The Mena weekly star., 1909-05-20
Handlek More Than 1000 Meas ures and Enacted More Than
 400 Into Laws.
Depository Bills for Many Coun- ties, but Polk Got None, De-
 spite Hamilton's Efforts.
COMPULSORY EDUCATION
Made Jefferson Davis Birthday Anni- versary Legal Holiday County May Work Convicts on
 Roads.

The 37th General Assembly of Ar. kansas, despite the days spent in wrangling over the state capitol, prohibition, etc., did lots of lawmak- ing. passing over 400 separate meas ures out of 530 introduced in the house and 480 in the senate. Of the laws passed most were of a local nature. such as the regulation of some country school district or setting the salary of some country officer, matters that it would seem should be handled in a less cumber- some and expensive manner. Of the great number of new laws, the following are selected as being of most general interest in Polk county:
 Providing for a depository law for Johnson county. This bill was drawn by Hamilton and had the approval of local attorneys, but Kimball of Johnson county desired to have the same bill for his county, and was allowed to introduce it. It passed the House without opposition. Logan killed the bill in the Senate for Polk county, but it passed for Johnson county. Depository laws
 were also passed for Conway, Hemp stead. Pope, Ashley, Bradley, Ar kansas, Lafayette, St. Francis, Columbia. Logan, Perry, Scott, Full
 ton and Calhoun counties. and many already had the law. Hamilton
 introduced two such bills for Polk county, but Logan refused to pass any in the Senate unless with a clause to refer matter to vote of people at next general election, two years later. This delay Hamilton did not approve, as the question had been threshed out in this county during elections previous.
 Allowing county courts to order elections for the creation of school districts and for questions of school regulations. Under this law any country district can organize into special school district, the same as can the cities of the first and second class. This will save much local legislation.
 Giving counties right to work convicts on public roads, under con troI of county courts. Under this law one or more adjoining counties may join together into road and convict district. This gives such counties control over all convicts whose terms do not exceed two years, and also misdemeanor con victs at their discretion. This law was by Patterson and received much attention.
 For four state agricultural schools. This was a distinctively farmers union measure, though some fav- ored only one school. pelk county is in the third district, and favors A. L. Durham. president of the county union, as one of the trustees. Empowering railroad commission to fight railroad injunction cases. arpropriating $5O.0o0 to carry on the fight. Chief Justice Hill, Will fam Kirby and J. B. Herod have since been employed to represent the state, and, as has previously been published, have already secured for the state a reduction of B l-3 per cent in freight rates.
 Making it the duty of all railway conductors 60 arrest any passenger disturbing the peace by drunken ness or misconduct and to turn him over to the officers of first town reached with name of witness not railroad employee.
 Prohibiting a railroad from allow ing Johnson grass or missiles to grow on right of way where farmers  adjoining keep land clear of same. Requiring county clerks to give bond. This law was requested of Representative Hamilton before he left home by County Clerk w. L. Parker.
 A law was passed giving city coun- !; ciIs right to force property owners to put in curbing and guttering