The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-19
ENTI-Po0LRooM BILL KILLED.
MIR. MDoNOUGH's MEASURE MEETS
ITS FATE IN THE SENATE.

verse Committee Report ana the
Death BLOW was Dealt Before
Members Realized what They
Were Doing-A Motion to Recon
slider Likely to lie Made Monday.
MIR. LaROche Introduces New
Bill.
Atlanta, Ga, Nov. 1S.-Mr. McDonoughs
anti-pooi room bill met an unexpected and
untimely fate in the Senate this morning.
Ii was killed without even a show OF re-
distance. The manner in which il came I'M
der the ak was almost a sensation in leg
islative circles Mr.. McDonough had good
reason to believe that his bill would go
through the Senate all right. Mr.. Groven-
stein did not oppose, and the work done
by its author was such as to fully war
rant his confidence,
The bill came into the Senate under an
adverse report of the committee, and this
report was agreed to without a voice be
sne raised against the slauGhtering of the
measure Apparently, the senator's, who
have not vet gone down to hard routine
work. did not fully understand matters, for
no sooner had the word gone forth that
the enti-pooI room bill had been killed
than there was a lively little scene among
senator's who declared that they were
heartily in favor of the measure. Various
excuses were made for the course they
had taken and it was finally agreed that
a motion to reconsider should be made on
Monday. when the Senate holds its next
session.
Mr.. Grovenstein will probably make this
motion. though this is not officially stated.
When he heard of the action of the SEN
ate. Mr.. McDonough took hurried trip
across to the other side of the capitol to
see how It had happened Mr.. Fouehe,
chairman of the general judiciary commit
Tee which gave the bill its death thrust
said TO the Morning News correspondent
that the committee was actuated by the
argument that the passage of any such
law would have the effect OF diScouTaSihS
the bringing of fine horses into the state
10 attend fairs and races ana also that the
nresent laws against gaming are suthcleht
to cover betting in the pool rooms dV
which the bill was aimed.
The bill sought TO prohibit the operation
Of rool rooms which make II their Dusl-
ness TO sell pools on horse races run on
tracks in various parts of the country re-
ceiving reports from these races over wires
direct from the track.
In Atlanta such pool rooms are kept in
abeyance by the heavy tax put upon them
bv the CITY Council but they have -four
ished Just outside the corporate limits of
the city under the sanction of the state
laws.
state School Commission Glenn sent to
the House this morning comprehensive
statement showing the application and de-
rivation of the school fund since 1898, pur-
suant to the Calvin resolution calling upon
him for his information passed some days
ago. To the usual reader this statement
is interesting only in so far as it shows
that the length of the school term has
been increased from 100 days to 100 days by
the increase of $4,000 in the appropria-
ton for the current year. The school fund
is now the paramount issue before the
legislature. Discussion is in progress
upon the proposition TO reduce it in the
House appropriations committee, and the
effect Of this discussion is to line up both
sides for a fight to the finish. Those
against the reduction are willing to cut
expenses or deprive the military and the
branch colleges for the sake of the in
tegrity of the 81, 100000 appropriation to
the common schools, and, right here, it
may not be amiss to say that unless the
very sharp, they are going to see that APP
preparation wiped clean out of the list.
Whether this feeling is justified or not,
1t is nevertheless a fact that the expert
ence of the state in answering the late
call for volunteers his disguised many of
the solons with the militia organization
of the state, and they are, therefore, more
than ever inclined to cut off the appropri-
alton for the annual encampmont 1t Is
eai
accepting the Craftsmanship of the military
committee of the upper house because he
saw this sort of opposition staring him in
the face and he did not like to take up
a hopeless fight.
The Senate proposes to have q thorough
investigation of the fiscal affairs of the
state before Il takes up the appropriations.
Looking to this end, a resolution by Mr..
Thrasher providing for a joint committee
to do this work was passed to-day, and
Immediately President Dodson named the
senators to represent the upper house
They are Wright, chairman; Hand
Thrasher, Blalock and Little Ten mem
bers of the House are to be added by that
body. Under the rules of the resolution
creating il the committee will have full
authority to go to the bottom of things
Mr.. Blalock of Fayette, the reform leader
of the House, did not hesitate to declare
several days ago at the mansion confer
ence that il was impossible for members
to tell anything about the true condition
OF the states finances from the statement
rendered by Treasurer Speer. He con-
tended that there is really no deficit in
the treasury and will be none regardless
of the~present appropriations for schools.
pensions and other departments. and the
whole opposition to the reduction i'm the
school fund is based upon this declara-
tlon by the member from FaVette. The