Newport weekly independent., 1903-03-20
MANY MEASURES ENACTED.
Several Bills Affecting Railroads Pass ed By House And Senate-Myers Revised Mussel Bill Passes
 House Debate Upon
 That Issue.

Little Rock, March 17.--A good sized batch of bills was disposed of in both branches of the general assembly yesterday. Among the measures passed by the senate were:
 Senator Caldwelps bill limiting hours of railway train crews to 16 per day.
 Senator Caldwelps game bill.
 Senator Killgore's bill requiring non residents to pay a license of $1O0 to hunt in Arkansas.
 Senator Cotton's bill regulating the handling of dynamite.
 Senator Simpsons bill to prevent discrimination in the price of coal oil and dressed beef
 Among the bills passed by the house were:
 By MT. Kerwin- Requiring railroads to pay employees on the 20th of each month.
 By MT. De Notwithstanding loug- distance telephone companies to make connection with local exchanges.
 By MT. McGuigan-Limiting hours of labor of railway train crews to 16 per day and electric motormen to 10 per day.
 By Dr. Myers Amending act ap- proved March g, 1903, for protection of mussel beds.
 By MT. Campbell of Randolph Making June II, birthday of A. H. Garland, public holiday.
 A subcommittee representing the historical committee, Arkansas divis ion, United Confederate Veterans, ap peared before the house and present ed memorial in favor of an appro priation to secure and preserve the muster rolls of Arkansas troops in the Confederate army. The subcommit- tee consisted of Major s. H. Nowlin, Fletcher, Gen. T J. Churchill, Gen. V. Y. Cook, Col. J. w. Colquitt and Capt. A. J. Snodgrass.
 The senate adopted the house con current resolution by MT. Campbell of Randolph providing for a joint com mittee to prepare general road law.
 DEBATE UPON MUssEL BILL.
 House bill No. 439 (Dr. Meyers), a bill to regulate the mussel fishing of the state, was read the third time. The bill makes the closed season from January to March 30.
 Dr. Myers said that the former act, as amended in the senate, was too drastic and, in view of conditions inn posed by high water, it was impera tive that it be modified. The first act was too stringent for the working class.
 Mr. Keel was inclined to want the bill laid over until it's provisions could be scrutinized carefully and the peo pie concerned heard from.
 MT. E'dridge opposed the bill on ac- count of the change it makes in the closed season. He argued that the bill would afford no protection to res idents, but would be in the interest of f1Oaters.
 MT. Campbell of Randolph opposed the bill because he did not believe it is what is wanted in the pearl region. He argued that the closed season should be as fixed in the first act, in April, May and June.
 Mir. Keel said the bill, as he under stood it, seeks to do the very opposite of what the former act aimed at. He , hoped the house would vote down the bill.
 Mir. Matheny said he opposed the former bill because it was too drastic The poor classes discovered the pearl industry and it belongs to them. Not five per cent of the mussel diggers in his county are non residents. When asked if this bill seeks to repeal the former act, Mir. Matheny replied, "I hope so." He favored the passage of the bill
 MT. York said he had talked to many in Jackson county and he found the consensus of opinion to be that the drastic act first passed would drive many people out of Arkansas. He argued in favor of the pending bill in the interest of the common people,
 (Mr. Campbell of Pulaski in the chair.)
 Dr. Myers said his object in intro ducing the first bill was to protect the source of supply of one of the great