The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-04-19
The Florida Legislature.
Special to the NEWS:


The coming week will see many
vacant seats in both the Senate and
House. The legislature has appoint
ed many committees whose duty it
will be to visit the various state in
situations. as well as public works,
and several of these committees will
take next week for the visitation.
DR.. Grill has already gone on his
trip of inspection of the University,
and the Deaf and Blind asylum, and
will likely spend Sunday at his home
in Palatka.
Mr.. Russell is member of the
Joint committee of the Senate and
House to visit and inspect the work
of the Internal Improvement Board
ill dredging at Fort Lauderdale and
to also visit the canals up the Caloo-
seehatchie river near Lake Ockee-
choobee. What good purpose will
be served by this committee is not
clear, but it has been ordered to go
and will go. The committee is to
assemble at Fort Lauderdale next
Tuesday morning. There are seven
members.
TIE legislature is now getting down
to hard work and much is being ac-
complished. The sessions of the
House now last from 8 q. IN. to p. IN.
OF the bills introduced so far Put
nam county people will have great
est interest in the one prepared by
Senator Grill and introduced by him
in the Senate on Monday. 1t is a
bill entitled, an act to authorize the
county commissioners of any county
in this state to require and cause the
county treasurer to transfer to other
county funds the surplus money now
in the Fine and Forfeiture Fund, or
that may hereafter come into that
fund from the hire of state or county
convicts.
The measure as introduced reads as
follows:
"Be it enacted by the Legislature
of the state of Florida:
Sec. /. That when it shall appear
to the Comfy Commissioners of any
county at the close of any year that
there is a surplus in the Fine and
Forfeiture Fund, over and above the
claims or probable claims against
the same and not needed for the pur-
poses thereof, they shall have au-
thority to cause to be transferred by
the County Treasurer from the Fine
and Forfeiture Fund such portion of
the fund as has been derived from
the hire of state or county convicts,
to the Road Fund for the purpose of
building good roads, or repairing the
same, or for the erection or repairing
of county buildings, or the county
School Fund, or to any other county
fund, or they may cause it to be
transferred to any or all such funds
in the amounts they may deem best
and for the best interests of the
county.
"Sec. 2. The county treasurer
shall not be allowed any commission
for transferring one fund to another.
Sec. B. All laws and parts of
laws in conflict with this act are
hereby repealed"
The Putnam county delegation had
several conferences on the subject
of this measure, which had been
called to their attention by both the
Board of county commissioners and
the Palatka Board of Trade. But in
the light of recent adverse decis-
ion by the supreme court on an
Alachua county law of this kind en-
acted by the last legislature, consid-
erable delay was caused in order
that bill might be prepared that
would "hold water" Senator Cribs
bill solves the problem by making
the act one of state wide significance
Indeed his bill is so we'll thought of
that Hon. Sgd l.. Carter of Alachua,
who had introduced a bill of similar
import, has agreed to withdraw his
and substitute the Grill measure.
Hon. j. w. Watson of Miami has a
primary election bill pending in the
House that will probably pass and if
it does l am sure it will meet the
wishes of our Putnam county brand
of democrats.
County Superintendent Tucker and
Principal [. l, HINES are here at
tending the meeting of State educa-
tors called by State Superintendent
Holloway. Most, il not ali The teach,
ers are opposed to the adoption OF
the State Uniformity text book law
advocated by Gov. Brow&rd.
The event of Tuesday was the ad
dress in the Senate of Senator Beard
of Escambla advocating q repeal ot
the 10th amendment of the Federal
constitution, His measure TO rapa