The Harrison times., 1911-06-03
Arkansas Legislature

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The public need not expect any
great amount of country saving to
result from this session. The abso-
lutte indifference of the Senate, coup.
led with an open antagonlsm of the
Governor, characterizes the upper
body and will etiectuallv block the
carving into effect of the admins
tration program. BY rulings made
early in the session, strictly constru-
ing the Governors call, President
Tonev prevented the influx of bills
on a wide variety of subjects In
this respect, at least, the will of the
Governor is being adhered to with
remarkable fidelity No bill that
does not line up absolutely with the
exact requirements of the call will
be entertained in the Senate. The
liberal conStructiouists, upon whom
the Governor no doubt relied to
read into his call some things not
expressly stated, early found them
selves outside the pale.
1t is an undisputed fact that it is
not the intention of the Senate TO
do ANYTHING much. Twelve bills
were introduced the first week and
six of them declared out of order
because they did not specifically
come within the purview of the Gov
ernor's call. Among them was a
bill appropriating $4,000 for the
completion Of the State capitol and
another to appropriate 100000 to
furnish and equip the various de-
partments at the new capitol.
A bill 10 double the state and
county taxation on wholesale liquor
dealers, brewers and rectihcrs was
also declared out of order. A bill by
Senators Friedell and White, raising
the general tax levy one quarter of a
mill was refused because the Gov
ernor's call reads land to reduce
taxation. " A bill to increase tax
alton is therefore not permissible.
The only important bill passed by
the Senate is one by Oldham provd-
ing that the State auditor shall, on
or before the fourth Monday in Oc-
toher certify out to the county
}clerks such rate of taxation, up to
the constitutional limit, as will be
necessary to produce one-half of the
amount required to meet the appro-
priations Of the next preceding gen.
eral assembly. This bill is similar
in some respects to the Keel bill
which the House in regular session
refused to pass, and will have a
hard time when it reaches that body
again. 1t is argued that this places
no restraint upon an eXtravagant
legislature, and will result in piling
up taxes on the people beyond their
ability to stand it. Under this rule,
the levy for the ensuing year would
have to produce over $3.50 900,
and if the aggregate assessment can
be pushed up to S45000O,0OO, this
would mean a rate of about three
mills And the friends of Bill Jones
in the house object.
ADJOURNMENT HABIT
Another evidence of the Senate's
disincIination to work is that it has
developed an adjournment habit
The first day Senator Covington
tried to adjourn it right away as q
useless expense, but that failed.
Four days they worked from forty
minutes to two hours a day, and
Thursday afternoon, early, adjourn
ed until 2 p m, Monday.
Beginning this week the policy
seems to be for the Senate to pass q
resolution every day fix ng an early
if not immediate days for adjourn.
ment and put it up to the House,
which promptly turns it down. The
Senate is playing an easy waiting
game, being determined to wait for
legislative grist from the lower
house And many Of the bills that
are being considered in and passed
by the House, will, under the rul-
ings Of President Toney, be prompt
" declared out of order as soon as
they reach the Senate. This is par
ticularly true of the Willems,J Jackson
bill, which the House will probably
pass, appropriating 100000 for
the completion of the new capitol, a
third of the amount being used for
furniture and equipment. The ex-
penditure of the whole amount
is left in the discretion of the COM
mission, the bill being SO loosely
drawn that it would not have been
considered for a minute in the regu-
lar session The majority in the
House appears easily to be with the
administration on the State capitol,