Friday
recommending that the bill do pass
by substitute. -.
Representative Elders, of Tattnaii;
knight, of Berrien; Bennett, of
Dodge, and Stanford, of Lowndes,
all advocates of the repeal bill, were
appointed as a committee to draft
the substitute. The only change to
be made in the original bill is the
addition of the clause re-enacting the
old tax laws that were repealed when
the equalization law was passed in
1913.
House bill No. So was introduced
early in the session by Representa-
tive Rec, Of Richmond; StoVall, OF
Gilbert, and Beck, of Carroll. Its
caption read as follows:
"A bill to repeal and change an
act entitled an act TO regulate the
return and assessment of property
| for taxation.'
Changes Vote Status
When the bill was introduced
| Speaker Neill recognized the bill as
| a revenue measure and referred it
to the ways and means commlttA2,
but one of the authors asked that
the reference be changed and the
measure sent to general agriculture
committee No. 1. AS nothing was
said about the repeal of the equal
! ization law in the caption OF the
bill and only the caption was READ
opponents of the repeal did not rec
ognize it as having that effect,
/ therefore, they gave unanimous
consent to have the bill sent to the
agricultural committee made up
largely of farmers and over
whelmingly in favor of repeating
the equalization law.
The effect Of a favorable report
by the committee will be that the
report may be approved by a bare
majority whereas it takes a tWo-
thirds vote to override the adverse
report made on three other repeal
bills by the ways and means COM
mittee.
| n
| real OF the equalization law who are
members of the general agricultural
committee were not present at the
meeting which was held just before
! the house convened Wednesday
morning. They declared that they
would make an effort to have the ac-
! ton of the committee reconsidered
when it meets again to pass on the
substitute bill that is to be drawn.
Redraft Stanford Bill
! General agricultural committee NO.
| / also decided to redraft the bill OF
Representative Stanford, of LoWndes,
making the state veterinarian APP
pointive by the governor and limit
ing his term to two years. The bill
will be changed so as to leave the
veterinary department to the super
vision Of the commissioner Of agri-
culture and give him the right to APP
point the veterinarian. However, the
term of office, which is now indefi-
mite, will be reduced to two years.
! Representative Stanford of
Lowndes, knight of Berrien, and
Langley of Floyd, were appointed as
a subcommittee to redraft the Stan
ford bill with the changes as direct
| ed.
REPEAL BILLS advertised IN
WAYS-MEANS COMMITTEE
The ways and means committee
of the house of representatives at
a meeting late Monday decided by
an overwhelming vote to make adj
verse reports on all three of the
bills to repeal the tax equalization
! law now pending in the house. Ad-
vocates of the repeal measures gave
notice that they would file a minor
lty report, but it requires a two
! thirds vote to override the majority
recommendation of a house com
mittee.
House bill No. /, introduced by
Representative Stovall, of Elbert
county, was adversed by a vote of
% to -; house bill No. 81, intro
duced by Representative Rutherford.
OF Monroe county, and 40 other
members, was adversed by a vote
of 81 to u, and house bill No. 101,
introduced by Representative Ell
ders, of Tattnan county, was adj
versed by vote of 20 to -. The differ
ence in the vote against the bills
arose from the fact that one rep
resentative left the committee meet
ing after each vote was taken.
The fight for the repeal measures
was led by Representatives Stovall,
Rutherford, Elders, Daniel, of
Troup; Stanford, of Lowndes, and
Wimberly, of Toombs. Leaders for
recommendations that the measures
do not pass were Representative
Parks, of Terrell; Miner, of Dodge:
Barrett, of Stephens; Covington, If
COlquitt, and Jones, of Coweta. Rep
resentative Ennis, of Baldwin, chair
man of the committee, urged the
members to go very slowly in tear
ing down any revenue measures OF
| the state.
Representative Stanford opened
the discussion by moving that the
repeal bill of Representative Sto-
vail be reported back to the house
with the recommendation that it do
pass.
HAT Passing" Opposed
Representative Covington, of Col
quit, moved as a substitute that
the bill be reported back with the
recommendation that it do not
pass.
1--WE do not want to have to
pass around the hat to run the
state government" Mr.. CovinGton
declared. Personally, I am op-
posed to all ad valorem taxes, and
favor income and special taxes, and
[ believe the tax equalization law
ought to be repealed eventually, but
not now. Any constitutional amend
mtnt must be submitted to vote of
the people at u general election, and
such an election does not come
until November, 1924. Then the
81 - L.
flied at a meeting of the legislature
in the summer of 1925. With every
wind favorable, a substitute revenue
measure could not be put into eff