The Skyland post. [volume] (West Jefferson, N.C.) 193?-1988, 1939-03-02
MYSTERIOUS Shooting At Fleetwood Creates Real Sensation
What The State
Legislature Is
Doing This Week
(By Staff Correspondent

Raleigh, Mar. 1.-Going into
it's ninth week of more or less
harmonious action and with the
$1O-per-day payday period for
the legislative members about
over, the 1899 session of the
General Assembly really got
down to business in earnest this
week and have changed from low
into second gear and are rapidly
on the way to moving into high
gear.
All Of the numerous commit
tees that have been considering
total of about so local and state
wide bills, gave their reports on
most of their measures and sent
them to the floors for both de-
bate and action.
The most important committee
report came from the finance
committee Tuesday. After "a
days of considering and public
hearings, this committee upon
which rested the big task of de-
vising ways and means of rails
ing several million dollars in adj
dltiOnel revenue to balance an
all-time record appropriation
proposal from the appropriations
committee of S154,361 ,29200, ap-
proved a new revenue bill that
will almost balance the budget.
The measure, which will be de-
beted on the floors, provides for
an increased schedule of chain
store taxes to bring in an addi-
tiOnal $4,000 a yea, an incre2s-
cd schedule for distributors of
gasoline to net $G5,000 year,
slightly Increased income tax
figures, and made it possible to
place income taxes on employees
of the federal government.
The final bill was a little differ
ent from the original one pre-
sented to the finance committee.
1t was changed by a number of
tax reductions, compromises, in
creases and trades. The tax
on each bottle of beer was in
creased Ia cents and not 11a
cents; sales tax was not extend
ed to building materials. The
proposal to increase liquor taxes
from 7 to 10 percent ended in a
compromise of a levy from to
3D. percent increase.
The appropriations committee
completed its recommendation
last week and now everything is
in readiness for member-action
on the two important measures.
Debate Election Reforms
Considerable debate was caus-
ed by the introduction of this
week of the Compromised and
discussed election reforms"
bill, presented Monday night in
the house. It provides the abol-
iShment of absentee voting in the
primaries and tightens absentee
regulations in the general cleo
ton. County chairmen of cleo
tons would be solely responsible
for the distribution of absentee
ballots for general elections. It
limits use of markers and pro-
vides for "purging'' of registra-
ton books. The House passed
the bill Tuesday and sent it to
the senate.
The senate finance committee
killed a mail-order liquor bill,
which would provide shipment by
mail of whiskey to dry counties.
It's introduction three weeks ago
caused storm of protest from
the drys and they called for a
statewide vote on prohibition.
This has been killed with the bill,
too and liquor is sold in q
of the 100 counties in the state.
The senate passed and sent to
the House a bill giving juries dis
cretionary powers in first-degree
burglary and arson cases. The
present statute makes it manda-
tory for death penalties. Juries
under it could recommend life
Imprisonment.
In public hearings merchants
opposed the wage-hour meas
ure, but urged adoption of meas
ure prohibiting the sale of mer-
chandiSe at prices below cost.
The senate passed and sent to
house a bill requiring immuniza-
ton of children against diph-
liberia.
The finance committee report
also provided that income from
the intangible personal property
taxes be divided 40 percent for
the state and go percent for coun-
ties and cities, instead of it's pres
ent division of 75-to-25 in favor
of counties and cities.
"a