The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-05-24
LEGISLATURE NOTES.

l. lie HOuSt lldS uudUllllOuSly HuOpL-
ed the senate pension bill of Mr..
Broome which provides for the re-
naming Confederate veterans and
their widows.
Last Friday the house refused to
concur in the Adams amendment to
the house bill which increased the
pay OF county school boards to $500
per day, and the senate receded from
its amendment, so the bill as origi-
nally introduced, providing for an
increase to S4.00 day, Will become %
law when signed by the governor.
An important measure was intro
dnced last Monday authorizing the
holding and maintenance of county
fairs in the several counties of the
state which may desire to conduct
such eXpositions of the resources and
attractions OF the county. The bill
was introduced in the senate by Mr..
Buckman, and in the house by Mr..
Farris. 1t is meeting with strong
favor and there is little doubt that it
will be enacted into law.
Wednesday the senate passed the
Grill bill providing for a geological
survey, creating the office OF state
geologist and maintenance Of survey.
The senate has passed house bill
by Mr.. Knight of Columbia, pro-
hibiting contracts in cotton, grain,
provisions, etc, upon futures or mar
gins, commonly designated as the
bucket shop bill.
Gov. Broward has vetoed the Jack
sonville charter bill; and its chances
for becoming law are slim.
The committee appointed to confer
with the joint investigating commit
tee of Internal Improvement fund un-
der house concurrent resolution No.
|, made its report Monday. The re.
port stated that the second commit.
tee had organized with Mr.. Wilson
of fernando, chairman, and Mr..
Knight of Columbia, secretary. They
had met with the original committee
for conference on the 18th and ascer-
tanned through Senator Buckman as
chairman that Investigation had pro
ceeded as far back rs 1901; that no
special counsel outside of the COM
mittee had been employed; that eX-
penses SO far had been 81 200, with
present daily expenses of $50, not in
Guiding witnesses and stenographers.
They also examined Expert Account
ant G. ID. Martin, who stated with all
due respect to committee, that he
was employed by Haskins d Sells of
New York, and that he did not know
the committee or legislature of Flor.
ida, but that he considered the inves-
tigation to be carried on by Haskins
d Sells and not the committee, and |
that his reports and all data were
made only to the New York office of
bis employers, to whom he was re-
sponsible, and further that he could |
divulge no matters to the committee. |
The committee recommended that
the investigation be pushed by the
original committee back to the fund |
or trust in 1866, and, that three
additional time after ad-
journment of the session would be |
for work. An appropria-
tion of $1,000 additional was recon-
and also the appointment of |
an additional member of the house !
to the joint investigation or original
In compliance with this
Speaker Mathews
appointed Mr.. Knight of Columbia.
The 5000 appropriation did not in
clude the expense of the commission,
which would be the official designa-
tion of the committee after adjourn
ment. The report of the committee
was adopted without opposition.
The bill carrying over half million
dollars to state institutions of higher
education has passed both houses,
and now only needs the governors