Friday, March 14, 2014

North Carolina in 1919: Yes to Paved Roads and 6 Months of School, No to Allowing Women to Vote

From The Independent, March 14, 1919

The General Assembly of 1919 Made Good Record

Not as Progressive as Was Desired But It Moved the State Forward on Health, Education, Roads and Taxation Problems

A fairly comprehensive review of the work of the General Assembly of 1919, which concluded its session this week, is given by John A. Livingston in the Raleigh News & Observer. It follows:
Measured by magnitude of results accomplished, the most important session of the General Assembly in a decade has virtually passed into history. Legislation furnishing machinery for revaluation of all taxable property was its most noteworthy achievement; provision for a six months school term in every community in North Carolina its most praiseworthy act.

Submission to the people of the income tax amendment to the State constitution opens the way to a new era in the economic history of the commonwealth while the inauguration of a State-wide system of highways is the outstanding feature of the session from a material standpoint. Strengthening of the public health laws comes as a direct result of lessons learned in a world war.

It Kept the Faith
The General Assembly didn’t do all that was expected of it nor did it go further than to reflect, perhaps imperfectly at times, the wishes and desires of enlightened public opinion. Thanks to the efforts of wise an conservative leaders, it kept the faith and rendered service that merits the approval of the people of the State.

The legislators go home with the consciousness of having set in motion new forces for the development of the Tar Heel State, which if intelligently directed will make for great progress and development.

Not Ready to Pioneer
While the General Assembly was too firmly wedded to ancient ideas to respond to the demand for equal suffrage, its passage in the Senate and the closeness of the vote in the House showed that even here a distinct advantage had been made in progressive thought, as compared with the session of two years ago. Had the supporters of suffrage started early in the session with consistent purpose, it is entirely possible that equal municipal suffrage would have been achieved. However, the present session, in failing to pass its measure, missed its greatest opportunity to show its progressiveness and this in the future will be charged against it as an unwarranted ultra-conservatism.
Again the General Assembly was too firmly committed to conservative thought to call a constitutional convention. It was realized that the present document is out of date and should be superseded by a more workable one but the legislators as a whole didn’t want to disturb things too much. The Senate passed this bill but it died in the House.

The House never gave the Senate an opportunity to act on any of the proposed safeguards for the better enforcement of prohibition laws. Practically all of these measures were defeated and there again the Legislature was derelict to its trust.

The Most Forward Step
The revaluation program was worked out under the direction of Representative Ruphus A. Doughton, chairman of the House Finance committee, and Senator James A. Gray, chairman of the Senate Finance committee. They had the help and co-operation of Corporation Commissioner A.J. Maxwell and so completely and so thoroughly was their work done that the bill was passed exactly as reported by the committee and without discussion on the floor of either house. Never before perhaps has such an epochal bill been enacted into law by unanimous consent in this State unless in times of war or of dire necessity. Speaker Brummitt did his best day’s work when he named Governor Doughton to head this committee and Senator Gray, able young banker, proved to be a running mate worthy of his veteran colleague.

New Educational Program
In the educational program aimed specifically to secure a six months school term a wide divergence of opinion existed at the beginning of the session as to the methods to follow. It was no easy task that faced Representative Victor S. Bryant and Senator F.C. Harding, chairmen of the respective Education committees, but with wonderful tact they reconciled conflicting opinions and brought the warring elements together. In forming this program the guiding hands of J.Y. Joyner, retiring State Superintendent, rendered great service.

The income tax amendment directly jibes with the provisions for revaluing taxable property and in fact is considered an indispensible feature of the new program of taxation in North Carolina. It was brought into the House by Governor Doughton, who has justly earned the title of “the grand old man of the General Assembly.” He championed the measure and left nothing in the way to hinder its thorough consideration by the people.

Roads Bothered Much
The General Assembly had most trouble in getting a State road law into shape and while the law finally enacted for the present does not seem to meet the wishes of anybody in many particulars, it is predicted that it will eventually prove to be satisfactory to all or to a large part of the people. It was upon this measure that the General Assembly devoted most discussion and gave the most time. Senators Scales and Stevens were the pioneer champions of a State system when it was considered doubtful if the General Assembly would try a hand at it, and a host of legislators have worked at it since. The Senate stood for a State-wide system while the House was committed t a county system with State and Federal aid. The result is a compromise in which the State system is retained with optional county aid. While not authorizing a bond issue it is provided that money may be borrowed. The law as finally passed represents the best efforts of a conference committee. It was Governor Doughton that put it across in the House when it looked like no bill could get through that the Senate would endorse.

The health legislation, approved by the State Health Board and the War Department provides for radical changes in the control of venereal diseases and for inspection. Senator Joseph A. Brown and Representative Stanley Winborne headed the respective Health committees and encountered little opposition in putting these measures through. However, had there been a fight made, they would have proven worthy opponents.

Able Presiding Officers
Speaker Dennis G. Brummitt was happy in the selection of his committees in the House and they worked in hearty accord to put through a progressive program of legislation. Scarcely any friction was encountered and this is a most excellent record when the magnitude of legislation passed is considered. Practically every chairman was the right man for the right place. Speaker Brummitt was actuated in his appointments by a desire to organize a working body that would serve the State. Speaker Brummitt proved himself to be a presiding officer of exceptional ability. His decisions were rendered with impartiality and fairness to all concerned while his conduct of the business of the House met with approval on the part of the members.

Lieut. Gov. O. Max Gardner was equally happy in the organization of the Senate and never at any time was there friction of any consequence. Never once during the session did anyone question the justness of his decisions while acting as presiding officer. He had the advantage of being well acquainted with public affairs and with the personnel of the Senate. His committee assignments were thoroughly considered by him with a view to securing a maximum of service by putting the proper man in the right place, and the Senate’s record shows he exercised excellent judgment.

Their Thankless Task
Chairmanship of an Appropriations committee is ordinarily a thankless job because it is never possible to please everybody but Senator George Holderness and Representative R.S. McCoin, who headed the respective committees of the Senate and House, are exceptions to the rule. They had the task of properly distributing more than five million dollars among the various State institutions and this required careful thought and study. Both were well fitted for the place, senator Holderness being a banker and farmer while Representative McCoin is a lawyer and business man.

Increased Pensions
It fell to the lot of the Appropriations committee to find a way to increase the pensions of the Confederate veterans of the State. They couldn’t see the way clear to make it a million a year, but they brought it up to nearly $700,000, as compared with $525,000 which was paid out last year.
In connection with the road legislation it is interesting to note the estimate that between 60 and 70 million dollars were authorized in bonds for public roads in the various counties of the state during the next two years. The road committees, headed by Senator Ferebee and by Col. Bennehan Cameron, rendered faithful service.

Little Partisanship
A notable feature of the General Assembly was the lack of partisanship exhibited in the discussions. Not once during the Senate sessions were partisanship fights encountered and only once in the House. The utmost good feeling existed between Democrats and Republicans and all were moved by the common purpose of serving the State.

The General Assembly while hosing evidence of progress along many lines was not disposed to change “the law of the land.” It killed all measures to abolish capital punishment or to lessen the number of crimes punishable with death while little change was made in the civil procedure although many bills to that end were introduced.

Child Labor Law
After much discussion and debate the General Assembly passed a child labor act and compulsory education measure that fails in many respects to be what the intelligent thought of the State thought it ought to be. In passing this law as a welfare measure, the General Assembly was inconsistent in not providing sufficient funds to carry it out and further in failing to put it in the department where it belongs. However the law on the books is still a step forward and will eventually result in putting North Carolina squarely in line with other progressive States.

For Budget System
After the next session of the General Assembly the State will have a budget system so that it will be easy to determine the exact state of its finances. Early in the session Senator Gray introduced a budget bill which was passed without debate and which provides for a budget commission. This will place the State on the same footing with the practice of cities and all corporations.

A constructive measure that should prove of great help to the cotton farmers in future years is the Price warehouse law. This provides a tax of 25 cents on each bale of cotton ginned which shall go towards making up a guaranty fund. It was endorsed by such men as Dr. Clarence Poe and was the outcome of legislation introduced early in the session by Senator W.B. Cooper. Senator Cooper worked zealously in the interest of warehouse legislation and had an important part in getting Senator Price’s bill through the General Assembly.

Governor and Legislature
Many of the recommendations of Governor Bickett in his biennial message in the General Assembly were adopted, among the most important being the law to provide for revaluation of property and for a six months school term. The governor was in favor of allowing the counties to pay one-fourth of the cost in the State-wide system of roads, but the Senate was firmly opposed to this while the House endorsed the suggestion. The result has been the passage of an act that was aptly described by Senator Stevens as “a dog fall” between the two ideas.

The Legislature adopted his recommendation of removing the State prison and its administration to the State farm and to convert the State prison into a State hospital. His recommendations as to compulsory school attendance and for examination of physically defective children were also adopted. Other gubernatorial recommendations incorporated were: fixing a minimum salary for public school teachers, to make sanitary closets compulsory for the owner of property on property on which a closet is within 300 feet of a dwelling; ratification of the Federal prohibition amendment, provision for an agricultural building, and to prevent perpetuation of species by idiots and imbeciles.

The General Assembly failed to carry out the Governor’s recommendation to amend the State primary law and to apply the principal of the short ballot to all State administrative offices. It likewise failed to enact an ouster law and turned down in the House the bill to require health certificates for marriage licenses.

House Failed to Concur
In failing to pass laws charging fathers of illegitimate children with their education and maintenance and to require health certificates for marriage licenses, the House was responsible for failure of two of the Governor’s wisest recommendations. The Senate passed both bills and sent them to the House in plenty of time for thorough consideration but they died in committee.
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A dogfall is a tie or draw.


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