Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-07-08
ASSEMBLY READY
/ To TAKE Up HEAVY
! VOLUME Of WORK
Mass of New Bills Awaits
Legislators on Return
From Holiday


With cne-fifth of the fifty-day
legislative period already gone, tbs
general assembly of Georgia has
just about got down to business and
is ready to act on the huge volume
of legislation awaiting consideration
iii both branches. The senate mas
done practically nothing except IN
ccranittees, although several inn
portant measures are TO be consid-
erei this week, among them the
Pace bill to repeal the tax equaliZa-
ton act and replace it with a statute
modelled along the same lines, but
considerably strengthened.
The house resolution, adopted by
that body last year, authorizing the
city of Atlanta to construct viadu:;s
over the railroad tracks at Pryor
street and Central avenue, is await
ing final consideration in the SEN
ate. being set for action early in
the week.
Another measure scheduled to
come UP for consideration in the SEN
ate this week is the state port bill
due to be reached about Tuesday. 1t
proposes to increase the bonded in
debtedness of the state to the extent
of $15,OOo,0 900 to construct deep wa
ter port facilities at some Georgia
port. Savannah and Brunswick have
been active in their efforts to be des-
ignateG by the legislature as the site
of the state port, and the fight is
attracting statewide attention.
The only matter acted on by both
houses during the first ten days of
the session was the resolution re-
jecting the proposed child labor
amendment to the federal constitI-
ton. The proposal was submitted to
the general assembly by Governor
Walker following his receipt of the
amendment from Secretary Of State
Hughes, and both houses made
short work Of it. The vote in the
house was 10 for rejection and
three for acceptance; in the senate
the vote was unanimous for rejec-
ton.
New Bills Waiting
Converting Monday morning at IL
o'clock after having been in recess
since Thursday noon out of defer
ence to the observance of Inde-
pendence Day, both branches will
be faced with a mass Of business.
Many new bills have been intro
duced in the senate, while the hold
over calendar from last wear con
tains scores of measures in the
hands of committees.
The house is in similar situation
as regards new legislation, except
that the volume of these new bills
is much greater than in the upper
branch. Committees will be kept
busy every day threshing out the
merits Of these new measures and
acting on legislation held over from
1929.
The house calendar for Monday
contains five. bills passed last year
by the senate eliminating compiled
lions in land titles that now pre-
vent the fullest use Of the funds
of the federal land banks. 1t is
stated that the enactment Of these
measures will make the federal land
bank loans more accessible to Geor.
gia farmers and decrease the cost
of such loans because title insur-
ance will be reduced.
Bus Bill Fight Forecast
The motor bus line bill, which
would give the state public service
commission jurisdiction over all mo-
tor bus lines in Georgia, comes up
in the house on Wednesday, action
having been postponed from last
week at the request of friends of
the measure. A strenuous fight on
this measure is in prospect.
Deficiency ana emergency appro-
, priations are demanding much at
tention this session. Many state
institutions are asking for funds in
addition to the regular appropria-
/ tions made last year for the two
year period.
Thee University of Georgia, the
5 State Normal school, Georgia Tech,
the state sanitarium for the insane,
the State College of Agriculture, and
various other institutions have filed
their requests for more money, and
1t is estimated that the total appro.
priat tons at this session will approx
innate $2,000,000.
The appropriations committee of
the house, which is the first body
to pass on the merits Of all appro-
priation measures, has in it's first
meetings indicated its intention to
pare down all money bills to the
core in view of the straitened condi-
ton of the state treasury.
Only two deficiency appropriations
of 1923 have been paid thus far.
and there are several such sums
awaiting payment before any ap-
preparations made by the present
legislature can be actually disbursed.