Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1907-05-22
THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE


 THE WORK OF THE LEGISLATURE
 The Thirty-Sixth General Assembly 1 of Arkansas, which adjourned last week, is notable for the work it did. | Not only were a number of measures | of the first importance passed, but some laws were put on the statute l books that have been needed for a l long time The Arkansas Gazette gives the following resume of the work
 done by the Legislature just ad- journed:
 Among the most important bills passed was the Ross measure which fixed the rate for passenger travel on the railroads of this state at two cents a mile. The railroads complied with this act from the time it went into eff feet and the public is now enjoying it's benefits. Other important railroad leg islation was the Barker demurrage bill, the Goodwin bill requiring crew of three men On all freight trains, the Rowell bill providing that telegraph eight hours at a stretch, the bill em- towering the Railroad Commission to order the erection of depots and the Goodwin bill empowering the Railroad Commission to enforce all railroad laws, to investigate interstate freight rates and to appeal to the Interstate Commerce Commission through it's at torney, the attorney general of the state
 The experience of the last two years had shown conclnsvely that relief and uncertain insurance conditions that resulted from the antitrust law passed in 1905. which ran all the old line insurance companies out of the state The situation became critical when suits were brought for heavy penalties against various insurance companies. local and foreign, on the ground that they had violated the antitrust law in engaging in rein surance. The Balch bill to allow any insurance company to do business i'll this state that is not member of a pool to fix rates on property in this state failed in the house, mainly, we believe. because of the fear that 1t would repeal the whole antitrust Jaw; but later the Lee-Browning bill, which was framed to meet this objec- ton, passed both houses after a not able fight in the lower body which kept the business interests of the state up at night for some time.
 One of the most interesting chap ters of the past legislatures history is the one dealing with the Ross bill to donesticate foreign corporations. This measure required corporations to pay charter filing fees. forbade them to remove suits to the federal courts and required that they organ ize as Arkansas corporations. The bill was passed without the legislature realizing the full import of the last requirement. Soon the lawmakers were told that for foreign corpera- tions to organize as Arkansas cor porations would be impossible or inn practicable and a situation that threatened endless trouble and con fusion was produced, The Ross bill would not only have kept out of the state the old line insurance companies which the Lee-Browning bill was designed to readmit, but it would also have kept out the independent foreign fire insurance companies that are do- ing business in the state, Then with reinsurance under the ban the in surance situation that theatened end less trouble than ever before. After hard fight the Wingo bill wac passed and the threatening situation was re- lieved This measure requires cor porations to pay fees and forbids them to remove suits to the federal courts, just as the Ross bill did, but does not