Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-01-25
Special Correspondence Graphic

capitol, with view to probing the
 charges of fraud and corruption tha
 have been made, and Of determining
 whether or not the present contract for the structure may be cancelled
 under the law, is proposed in a reso- Hutton of a rather sensational nature introduced in the Senate this after
 moon by Senator Otis T. Wingo, Of Se- ivier county. It was expected that
 the state capitol fight would be pre-
 cipitated early in the session and the introduction Of such resolution did
 not cause much surprise. The reso- llution offered by Senator Wingo was
 as follows:
 Whereas, it has been charged that
 the erection Of the state capitol is
 fraught with fraud, dishonesty and corrpution, and that inferior material
 is being used in the erection thereof, and,
 Whereas, one of tn contractors is self-confessed bribe-giver with ref renee to additional appropriations sought to be had in connection with the erection of said building, there fore,
 Be it resolved by the Senate. the House Of Representatives concurr.ng therein:
 That the joint committee on state capitol be, and is hereby authorized to thoroughly investigate said charges and the existing conditions Of the new state capitol, and for that Purpose be, and is hereby directed and empower ed to summon witnesses, administer paths, send for persons and papers, and take such depositions as may be necessary to establish the facts. and report in writing their findings 10 the General Assembly, with such recom- mendaSions as the committee may deem meet and proper.
 That said committee De, and is hereby further directed to investigat and report to the General Assembly whether or not the present contract for the erection Of the new state cap itol may, under the law, be cancelled | by the state.''
 The joint committee mentioned in | the resolution was provided for by a | resolution introduced early ins!he ses- sion but it has not yet been named.
 The introduction of the resolution this afternoon precipitated a lengthy discussion, in which the members placed themselves on record as favor ing full and complete investigation of the state capitol matters. The con- census of opinion seemed to be that no appropriation for the completion of the capitol should be made until he present contractors sever their with the work.
 IL was suggested, however, that the regular state capitol committees of he Senate and House should make he investigation and the Wingo res olution was withdrawn pending a meeting of these committees
 The house spent almost the entire afternoon in discussion Of a resolu- ion providing for the employment of additional clerks for various commit ees. Attorney General Kirby. by re- luest, rendered an opinion to the ef- ect that the only committees that were entitled to clerks were the joint committees to examine the books of he auditor and treasurer and the state superintendent of public instruc- ion and state land commissioners. This cut of the numerous clerks that lave been employed by various com nittees in the past The house there ore made special provision for the employment of these clerks by reso- ution
 The senate this morning, by a unanimous vote, passed a freiont demurrage bill introduced by Sen ator Wingo of Sevier county. The biil is of rather more drastic char acter than that which was passed at the last session and latter recon sldered and killed The bill pro- v.ues that common carriers must furnish cars to shippers within four
 after wr4,ten notice is given to them, and upon their failure to | do so, they are liable to a fine of i & per day for each car which they l fail 10 deliver. The shipper is sub- 1ect to fine of s1 per day for every l day he holds car after the same | should be unloaded. A bill of sim liar nature, introduced in the house by representative Barker, was read ne second time this morning and re- ferred to a committee.
 There has been an unusually large
 number of bills affecting the rail-