The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1907-01-25
SENATE.

At the meeting Of the senate ran
road committee Friday, a public hear
Ing on the 2-cent.rate bills was set for
next Wednesday evening \ pablIc |
hearing on the maximum freight rate
bill was set for Monday evening, Jan.
uary IS, In the hall OF house OF rep.
resentatives. Attorney General Had.
ley will deliver an address on the
maximum freight.rata bill.
The committee took up Bradoy's
anti.pass bill. The author of II was pre-.
sent and urged that It be reported
favorably at once Col William II.
Phelps, of the Missouri Pacific, asked
the committee to postpone reporting
the bill until after the public hearing
next Wednesday night. While he did
not have the figures, he vantured the
statement that the passes issued were
not one.half of per cent Of the pas
senger traffic.
Senator Anthony moved that con
sideration OF the bill be postponed.
Senator Ruford, who seconded the mo.
ton, said that stock shippers down IN
his country were unanimous In a de.
mand on him to secure legislation re-
qulring railroads to furnish round
trip transportation with each car OF
stock The measure was deferred UNI
III the public meeting Januay 2S.
Senate Committee on judiciary by
vote of Z to 3, reported unfavorahly
%. Senator Cooper's bill empowering
the Attorney General to file quo war.
ranto proceedings against local officials
who arc dercllct in enforcing the Jaw.
This is a measure commended by Gov.
ernor Folk in his message to the Gen.
eral Assembly The adverse report Of
the committee practically means the
doom OF the bill in the Senate The
Senators who voted In favor OF IL
were Avery. OF Lincoln; Cooper and
Gilmore. of Kansas City. Those who
voted against it we're: Fields, Of Linn;
McAllister, Of Monroe; McDay!d, Of
Green: Mayer Of 81. Joseph; Major,
of Howard; Kammerer. OF St. Louis,
and Hudson of Livingston.
Senator Wornall offered n bin in the
Senate leaving it optional with the
| jury in capital punishment trials as to
whether the convicted party Is sent.
| enced to be hanged or imprisoned In
the Penitentiary for life
This measure has been before tho
| Legislature several times in one shape
or another, and has always received
| considerable support but never enough
to pass both houses.
The agument against such change
In the law Is that juries would inyari.
ably send the convicted person TO the
/ prison and a knowledge Of this fact
on the part Of the people would lead
70 mob violence In Instances whore OK.
asperating crimes had been committed.
The first move on the part Of the
| Legislature in favor OF good roads was
! made by the Senate Committee on Con
stitutional Amendments In reporting
favo-ably an amendment TO the Con
sttution offered by Senator Fields of
Linn. It provides for a levy o! %
cents on the 500 valuation for the
building of roads and bridges. Cities
and Counties may vote upon this tax,
vey much as local option on the
granting of dramshop license is now
voted upon.
Senator Dowell introduced a bill
making provision for working con
victs in the penitentiary on the pub
lie roads of the state. He applies fea
lures of the law now In force In the
state of Arkansas. Under his bill the
board of inspectors of the state prison
will be requested to supply to each
county in the state making application
for the same, not 20 exceed fifty con
victs each year, who shall be EN-
ployed on the roads and bridges o
the county under the direction anC
discipline OF the sheriff of the county
and his deputies. The county mus
be at the expense of transporting the
convicts to and from the penitentiar.
and must make provision for caring
for them suitably and the men are no
to be supplied until the inspectors arr
satisfied that this provision has beer
made.