The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1934-07-10
|SPEAKERSH|IP
RACE WARMING
Lumpkin Seems to Have
Edge in Campaign as
1t Now Stands
Bv ]. c. BASKERVILL
The Times News Bureau
Cir Walter Hotel

RALEIGH, July 10.-The con-
test for the speakership of the.
house in the 1888 general assem-
blv is becoming more active, now
that the second primary is over
and the nominees for the house
are definitely known. The three
leading contenders for speaker
are still William Grady Johnson
of Fender, w. l.. Lumppkin OF
Franklin and Laurie McEachern
of Hoke. The names of Gregg
Cherry of CASTOR, Reg L. Harris
of Person, speaker of the 1888,
house, and of Tam C. Bowie OF.
Ashe have also been mentioned
but few believe any of these last
three will be a candidate for the
speakership. 90, =, !,
It is believed. however, that
Cherry, Harris and Bowie are re-
ceptive candidates for the chair
manship of the House Finance
committee and that they are be-
| ing mentioned by their friends
largely to bring them to the fore
as possible heads of the most in
portant committee in the house,
For it is the House Finance COM,
mittee, together with the Senate
Finance committee, that writes
the revenue bills every two years.
Hence the fight for and against
the retention of the 3. per cent
general sales tax will be fought
out first in these committees be-
fore getting to the floors of the
house and senate.
1t is also agreed that the speak
er, who appoints all the commit
tees, can to large extent deter
mine the fate of important legis-
lation in advance by the appoint
ments he makes on the various
committees, and especially by his
appointments of committee chair
men since in most instances a
committee follows the leadership
of the chairman. Thus is a speak
er should be elected who was bit
terly opposed to the sales tax, he
could appoint a finance commit
tee composed Of a majority OPP
posed to the sales tax, and thus
! virtually prevent the reporting of
any bill to the house that con-
tains any sales tax provision. So
in many ways the speaker of the
house and the lieutenant COVER
nor, who presides over the senate
and appoints all senate commit
tees, exercise much more infu-
ence over legislation than the
governor by reason Of their pow
er to appoint all committees.
Consequently, the more ex-
IRENE anti-sales tax and economy
at any prices group are reported
to be backing Bowie for chairman
of either the House Finance or
Appropriations committee, since
they believe he would be able to
eliminate The sales tax and reduce
other expenditures by refusing to
report a revenue bill containing a
sales tax. The groups favoring
the retention of the sales tax az
an emergency measure for an
J other two years are reported 20
be backing either Cherry or Har-
us as chairman of the finance
committee. There are also indi-
cations that those backing Harris
are also supporting McEachern
for speaker while those backing
Cherry for chairman Of the
finance committee are backing
johnson for speaker.
| The candidacy of Lumpkin for
human family is better off with
out.
Our constant aim should he m
behalf of human Improvement,
uplift and welfare, to make orr
J municipalities not bigger, but
better, @