The Green Forest tribune., 1909-01-22

II tract to erect the Capitol said Commission shall proceed at to consider every feat- ure of the controversy between the State anu the contractors and report to the General AS semby its conclusion in the matter The tom mission can hear both sides of the controyer- | sy. and the confidence of the people In It's ln- tcgrity will be great that it's recommenda- tions will be accepted as final and satisfac- | tory. No objection whatever to these gentlemen l acting Commission can be urged because they are members of the judiciary, since they nre not to act unless Caldwell x Drake agree to abide their action, :hus removing every
 possibility of litigation in Court over the mat ter. Of course, would desire to do the
 work of this Commission, but these Judges arc citizens of Arkansas and we can hope that their patriotism will cause them to render the State the service. If this Commission shall
 report that the State owes Caldwell X Drake one dollar or one hundred thousand dol lars. l shall favor it's immediate payment If
 the Commission reports that they have been over
 paid we can only do what we can to get our
 money back The Commission can easily make ! the investigation and report in twenty days
 The bill should provide for the organization or
 the Commission. and when organized it can
 outline its method of procedure. Each
 member should be authorized to administer oahs to witnesses and false testimony given
 at Its hearing should be made punishable as
 in other cases of perjury. While the Commas
 sion will in great measure be q board Of ar
 bitratlon. its proceedings will necessarily take
 the form of trial in Court. os 1t can only
 reach satisfactory result after hearing tes
 tmony all disputed questions And as 1t
 
 represented before the Commission by counsei
 to present its side of the and to contest
 the claims and contentious of Caldwell Drake
 and as the time of the Attorney General will
 be largely taken up with regular work of his
 office and the railroad rate cases are pending in the Federal Court. I recommend that you
 authorize the Governor to appoint counsel 10 represent the State before the Commission ana
 let the bill provide an appropriation to cover
 this item and also the expenses of the commis-
 sion and stencgrapher. It is perhaps unneces- 1 directly mentioned any of th Itters herein re ferred to either of the gentlemen that suggest
 for members of the Commission.
 Then l recommend the passage of bill car
 rying with it an appropriation which In your
 judgment will be necessary for the completion of the building and the terracing of the grounds. together with other matters of detail all In creditable manner. The same bill
 authorizing the Governor to appoint, subject to
 the confirmation of the Senate, four citizens Of the State. competent to carry out the work In
 all of Its details to speedy completion. and the Governor to act with them in the perform
 ancc of this duty.
 That the said Commission be required to let contracts for all parts of the building now In
 complete to have any work now installed which may be unsafe torn out and replaced in Il substantial manner; and that the said Com mission be required to comply strictly with all , other instructions provided by you in said
 bill
 I recommend also that you authorize the Com
 mission to acquire for the State the two blocks
 of ground between Victory and High and be tween Fourth and Sixth streets In Little Rock, that lie immediately in front of the Capitol. The Commission be authorized to purchase
 the ground if it can be done at reasonable
 price, and If not then condemnation pro- ceedings be instituted
 My reason for suggesting to you the acquire
 mpnt of this additional property around the Capitol Is that great building can never be made to look. well with surroundings that are narrow. contracted confined. And especially
 in this case the slope of the ground upon
 which these two blocks are located. would
 give to the Capitol magnificent appearance;
 would provide for walks drives and ter
 races in front. together with trees. fountains
 and statuary necessary for the adornment of
 grounds in front of such structure. and which can never be had without this space. Eventual y the other two remaining blocks directly In
 front of the Capitol and lying north and south
 of these two. should also be acquired to per feet the carrying ont of plans for landscape architecture finally to be completed but con-
 sidering the great demand the State for funds for so many purposes. 1t would prcb- ably be best for us to walt awhile until we
 are able to pay for them.
 FIRE AND LIFE INSURANCE. The message treats on the subject of fire and life insurance extolling their purpose but
 doubting that existing rates in Arkansas are , equitable and reasonable. It calls attention to
 the fact that in France adequate fire protection
 costs only six cents hundred dollars; in Great Britain nine cents and in the whole of the United States ffty-one cents on the hun , dred dollars. In the State of Indiana it costs
 only only 57 cents while In Arkansas 1t7 costs ], S1,44. The Governor discusses the slqueStlon fully and suggests that both fire and life In r suranee be inteigently considered by the Eegis- . lnture. and an Insurance Commission of three , members be created and maintained at the ex-
 pense of the companies writing insurance In the
 State 4 standard form of building construc-
 tion for the entire State is alsa asked for,
 which when complied with, will entitie the
 owner to certain standard rate of insurance. THE 75TH ANNIvERsARY OF ARKANSAS. The year 1911 will be the 75th anniversary Of
 the admission of the State of Arkansas to the , Union. and I suggest that you consider prop , e- celebration of this very important epoch in the history of Commonwealth In that year our Legislature will again meat and you
 jhould meke provision that 1t cannot fall
 to meet in the New Capitol. suggest that
 by concurrent resolution or otherwise. you des- 5 ignate a day during that session on which the citizens of the entire State may come together at the New Capitol in commemoration and cele- PREVENTION AND CURE OF TUsERcuLo' SIS.
 The Governor discusses the need of sani- tarium for tuberculosis and laws for the pre- vention of the disease Other states maintain costly institutions of this character and Mir. ; Donaghcy contends that the economic loss to the State every year through thousands of peo-
 pie going out of the State should be checked. The State has higher duty than to provide
 place where Its sick may he cured. He rec c.aEe.G; sn appropriation of $5D,C00 for the
 constr,e tion of sanitartum large tract of land and $2o.O0O for It's maintenance Ter two years.
 ACTING GOVERNOR r1NDALL's SALARY. , Only few days after the inducing into of flee of Gov. John $. Little In January. 1907,
 he stricken with illness from which he has not yet recovered He succeeded by
 Hon. John I. Moore, then President of the tc who held the office of Acting Governor until May ith, 1907. On that date Hon. \. O. Pinda having been elected President pro , tempore of the Senate. succeeded Acting Cover
 nor John I. Moore and has acted in that ca pacity up to this time.
 As stated to me. the various transactions
 ooncernii tho salary and emoluments of the of , fee have been follows: The Legislature of , 1907. in session. and in the hope that Gov JJt- tie would soon recover and return to his duties. , passed bill directing that all the salary and
 cmolumcnts of the office be paid to him during the term of his illness. About the same time it increased the Governors contingent fund, $1 ,nD.0o, obviously with the view that from s,;en increase there would tr enough to pay the
 Artins Governors salary together with such , other expenses Is usually Incurred and al-
 lowed to that cfscc. until the recovery of Gov crnor Lttl,. Acting Governor Pindall drew , from this fund for such purpose until it was exhausted Still Governor Little had not re-
 covered and he and his family depending on his salary for support But at this period tho Autlitnr became in dout. os to his official duties and directed that all the salary ma
 emoluments of the Governors office be paid to Acting Governor Pindall. Prior to this ruling , of the Auditor Mrs. Little had regularly drawI, !, the monthly allowance usually paid to the , Governor of tfis state But then. when Gov.
 I.ittles wife could no longer draw his sal ary and the emoluments Acting Governor Pin dall to whom the Auditor directed that they should be paid. collected the and turned every cent of it to Mrs. Little; and then in order that his own personal expenses might be met Acting Governor Pindall borrowed mon. f ey and has continued to do so ever since to , pay them.
 Now 1t Is needless for me to say that the 2 Legislature had no thought of the conditions to , come which have existed since its adiourn moi hay eartu ufnlr