The Green Forest tribune., 1911-01-20

the taxable wealth of the state will show that these improved lands coming to the rescue of the taxpayers in general, and helping them to bear the burdens of taxation throughout the state. Besides this, the health in localities where the lands have been leveed and drained has been greatly improved. In many cases lands of this class, after development. have increased in value more than 500 per cent. The recent census shows the greatest increase in popu- laton in state where levees and drain age districts have been formed and efficient work done. This work has only fairly begun in Arkansas. There yet millions of acres to be leveed and drained, which, when done, will increase in value in the same proportion as above noted. l am heartily in favor of a still more vigorous and effective policy in connection with this work. The lands yet Und nndrained ti are are among oar greatest assets, wealth we will create for the state.
 County convicts.
 Again I wish to call your attention to the abuses as well misuse of laws on the county convict question. Some of the justices of the peace of the state have so far lost their sense of justice and decency that they have dvested themselves of any semblance of the judiciary, and have entered into the slave traffic as strictly business matter. They do this without respect to race, color or previous condition of servi- tude and in spite of our present safeguards ot the rights of our citizens. It is said that it matters not who the victim may be- just so he is unable to protect himself from the pirate, enabled by favorable conditions
 
 said that many of this class of conyicts are made to serve sentence of than year before the satisfaction of fine of few dollars may be had. Or, that after once getting hold of them, the peonage sys- tenn is successfully carried out. As q remedy for this illegal and inhuman system, l suggest that you pass a law prohibiting z any convict for any Otfense. serving over six months imprisonment on a county farm, or or any other compulsory servitude, over that length of time. outside of the penitentiary. If anyone commits an offense grave enough i for him to be confined a convict more | than six months. he should be sent to the where it appears there is no one to see whether or not he is humanely treated.
 Special Acts
 Article 5. section 24. of the constitution, | provides: In all cases where general law can be made applicable, special law 1 shall be enacted This section of the con stitution has been so much abused by the passage of special acts that I have heard more complaints because of it than from l almost any other work of the legislature. In fact. special legislation has been denomi- mated the bane of the Arkansas legisla- | ture'
 recommend that for the purpose of say ing time as well useless expense tha, you appoint a joint committee for the pur- | pose of carefully examining every proposed | speclal act, and that the committee recom- | mend the defeat of any such bill not in strict conformity with the spirit and re l quirement of the constitution.
 Laws for the Protection of Labor
 Those engaged in work in mines. quarries. l factories, on railroads and in other hazard l ous occupations should be safeguarded by l laws aifording them the miNimum protection. 1 Provision should be made for the use of l every modern safety appliance in such work. 1 Those engaged, in such occupations are en- l titled to this legislation and you should see that they get it. believe, also, that you 1 should enact law whereby the assignment 1 by any wage-earner in this state of his wages to be earned in the future would De l made illegal.
 Employers Liability
 The best modern thought recognizes the l dignity of labor. which may well be called l the cornerstone of industrial life. To pro tect and guard those engaged in hazardous l occupations against injury which by proper l appliances can be, if not wholly, at least l partially, prevented, is wel&recognized duty of every employer without the inter l compensation to those who, without any l fault of their own, have lost their lives or have been seriously injured by accidents, | be prevented, has long been recognized by l the laws of our state. Within the last de ] cade the General Assembly of this state has 1 enacted many beneficial laws for working. l men, engaged in hazardous occupations 10 l recover compensation for injuries sustained. for which at common law there could be no 1 recovery. The abolition of the felow-Serv. l ants rule has been step in the right direc- i ton. But l am of the opinion that the time has arrived to take another forward step
 
 1 compensation for industrial accidents, re l gardless of the rules of the common law 1 known as assumption of risks and contribu- ! tory negligence For the latter 1 would rec, commend to your honorable body the enact ment of a law based what is known as l comparative negligence, and in addition to 1 considerations a compulsory compensation law, providing in all eases of injury to an employe, unless it is caused by his own wilful act compensation based on his earn, i lngs If the injury results in death a sum 1 equal to the earnings of q certain number Of years should be paid to the family of 1 the deceased dependent upon him for sup port and similar proviso should be made i for hlm in case of permanent or temporary en42nI,ties At present the burden is placed men, those least able to bear it.
 Temperance.
 A vital question involving the interest of all the people, of the state is the proper 1 promotion of the cause of temperance. The | question of statewide prohibition came be fore the last legislature by virtue of a plank In the Democratic platform calling for the vote of the people. That legislature how, l ever did not pass such bill but allowed I the prohibition question to become so in | volved with other questions as to interfere seriously with the orderly transaction of ] regular business
 All of know that for several sessions 1 Of the General Assembly this question has | been disturbing factor throughout the en- | tire time the legislature was here. Many of those who favored opposed legislation on thls question have allowed it to infu- I ence their course on other matters of great importance to the state government or to | delay action thereon. The question of regu- 1 ,atlng or suppressing the liquor traffic should be settled on it's own merits without regard i 10 other questions that may come before l you You should do what you think is nght and what you conscientiously think is l best for your constituents and for the state | relative to this question. If you are satis. lied that a majority of your constituents ] gfD IL, |. ton. you should carry out their wishes by 1 passing safe law to extend the effects of the present prohibition laws to the whole | state If, however, you think it is wisest and best and the desire of your constituents that the people of the whole state should I themselves determine by their votes whether or not they wish the enactment of state wide prohibition law. then you should by the passage of . proper measure submit that question to their vote
 Education.
 The people of this state pay annually for school purposes more than $4.500. 900 in taxes. tax of mills is levied on all the property of the state for running ex. pense of the state government But in ad dltlon to the constitutional limit which we pay to the common school fund more than two thirds of this general revenue tax goes the university the State Normal the Blind School, Deaf Mute Institute agricultural schools, etc In other words the l4 mills | collected on the present valuation of all our property produces $655.00 annually But $45l.OO0 of this amount goes for the purpose of education as before mentioned Also in addition to these amounts. there are the contributions made by our citizens Tor church and other benevolent schools of the state So when we consider their abil ity, we find that the people of our state are exceedingly liberal in their support of edaeatlon' and for this purpose the state is now spending more money than for all other purposes put together
 State University.
 The report of the Board of Trustees for the university shows that that institution is in q most prosperous condition. The total enrollment is not so large as at another nnrind hllt tIn