The Green Forest tribune., 1907-04-26
LEGISLATIVE NOTES.

John Morgan. chairman of the legisla- tive committee of the Arkansas federation | of labor, is in Little Rock at the head of q delegation of coal miners to fight the coal | screening bill passed by the Senate ias: l week. lie gave out the following state | ment today:
 If the bin is passed more than 1000 | miners ill this state will % out on strike | More than that, they will remain on strike until contracts can be made with the oper- | atorS just exactly opposite to this law We want just exactly what we have. We de l sire no change. We want the miner to
 get pay for his work He digs the coal. He should be paid for that. Under the l screen law all that goes through the screen i is not paid for, but the operator sells this | coal It good price and there is no rea-
 son why the man who digs it should not | receive pay for lt. Ana when we strike | if will be one to be remembered. We have
 settled this thing by legislation. We made | our coptracts with the understanding that | they were to stand if the supreme court did l not uphold the anti-scrcen or mine run law.
 We went to work at Spadra. the largest | coal mining camp in Arkansas, after 4 | settlement under arbitration. We will b. | backed by the United mine workers of
 America. We will fight the battle to the | bitter end and shall win. I am not | saying this to influence action on this | bill. for know that can not be done. The
 Arkansas house, of representatives are men
 vho can not be influenced by any such
 methods; But since have been asked | as to the effect the passage of the bill
 would have on nS o sant am telling you jTst M I
 want the law left just exactly as it is Senator Harrison of Mississippi county 1 in explaining his bill which authorizes the | attorney general to begin suit in the fed | eral court against the State of Tennessee | to determine the ownership of Flower is | land. in the Mississippi near Osceola, said | that at one time Flower island was DOT | tion of the State of Arkansas, but that | in 1889 the channel of the river changed | and tract of land of 5000 acres was | detached and placed east of the channel | Since that time Tennessee has been claim. | ing the island Four years ago the sheriff | island to replevin some timber that had
 been cut and he was arrested by the other
 rison further stated that the people resid | ing the island were compelled to pay l taxes 10 both Arknasas and Tennessee. The | bill carries an appropriation of S2.JOo
 to pay the expenses of the suit The ques- | tion for the federal authorities to de- | termine is whether the original channel | of the river is to be considered the bound ary line between the two states or whether | the change in the course of the river affect | ed the line of demarkation. The property | is worth in the neighborhood of Sl0oooo ! passed.
 Declaring that if appropriation meas
 ures were not curtailed the state of Arxan- | saS would face deficit and he issuing
 warrants in lieu of cash for it's obga-
 tions, Messrs. KIlough. McColum and oth- | CTS wagged d relentless fight throughout | the major part of the day in the House
 Friday against the University of Arkan-
 sas sas deficiency Jeff appropriation Dill. Almost | sion. and realizing that the ma iority favor
 d the passage of the bill, an endeavor
 was made to have an amendment tackled | on which would prohibit the benefciaries 1 in the bll from drawing the money until | after August l. We will be on a scr:p
 basis by the first of June said MT. Xii | There is now but S150,000 in the treasury
 This bill covers an appropriation of S60
 900. that will be drawn the minute it be | comes law With the present running | expenses the full supply of cash will be
 exhausted and warrants will have to go | out-something >hat it has been many q
 day since Arkansas has been forced to do."
 The greater portion of the morning Mon
 day was devoted to consideration of Joint
 Resolution No. I, by Senator Rowland; pro
 yiding that two hundred dollars of all per | sonal property should be exempt from taxa | tion. The resolution seeks to amend See
 ton 16 of Article ; of the Constitution of | the State of Arkansas. The Senator from | Boone explained that the proposed amend
 ment for the relief of the poor men
 who found great difficulty in the payment | opposed the resolution on the ground that | it would encourage perjury and if adopted
 by the people would result in the elimin- | ation of several school districts in the 1 state as they were supported in some coup- l ties by men who never had two hundred l QDlfarS ana Tn some or the counties III tilF
 hills these men composed the entire popu- l lation. Senator roney favored the resolu-
 tion for the benefit of the poor man while Sen
 ator Mcknight was, opposed to the measure W | because II would free every negro Ia the | state from taxation.
 l Retaliating against the St. Louis Soutl.
 western railroad for taking advantage of | the fact that It's Texarkana passenger | depot is just over the state line, and for
 refusing to sell tickets from that city to
 points in Arkansas under the terms of the 2-cent passenger rate. the House Monday | gave two hurried reading to bills intro I "Iccd by Messrs. IIamiter and Owens which
 demand that this line erect depot m in | state lines where tickets may be purchased
 under the new rate law: Apphca
 tions had been made from man many | points in this state for tickets to TeNar- | kama and in each instance the company | charged the regular scent rate because
 their Texarkana terminal was out Of Arkan. saS. Persons in TeNarkana were also un' | able 10 secure the 2-cent rates to points i2 ! Arkan2as over the line.
 Senator Goodwins bill enlarsing the pow | CTS of the Railroad Commission to the | extent that this body will have authority | to fix freight rates in equal sums over con | meeting lines. when more than one line iN | used in shipment, was taken up by the Rail road Committee In the House Wednesday | afternoon and the bill will be returned | Thursday with the report that it pass without
  fore the committee explaining briefly the purpose of the bill and attorneys for the railroads were also heard In his explana- tion Senator Goodwin stated that often ap- parently different lines were really operated by the same stockholders, and that he be- lieved this bill would prevent higher rates being charged on one line than charged on
 another through this method of operating the lines
 Mir Ard of Jackson insists that he is fh,, of hpri inu skating rink bill enacted into law. Speak ing on the bill which was before the House Thursday, Mir. Ard said: This might have been introduced in the spirit of frivol- ity but I have discovered that there is much merit in the measure. ! have let
 ters asking that it pass, It is claimed that
 boys and girls from their studies and their
 homes. The craze is spreading to every
 hamlet, and there are thousands who object
 to a continuance of the condition, am willing that cities of the first class be ex empted. if that Is necessary to the passage of the bil but believe that it Is a good
 moral measure and would be good law fol every acre of land in Arkansas.
 In the event that Governor John s, Little does not return to the state at the time of the adjournment of the present legislative session and recall Acting Gov ernor John Ike Moore from his position as acting governor, this official could continue in possession of that office regardless os the
 Senate's action in electing a lieutenant governor. according to an opinion rendered Friday by Judge [. NJ. Rose The opin- ion was rendered in response to request from Senator John r. Lee that there might be further light thrown on question that is admitted to be in doubt by many legal members of both legislative bodies.
 
 Telegraph operators employed by the va
 rious railroads in Arkansas are anxiously awaiting the action to be taken by the Leg
 islature in regard to the eight hour day
 bill affecting telegraph operators on rail roads In Missouri a similar bill is said to ha ve hecn na ssad and made a law The