The Birmingham age-herald., 1910-03-12
EXTRA SESSION
 MAY BE EXTENDED
Mississippi Legislators Have
 Lots of Work to Do
NEW COUNTY CREATED
County of Walthall Is to Become Estab- Hshed After the Bill Had Once Been Killed - County Treasurcrs
 Will Be Abolished

Jackson. Miss, March 11.-(Special)-
 This was the fiftieth day of the legislative session, and the end is not in sight. The
 law provides for 30-day session only
 but the governor has made two exten- sions carrying the term to March 26, the chances being that he will have to make another, as a great deal of important business remains on hand.
 The fight of the day was in the house over the creation of the new county of Walthall of portions of Pike and Marion. It had been killed the day before, but on motion to reconsider was called up, and after a spirited debate was passed two to one. The creation of the new county is left to vote of the people of the district | affected.
 The George county bill was passed at | the afternoon session.
 The Potter bill creating county deposi- tories was called up in the senate and house amendments concurred in. This puts county treasurers out of business, the funds being let to the bank offering highest interest on daily balances The general appropriation bill was called up and passed by the senate. It increases the salaries of several state employees, allows additional help in some of the de- partments as well an increased sums for travelling expenses.
 At one stage of the proceedings in the house there was so much confusion that Speaker Street invited the lobbyists to get out. There were objections raised to smoking in the house, and smokers were requested to retire also.
 Governor Noels message for the day opened up eight new matters for consid- eration the most important of which was a suggestion that if the state is to con- tinue to carry its own insurance it should provide that the governor or other per- son be empowered to borrow money to rebuild property that may be destroyed. The governor stated that Mississippi has paid 10-fold more for insurance than it has ever received on losses. Both houses held two sessions and disposed of many small bills, while scores of new ones were sub mitted.
 Tomorrow the legislature goes to the State university on a tour of inspec- ton.
 Governor Noel stirred interest in State Fair matters in message he sent to the Legislature today, as follows:
 ITO provide for thorough investigation of the present contract for the rental of the state property, and of its condition. used by the Mississippi Industrial Ex- position company, and to take such fur ther action in the premises as you may deem expedient."
 The officers of the Fair association had visited the governor a few days since in an effort to have him recommend to the legislature the renewal of the contract for the old capitol grounds, on which the state fairs are held every fall, and sup pose this paragraph of the message is the result of that request and yet it does not sound exactly like request for a renewal of the lease, and there was a considerable stir on the part of the ex- position managers when they heard of the recommendation for thorough in- vestigation."
 Under the present contract the Fair as- sociation pays a nominal rental for the use of the grounds, s1O per annum, and agrees to keep the old building in re- pair It is taken for granted that re- pair means in as good repair as when the Fair association took hold of 1t. lmme- diately after the contract was made for the rent of the grounds the Fair associa- tion spent s700 or $500 repairing the roof and the windows of the big buiGfng That was as much as could be done for 1t without putting on a new roof. which would have cost more money than the Fair association has ever had at command and would have sent the as- sociation into bankruptcy.
 The building Is considered unsafe and the Fair association has made no use of it for the past two or three years, save for storage purposes, wherefore it does not feel that it is called upon under the agreement to keep the building in repair to do more than to patch around occa- sionally and try to keep it in Q condition similar to that existing at the time of making the contract.
 It would be a good idea for the leg islature to set aside the race track and such grounds as may be needed for ex- position purposes. immediately in the rear of the old capitol The land is worth little or nothing and can never be used for any other pupose.