The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-04-12
The Florida Legislature.

The Florida Legislature is now in
the full swing of business and bills
are being poured into the hopper
with rush. Many will eventually
become law, but many more will end
with the adverse report of commit
tees.
: From all that can be learned
Speaker Mathews has made only
friends by his committee appoint
ments. One or two old members
have stated to your correspondent
that they never knew committee ap-
pointments to meet with such gener-
al approval and so little disappoint-
ment on the part of members
Putnam county has Jared well at
the speakers hands. Mr.. McKenzi
is chairman of the committee on "Or-
ganized Labor" and before his COM
mittee there will be bills fostered by
the federated labor organizations of
the state. Mr.. Russell is chairman
of the important committee on
Estate Institutions, a committee to
which is referred all bills affecting
the management of the State Uni
versity, the Female college, the Deaf
and Blind Institute, the Insane Asy-
lum, state convict camps, etc.
OF course DR.. Grill holds down all
his old time committee work in the
| Senate, where his influence is second
to that of no other Senator. He is
chairman of the committee on FL
nance and Taxation, and is also on
| the Judiciary committee.
| The administration and anti-ad-
ministration forces began to line up
early last week over the concurrent
resolutions of the Senate and House,
concerning the investigation of the
Internal Improvement Fund. Sena-
tor Beard introduced the resolution
in the senate and sgd l.. Garter that
in the House. Boards resolution is
the more sweeping in that it calls for
an immediate investigation and pro-
vides for the employment of an out
side inquisitor. His was the anti
administration resolution. Mr. Car
ter is the recognized leader of the
administration in the House and his
resolution is reported, whether Justly
or not, to have had the approval of
Gov. Broward. On the motion in
the House to substitute the Beard
for the Carter resolution, Mr.. Rus
sell voted for the substitution, and
Mr.. Mckenzie lined up with the adj
ministration forces against it. The
motion to substitute was lost by a
vote of 32 to 20. The Carter resolu-
tion is now in the Senate and that
body has amended it by adding all
the features of the Beard meas u @.
The fight is not yet ended.
There are several pension meas
ures before the House and the
chances favor a compromise in shape
of committee bill Mr.. Russell's
measure and that of Mr.. Wartmann
of Marion are the two bills most
likely to be used as basis for the
coming committee measure. | think
/ am safe in promising the old Con-
federate veterans that after the ad-
iournment of this legislature they
will not be required to make afflda-
Wit of poverty in order to obtain q
pension. But that the grand old
state of Florida will grant them PEN
sions rs their right for services per-
formed. Mr.. Mckenzie, who is a
member of the committee on pen
sions, has promised to do his part in
bringing about this just relief, to the
veterans of the confederacy. The
chairman of the Pension committee
is Mr.. Mcclellan of Suwannee coun-
ty. He is an old soldier of the Con-
federacy and if he could have his
way pensions would be scattered with
a lavish hand.
THOROUGH INVESTIGATION SURE.
That there will be thorough in
vestigation of the Internal Improve
ment Fund is now an assured fact.
The House on Tuesday passed Mr..
Carriers resolution to investigate as
the same was amended by the Sen
ate. This concurrent resolution en-
braces, as amended, all the valued
features of Senator Boards resolu-
ton, the very features that the ad-
ministration forces did not want.
Hon. Rob't w. Davis of Tampa is
spending the week here and has been
a frequent visitor in both branches
of the legislature. On motion of Mr..
Russell of Putnam he was given the
privileges of the floor of the House.
Mr.. Davis says that this is his first
appearance as member of the
Third" House, and that he doesn't
like it. He is the attorney for the
Tampa Board of Public Works and
is here to secure LEGAL legislation
asked for by that board.
On Tuesday the House of Repre-
sentatives passed bill No. 48, which
bill provides that the United States
Bureau of Fisheries, its agents or
employees, may take shad during the
spawning season of December, Janu-
ary, February and March of every
year, for Matching propagating or
other scientific purposes. The Unit
ed States steamer Fish Hawk, now
at Welaka, is waiting for this act to
Become law in order that its work
may proceed. The work of the Fish
Hawk will be on the ST Jobns river