The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1925-03-20
WHAT THELAST
ASSEMBLY DID
Shipman Reviews Accomplish
ments of The Lawmak-
ers of 1925
BY Nj. l.. SHIPMAN

ceremonies marking the close
Of the General Assembly were
interesting, as they most al
ways are. Scarcely one OF the
100 men and one woman who
had been here for siXty-three
days fighting. struggling,
worrying and arguing on the
floors of the two chambers but
felt an odd tightening i'll the
throat when the gavcl of the
two houses fell at precisely the
same moment and the General
Assembly of 1925 was declared
adjourned sine die at eleven
thirty on Tuesday evening,
March 10th.
The two halls Of the Assembly
are exactly opposite with the
rotunda of the building intervening.
The two doors were swung wide
Omen, the President Of the Senate
and the Speaker of the House stood
gavels in hand ready for the flnal
drop" The reading clerks called
the rolls, slowly and sOlemnly, the
answers of the members lined along
ruch side of the aiSles i'll two long
lines extending from the presiding
officers desks to the doors were
, echoed family in both chambers.
simultaneously with the response
to the last name called the two
ravcls fell with Il thud the members
walked up. told one another good
bye and it was all over for another
two wears. unle'S an emergency
shall arise which neccSSitates an
other special session.
The calenders of both houses
were cleared of all important hllls
, and the members went home with
full assurance that they had com
pIeted the job. Bills were put
through with surprising. mmdlty
during the closing days of the SeS-
sion and state OfficialdOm is busy
irving To ascertain exactly what
has been done to them. Some or
those holding major. and others 0c-
cupying minor positions, are slight
Ia disfiuurpd but still in the ring.
The state and Insurance depart
mcntS no longer exercise the prlNl-
Lore of collecting revenues, other
wise their activities will he unham-
percd by any act of the General
Assembly. barring the transfer OF
the supervision of the Blue Sky
Law" from the Insurance Depart
mcnt to the Corporation C0mmlS'
sion. This was recommended by
. Commissioner Wade early in the
session and he is shedding no tears
over the passing from his hand OF
an agency which has bred trouble
from the very beginning Of its oper-
ations in the State.
! Differences between the Senate
and House Of Representatives over
the Revenue Act were adjusted late
Tuesday afternoon when the House
practically capitulated to the upper
branch of the Assembly. The two
branches also. finally found them
selves in agreement touching the
nrovisiOns Of the bill carrying ap-
prOpriationS to the various State
charitable, penal aud educational
institutions, but the NHttles Dill
nroyiding increase in the pension
fund for the benefit of eX-contedc-
rutr soldiers and widows met lis
Waterloo i'm the Senate through
parliamentary tactics llarted ny
Burrwyn. of Northampton, VINO
proposed tax of one cent on the
hundred dollars worth of properly
i'm lien of the tax of one cent on
theatre tickets provided in the Net
tIcs bill. "Class legislation was
the cry of the opposition to 'he
IInuse and survivors Of the days
which tried mems souls Will nave
70 struggle along on the small pit
toucp which has been dOled out TO
them during the last biennial period.
And that is reason. The line is
rapidly thinning, and the intlu-
ence i'm politics is no longer factor
to he reckOned with. The leglSla-
TORS say fine things about his valor
and deeds of daring but vote au-
ditional appropriations to instltr-
tions the very existence of which Is
due TO the courageous stand OF these
men i'm their early manhood ana
through the years that have follow
ed the historical event at hppo-
mattiX.
Repeated attempts to put through
a bill permitting State Treasurer
r. b. Lacy to retire on half-pay
we're defeated in the House mainly
on account of the precendent 1t
would set up. And further, be-
cause this General Assembly made
I'D its mind early in the session to
"cut out non-essentials." The
time-honored CUSTOM of paying
ianitors, firemen, watch-men and
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