The Harrison times. (Harrison, Boone Co., Ark) 1876-1938, 1911-02-25
(By Clio Harper
LITTLE Rock, Feb. q.


to the present time there has beer
very little general legislation accom-
plished. There are over 900 bills III
the two houses, and a majority OF
these are local in their character
But this does not mean that no pro-
greSS has been made on general
legislation, for there are many meas
ureS of the greatest Importance to
the state pending in committees,
having been read twice, that are
hNclv to come up at any time.
Among these issues may be meutlon-
ed the completion of the new cap
itol, the preservation of the old
State-hCuse, statewide prohibition,
state aid to high schools, state de
pository, state banking law, man
agement of the penitentIary, revis-
ion of the revenue laws, aid to the
State Fair, settlement of the St.
Francis Levee question, support OF
the state institutions, consolidation
of elections, commission form OF
government for cities, establishment
of state highways, increased accom-
odations for insane patients, ratlh-
cation of the Federal income tax
amendment, woman suffrage, pur-
chase of additional ground for new
state capitol, establishment of juve-
nile courts and changes in the us
tice court system, better protection
,of h>h and game and many other
subjects upon which bills have al
ready been introduced. A vast
amount of the minor matters are be-
ing gotten ont of the way while
matters of greater moment are in
process of incubation. So far the
session has been very tame, with
only occasional flashes of legislative
temper.
The only pronounced clash be-
tween executive and legislative has
been over the question of special
legislation for school districts, and
this was settled in favor of the spec
ial acts which are being passed now
as though none had ever been vetoed
by the governor. The first of the
general appropriation bills has al
ready made its appearance and
passed the Senate, bill to appro-
pirate $4,000 for the maintenance
of the Deat-mute Institute, with Il
proviso of $4,000 for clothing and
travelling expenses of INDECENT pupils,
which was passed two wears ago
and vetoed by the governor There
has been an average of 226 pupils
in the institution, there being an es-
timated 400 in the state, many of
whom have never been in school be-
cause of inability to pay the necess-
AIRY expenses. In 1909 the Legis.
lature appropriated SlS2,7l6 for
the institution, but lack of finances
made retrcnchment necessary and
the governor vetoed items amount
ING to $3.50, which was followed
by saving of S3J,OOO through the
economic management Of the Board,
so that the actual expense Tor the
two wears was only S94,l46. The
term was cut short, however, and
it is the desire to restore the full
term, if possible and take care OF
those who have been denied the pri-
vleges of the school, This course
will be pursued with reference to
the other institutions. This session
. differs from Others in some time in
the fact that there are no PROPOSE
tions pending for new institutions or
for additions to the present ones, ex-
ccpt, perhaps, for the Insane Asylum,
which all recognize as wholly mad
equate to the demands of the state.
The proposition for moving the
asylum is not meeting with much
favor, and it is a safe prediction
that it will not be done this session.
and if not this session then not at
all 1t is recognized that the
amount invested by the state in the
present asylum that could not well
, be used for other purposes is too
large to he sacrificed, and the Senti.
,, ment is growing that the present
|. ASYLUM should be retained and
another built, probable in the
mountains, for the durable insane
, and weak minded Another prupo-
sition that will receive much atten-
. tion is the condemnation and pur-
. chase of two blocks in front Of the
new capitol to be added to the cap
itol grounds 1t is estimated that
this property will cost S150,000,
and it will become more valuable as
time goes on. This property would