The Green Forest tribune., 1909-02-12
Legislative Gossip

General Assembly,
 | After week spent in Little Rock | forwarding the interests of waterway | legislation, John A. Fox of Blythe vile, special director of the National River and Harbor Congress, left for l Texarkana and Camden. No longer is the sound of the type writer heard on the floor of the house. | The various stenographers have estab- lished headquarters elsewhere about the state house and are in the house | chamber only when taking orders. | Mir. Rodman, sergeant-at-arm of the Senate was granted an indefinate | leave of absence by the Senate so he could go to his home at Altus and superintend the repairing of his resi- dence. The recent windstorm unroof- | ed the kitchen of his house.
 MT. Monroe of Hampstead has a bill providing for the "suppressing of the art of science known as palmis- try" The bill provides for fine of from $25 to $200 for any violation. MT. Monroe will introduce the bill at the first oportunity.
 
 virtue of having been governor, has the privilege of the floor of the sen l ate, was a visitor one day last week. The ex-governor has been in bad | health for several weeks, but he is | fast regaining his usual vigor. | MT. Brown of Cleveland is mourn ing the loss of hat, which some one took from the house chamber. A | rather poor substitute was left and | MT. Brown was forced to don the headpiece of MT. Rowe of Sebastian | while he went out to purchase an- | other.
 | Congressman Macon of the Second | district may have opposition for re- | election, and his opponent may be | Marshall Patterson, now a state sena- tor. Senator Patterson was told it was rumored that he would be candi- date, but he did not confirm the re- port, or deny it.
 | Senator Hamiter of Pulaski asked Senator Carlock what County Aesop of Aesop fable fame was from. Sen ator Carlock was using the ancient l parsonage as an illustration in a point he was making against the judges | salary bill "Aesop was from Chicot | county" the senator replied 'Everybody's a farmer today" re-. marked a member of the house one afternoon during a somewhat lively | tilt between several members who | were telling of their records as farm CTS and in the same breath explain | ing that in opposing four agricultural schools they did not desire to be re- garded as opposing the wishes of the | farmer.
 MT. Brown of Independence cast the following vote for the Bellamy bill, which was supported by some of the members of the Farmers Union: "Why tell the farmer, on the stump, That he is your sugar lump? Why praise his horse, and praise his blow,
 Why help his wife to milk the COW?
 Why did you make his children laugh
 To see you stand and hold the calf?
 Have you since then changed up the rule?
 Do you now view him as fool? Do you think when he calls for four, That he means one, and nothing more?
 I'll cast my vote to give him four,
 And after while to give him more."
 A bill to amend the present law relating to the formation and per petuation of improvement districts boards in cities and incorporated towns, is being agitated. An appeal especially from the citizens of Fort Smith, is to be made for some change along this line. The chief amend ments wanted are that the law shall be so changed that the City Council, rather than the members of the i'm provement districts boards, may have the right to appoint new members; also that proper penalties may be imposed where members of improve ment boards are guilty of the mis- appropriation of the district funds It is claimed that the present laws were never intended to apply to large localities, and are absolutely unsuited to present-day methods of public i'm prOvement.
 The most important changes in the rules of procedure in the house, which have been adopted are:
 All bills will be introduced or called up for second and third reading by perpetual roll call.
 The reading of house bills and joint resolutions on second and third read ing stricken out.
 The motion to suspend rules is not debatable.
 The roll call each Monday for the introduction of bills stricken out.
 The explanation of all votes shall be made in writing, but shall not be made part of the journal
 A majority of those present can table any measure on motion, but two thirds of the entire membership of the house and not majority of those present, is required to take the meas ure off the table.
 The State Capitol, Levee, Consti- tutional Amendments, Auditors and Treasurer's Books and Enrolled Bill Committees, which were not provided for in the rules, two years ago, are provided for in the new rules
 The joint rules of the Senate and house used two year ago, were adopt ed.
 Every time the St. Francis Levee District is mentioned the Senate sits up ana tdkeS Hollce, as IL ndS been conceded the fur will fly when ap- pointments to the Board of Directors comes up. Senator Robertson of Lee introduced a bill to amend the act under which the district was created. The bill has for it's purpose the dis continuance of the practice of requir- ing personal service on landowners when their property is about to be sold for taxes. Under the present law, if landowner of the district lives in Fort Smith he must be served personally with notice of summons.