Watauga Democrat. [volume] (Boone, Watauga County, N.C.) 1888-current, 1929-02-28

to strengthen rather than weaken the
bill from the workman's point of
view, but still acceptable to en-
ployers. The eight-months school
bill and the Egyptian" ballot meas
ure are still hanging fire, while local
bills are piling up in both houses.
However night sessions are being
held in an effort to clear the calen-
HAIRS so that the assembly may ad-
journ at the end of the constitutional
-sixty-day limit.
Raleigh Monday-With less than
three weeks to go before the Ides of
March, the time usually mentioned
as the probable date of adjournment
of the legislature, members are this
week facing heavy calendars in both
houses.
A survey of the session thus far
shows only one of the so-called out
standing measures enacted into law.
The administration highway bill,
raising the gasoline tax from four to
five cents gallon, as a method of
allowing counties to reduce their
property taxes, was given final ap
proval, with each house recording
only one vote against it, and will be-
come operative April /. A fund es-
timated at $3,000,000 year will be
apportioned among the counties in
proportion to era and population up
on condition that the counties reduce
their ad valorem levies for road
purposes by an amount proportion
ate to their quota of the state fund.
The highlight of the present ses-
sion came Friday night when the
house by two to one majority ap
proved the eight months school bill
sponsored by Representative Mac
Lean of Beaufort. The measure was
approved on it's second reading, and
therefore must pass another reading
in the house before going to the
senate.
Little progress was made last week
by the Australian ballot bill, first of
the administration measures behind
which Governor Gardner threw the
whole force of his position and per-
sonal popularity. The senate bill
was referred to the house committee
on election laws, which in turn
placed it in the hands of sub-com-
mittee. The subcommittee held its
first meeting this afternoon for the
consideration of the bill.
Another administration measure,
the workmen's compensation bill,
made no progress after coming out
of the hands of the insurance COM
mittee in form said to be accept
able to representatives of both labor
and capital. Although it was set as
a special order for consideration in
the senate early last week, it met
with several delays and was not
taken up. 1t was the special order
of business when the senate recon
vened at 8 o'clock Monday night.
A bill providing for the licensing
of BARRIERS was passed by the house
and sent to the senate. Favorable
committee reports were given the
senate bill to submit to the voters
the question of adding two additional
justices to the state supreme court,
giving the tribunal nine members,
and to the Gill measure which would
place the highway department and
the commissioner Of agriculture un-
der the budget bureau.
The senate and house finance COM
mittees, in joint session Tuesday be-
gan action on sections of the budget
revenue bill. All hearings on the
bill have been completed and the
committees face the task of draw
ing it in it's final form for presenta-
ton to the legislature. Because OF
the various school bills now before
the assembly, Chairman Womble OF
the senate committee, would not pre-
dict when the revenue bill would be
drawn.
A bill to put Judge w. B. Council
on the list of retired judges and to
let hi mact as special judge, at
salary of $4,000 year, was killed
by the senate Tuesday. Under the
present law only judges who have
served Is years are entitled to PEN
sion, Judge Council having served
less than IL years, was the ground
upon which the measure was killed.
The bill calling for the establish
ment of state highway patrol and
the licensing of automobile drivers
was passed by the senate Friday
night. The measure requires that
the patrol consist of not more than
1876 patrolmen who are to have the
powers of enforcement of traffic
laws. The patrol is to be financed
by requiring a so cents operators
license from every driver within the
state. Also the upper house passed
the Broughton-Jonson bill to allow
juries to recommend mercy with YER
diets Of guilty in all capital cases