Henderson daily dispatch., 1939-02-20
Legislatures Riddle. Is
Where to Get the Money
Continued From Page One)

These sixteen men have been giver
the Herculean task of assembling
and presenting to the full commit
tees figures and plans for eliminat-
ing the present gap of nearly mil
lion dollars between proposed re-
ceipts and expenditures. Both the
finance and appropriations group:
have reduced the budget commission
figures, but the money raiSers have
cut off lots more than the money
spenders have.
The finance committee has made
concessions Of $250,0OO to railroads
and 100000 by exempting building
materials from the sales tax, anC
the budget estimates were further
cut by refusal to boost the tax on
abe liquor stores $4,000 and re-
turn of, an additional 100000 tc
counties and cities out of intangible
taxes. Lesser concessions were Off
set by increases, leaving the total
reduction at the end of the. seventh
week approximately million dol
lars less than original estimates.
This condition leaves little solace
for the still determined 'anti-diver
sion group, because it takes the
seven million dollars from the high
way to bring the balance that near
attainment.
Liquor Changes Unlikely
Most co1orful public hearing dur
ing the week was that on the bill Of
fered by Senator Umstead for es-
Enlistment of liquor warehouses in
dry counties having cities of $751;
900 or more, from which sales in
gallon-a-month lots might be made
On mail orders. This hearing brought
he same group of die-hard prohibit
tionists that has been in the front
If every liquor fight for quarter
century, and the same group which
muffed an opportunity for a state
wide referendum in 1885. Each
speaker begged for another chance
at a statewide vote. At the same
time, the ardent "dries" in, the
House, led by Null and burlington,
view with considerable GOODNESS the
WithroW proposal for a State refer
endum in May. To date there has
been no liquor legislation. The
warehouse bill hasn't a chance to
pass, and not much better luck is
for the State vote idea.
The finance committee action in re-
fusing to boost taxes on county
stores will most likely be sustained
on the floor. Presently it is the
of legislative opinion that
there will be little change in the
liquor laws now in effect. Every
body is afraid to monkey much with
the question. Both ardent dries and
liberal vets Though both are mis-
fear they might be placed
in position of the man with the
wild cat who didn't need any help
to hold on but would appreciate
some help in turning loose.
Dangerous Precedent
Just as the money groups eStab-
lished a new method in naming the
four committee joint sub committee,
the House of Representative in open
session established precedent that
is regarded by many observers as
dangerous.
In authorizing payment by the
State for property damages and
loss of time suffered by a Nash
county resident from a school bus
accident. the State left its century
old position on such questions. "The
State is sovereign, is not liable to
its subjects for torts, and can be
sued only by its own consent" has
been the basic policy in all damage
claims heretofore. In this Nash
county case, if the House action is
endorsed by the Senate, this policy
will have been reversed.
Deceptive Titles
This legislature has had, accord
ing to old timers, more bills which
go a great deal further than the
title and simple language would in
licate, that any in recent years. The
dill to pay damages for one school
ous accident was very meritorious;
the far-reaching effects are much
more doubtful. Some days ago Sen
ator Larl1ins offered a bill to permit
highway patrolmen to make arrests
as other peace officers. A fine
hing in many instances, but its eff
feet would be virtually to convert
the highway patrol into a unified
State police system. There have
been several bills providing for ex-
tension of terms of office of regis
ters of deeds and county commits
sioners from two years to four years,
all of them in line with what seems
70 be an increasingly popular policy;
but several of them purport, to con-
tinue in office until 1912 the pres
ent officials, which means simply
that the electorate is being denied
chance to vote upon them next year.
Another far-reaching bill, that to
give. the Department of Labor au-
thority to make ordinances with the
force of law on a much wider scale
than at present, was voted down in
the House Thursday, but notice was
given of a motion to reconsider the
vote and that measure will be up
again this week. It also does a lot
more than the title would indicate.
RISE I'M REALTY TAxES