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.
A dogfall is a tie or draw.
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