Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1924-08-16
PORT BILL BEATEN;
EFFORT To BOOST
GASOLINE TAX FAILS
More Than S3OO,0O0 Added
to Appropriations-Jlt-
ney Tax Blocked

The Georgia legislature adjourned
Its 1924 session sine &c THU sday
morning at Clio o'clock, after spend
ing an unusually turbulent night
at the state capitol and breaking
all records as to longevity, according
to veteran officers of the two houses
It was said that the adjournment
hour was later by two hours than
that of any session in recent history
with the exception Of the one three
years ago, which lasted until al,
\ most 5 o'clock.
Outstanding features Of the final
light were:
1. Defeat of the state port bond
y bill.
2. Defeat of al additional half
cent tax on gasoline.
g. Defeat of the distillation test
for gasoline, and any reduction in
the number of oil inspectors.
4. Addition of more than $500, 200
to appropriation bills.
5. Defeat OF a new effort to put
jitleys and bus lines under. control
of the public service commission,
and to tax them heavily.
Three efforts were made in the
house to pass the bill abolishing
the Pullman surcharge, and al
though there was no opposition to
the measure, its hackers could never
get 104 members in the house at
the same time.
Tho child 1ahOr hill and tho for
estry measure were never reached
on the house calendar, and a num-
Der of other important bills died
at sunrise.
Important Bills Passed
Outstanding accomplishments of
the session were the passage of the
biennial sessions bill; the abolish
ment of the fee system OF paying
county officials in Fulton county,
and the first step toward the salary
system in the other large counties
of the state; the substitution of the
electric chair for the gallows in the
execution of criminals; the creation
of Peach county out Of portions of
Houston and Macon counties, and
enactment Of the absent voters
measure, permitting persons away
from home to cast their ballots by
registered mail.
The Zig fight of the final night
came on the bill of Senator Pace to
substitute the distillation test for the
gravity test of gasoline in Georgia
Representative Covington, of Col
quit county, offered an amendment
to this bill. repeating the present
law fer gasoline inspection, and re-
ducing the number of oil inspectors
to six.
Representative Bussey, OF Crisp
county, and Representative Dykes
of Dooly county, led fight against
this amendment, claiming that it
would result in the loss of more than
100000 in revenue to the state.
Representative Mann, of Glynn
county, and other supporters of the
amendment, declared that it would
be worth a half million dollars to
the state to break up the political
organization of the department OF
agriculture The debate was made
the occasion for several personal
attacks upon j. j. Brown. commits
sioner of agriculture.
The amendment of Judge Coving-
ton was finally adopted on a roll
call, with practically every member
OF the house taking advantage OF
the three-minute period to explain
his vote. The vote on tie mend
bent was SO to 81, and the vote on
w6he bill was SO for it and sc against
pit, but the measure was lost through
failure to receive 104 votes.
Vote ON Port Bill
Although they realized that they
had been outgeneraled in the rules
committee of the house when Sc
many bills were placed ahead Of the
state port bond bill on the calendar
the supporters of that measure le'
it come to a vote at time whe:
the support of all members present
would not have passed it.
Representative Sutlive, OF Chat
ham county, made an eloquent plea
for the measure as step TOWARD
providing marketing facilities fol
the farmers of the state. Repre-
sentative Atkinson, of Chatham
Representative Dixon, OF Jenkins
and others spoke for the measure
while Representatives Elders, OF
Tattnall, and Stovall, of Ebert, lee
the opposition. A motion to table
was defeated by vote of 81 to SIS
ure was II for it and So against it
The bill being a constitutions
amendment, would have required {
two.thirds vote, or 1SS. The Chat
ham representatives stated tha
they knew the measure would be de
feated with so small an attendance
in the house, but they wanted tt
set the members on record.
Gasoline Tax Beaten
Three amendments to the genera
tax act, tackled on by the senate
caused a wrangle between the rwC
houses that lasted for two hours
After a conference committee hat
been appointed and had conferred
for some time, the senate recede(
from all the amendments.
One OF these amendments provid
ed for an additional tax of one-hal
cent per gallon on gasoline, making
the state revenue tax three and one
half cents, and the inspection fe'
one.half cent, or a total of fou
cents per gallon, with the extra hal
cent going to the state highway de
partment The house voted 81 TO Is
against this amendment.
Another senate amendment woul
have en- cted the jitney bus bill tina
the hose defeated earlier in TIL
session. This amendment provided
license tax of from $50 to $50 upol
busses, and gave the state publ
service commission jurisdiction owe
all Jitney and bus lines. The amend
ment further provided that no jit
neys or buses should be operated
after the passage OF the bill. unit
the public service commission hat
issued a permit, and provided tina