The Kemper herald., 1908-02-06
To Visit State Schools.

The joint legislative committee o,
universities and colleges, headed b.
Chairman NJ. A. Franklin, Of the sen
ate, left Monday afternoon on its tou
of the state educational institutions.
The first visit will be made to th'
University of Mississippi, where
careful investigation of the needs o.
that institution will be made on Tues
day. From Oxford the committee viii
go to the A. and NJ. College, at Stark
vile, and it is expected that the re
mainder of the week will be spent a
that place. An effort will be mad,
to reopen and review the recent trou
bles in the college at Starkvill, but ,
goodly number of members of the con
mittee are opposed to such proce
dure, believing that the report Of thu
board Of trustees should be accepted
in toto.
President j. C. Hardy, who is thu
central figure in the A. and NJ. trou
BILE was visitor in Jackson last nigh
and held conference with members Of
both branches Of the legislature. Capt
/. c. Wlborn, deposed commandant
was also in the city last night, ald
expressed confidence that the commit
tee will give him the benefit of full
hearing.
Capt. Welborn is an officers OF
splendid record, gentleman Of pleas.
ing address, and it is not unnatural
that he should feel Inundated over
the action of President Hardy, and
therefore anxious to secure exonera.
ton at the hands of the committee
on uniysrsities and colleges. He is 9
graduate of West Point, served with
distinction during the Boxer troubles
in China, and also during the Ameri'
acn invasion of the Philippines, ana
wears a cross of honor conferred by
congress for bravery shown ON the
field of battle.
@After concluding its session al
Starksville the committee will go to
Columbus to investigate the status
of affairs and the appropriation needs
of the Industrial institute and college
1T is expected that the body will be
absent from the capital at least ten
days.
Harrison County Fight.
The house committee on local and
private legislation is giving a hear
ing to the celebrated Harrison county
court division fight, the matter being
brought before the body on the bill
seeking to repeal the measure adopt
ed by the legislature two years age
authorizing a spcial election on the
subject, the result of which is now in
litigation.
The case is one of exceptional in
terest, inasmuch as the legal phases
of the matter are pending before the
supreme court, and it remains to bee
seen whether the local and private
legislation committee will recommend
that the lawmakers invade the func-
tions of the Judiciary and take the
entire matter out of the hands of the
supreme court, by repeating the act OF
1906.
The local and private committee has
made in unfavorable report on the bill
proposing the creation Of a new coun-
ty from portions of Greene and Jack.
son. The proposition to establish a
new county from portions of Amite
Franklin and Wilkinson will come up
for consideration next week.
A Blow At Lawyers.
The Judiciary committee of the
house held very lively session. The
principal subject of discussion was the
bill proposing the repeal on an act
passed at the 1906 session prohibiting
all persons who are not practicing law
yers from writing deeds, mortgages
or other legal instruments to be filed
for record. This statute has been sub
jected to some very severe criticism
during the past two years, and ma
jority of the members of the commit
tee are inclined to either favor its
repeal or subject is to number of
qualifying amendments. Final action,
after yesterdays debate, W aesderrf
after yesterdays debates, was deferr-
ed until next week.
"Do not pass recommendations
were attached by the committee to a
dozen or more bills pending on the
calendar, and a diligent effort is be-
ing made by the body to kill proposed
legislation of immature character as
fast as it can be introduced.
School Fund Questions.
The Cunningham amendment offer
ed in the senate to the common school
appropriation bill, providing that un-
expended school fund balances held in
the various counties at the end of
the end of the scholastic year shall be
be deducted from that county's pro-
rata share of the state distribution
for the ensuing year, brought out one
of the most interesting debates of the
session, and gave the senator's an OPP
portunity to air their views on the
manner of distributing the common
school fund.
In view Of the well-known fac that