Alexandria Gazette

NEWS OF THE OLD DOMINION

TO STUDY REFORM IN TAXES.

House Committee Favors Ten
Delegates and Five
Senators

Richmond, Feb. 28.--The House Committee on Finance has agreed to recommend a new plan for a special committee on taxation to be composed of ten members of the House appointed by the Speaker, and five members of the Senate appointed by the president of that body.

The formal resolution is to be recast in the form of a bill and will provide the necessary appropriation to carry on the work of the special committee, prior to the meeting of the proposed special session of the General Assembly, which Governor Stuart has indicated his willingness to call whenever the committee is ready to report with proper bills for the consideration of the Legislature.

The Senate Finance Committee has reported a plan for a committee of seven, three from the House to be appointed by the Speaker, two from the Senate to be appointed by the president of that body, and two at large to be named by the Governor.

Before the meeting Chairman A. G. Weaver and several of the members waited on Governor Stuart in his office, to learn his views on the constitution of the proposed tax committee or commission. Governor Stuart told the committee that he thought the point had been covered in the main in his special message to the Legislature.

The Governor said further to his callers that if the commission to be created by the General Assembly is to be composed wholly of members of the two bodies, there would seem to be no room for the exercise by the executive of the appointing power, it being perfectly clear that the appointment of committees of the Senate and the House of Delegates to do legislative work is part of the powers and duties of the presiding officers, and he would not encroach on these powers even if asked to do so.

If, however, he concluded, the General Assembly should provide for a commission constituted partly of others than members of the Legislature, and the power of appointment of outside persons should be conferred on the Governor, he would, of course, make the appointments.

The original recommendation of the committee for a special committee of twenty members met with little favor as it was feared that it would be unwieldy and expensive, and lead only to endless diversity of opinion. Chairman Weaver it be known from the first that he did not stickle for the number, but that his committee believed that as the Legislature had been elected on the issue of tax reform, and was responsible to the people for the results, the committee should be a legislative body, and not a commission of outsiders, though he agreed that the committee should have ample authority to employ expert advice.