El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-08-22
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reached the executive department. and
obtained his approval, being the mile
/ age and per diem act and bill ap-
| propriating $4,000 to make certain re-
pairs at the Confederate home The
| special session ends automatically one
week from today, and, from present
| indications, the bulk of the bills, with
| the exception of possibly the local
measures, will die on the calendar.
The s10.00O,O00 general appropria-
| ton bill will reach the executive de-
| partment probably on Wednesday, as
considerable progress has been made in
| the consideration of the measure by
| the free conference committee to whom
it was referred. The committee has
decided to let the appropriation for the
attorney generals department. which
is about $50, 900, remain in lump sum,
and thus the governor will have to
wipe the department out of existence
or approve the total amount. This
arrangement is the result, in a meas
ure, at least, of the famous Lightfoot-
Colquitt controversy, and the pros in
the legislature logically would lean
in favor Of the attorney general. who
is a staunch pro. At any rate the ap-
preparation is so arranged that the
governor cannot cut out an appropria-
ton without cutting out the whole
amount This, it is not believed, he
will do. Another appropriation over
which there was some lively contro-
versy, is that appropriating s27,500
for the proper paving of the driveway
around the capitol This amendment
was strenuously opposed by the mem
bers Of the legislature from the rural
districts, who appear to be eternaily
laboring under the impression that any
n
stitution located at Austin is. of d.
rect benefit to the local municipality
and its citizens. The appropriation was
cut out in the house but allowed to
remain in the bill as finally agreed
upon.
Governor as a Trimmer.
Tt is needless to say that when this
measure reaches the governor, there
will be a general trimming, and from
nresent indications there will be near
lv s1.O0O,O0O cut out, but in wna1
places has not as yet been disclosed
It is many OF the special approprla-
lions that may suffer decapitatlon AT
the hands of the executive, and prooa-
bly, there will be some trimming done
with some of the appropriations FOR
the institutions Some Of the depart
ments that are asking for extra clerks
may also be disappointed in the end.
as it is within the executive power
to veto or cut out Of the bill such
items.
AS to the reapportionmentbi llsl there
is considerable doubt as to whether
all of them will pass at the present
session OF the legislature 1t is true.
the house has passed finally the sena-
torial and representative redistricting
bills and these measures are now up
to the senate, this, however, is no in
dication that these measures will be
printed in the lawbooks of Texas at
this time The two bills that have
passed IN the house, were dominated
by the pros, and prohibition and Bailey
has cut considerable figure in their
general alignment, consequently there
is grave doubt whether the governor
will approve them, If finally enacted
in the senate along the same lines.
should there be no redistricting bills,
the governor will not reconvene the
legislature to pass any OF them. He
does not like extra sessions.
Congressional Redistricting.
Touching on the congressional re-
districting bill, there have been sew
sral introduced and some of them
have been given some consideration in
the house, but one of the leading mem
bers of that body declared that should
a real effort be made to pass such a
bill, it will require one week at least.
Thus it would seem as If there will be
no reapportionment Of the congress
ional districts of the state This means
that the two extra congressman that
Texas is entitled to as a result of the
late census, will have to be elected at
large. The trouble in the house es-
pecially over a congressional reappor-
tionment BILL is that there are numer-
Gus aspirants for congressional togas
lurking about the legislature halls
among the lawmakers.
That uniform text book bill will
be enacted at the present session, there
Is little doubt; indeed, both branches
of the legislature are now engaged
upon this measure The house will
pass its bill and the senate will enact
Its own, but there are many material
d1frerences between the two measures.
which will preclude the passage of
the house bill by the senate or vice
versa This means that about We'd
nesday the text book bill will reach
a free conference committee and il
VIII produce a bill which will likely
be acceptable to both bodies. There |
Is strong lobby here which is said |
TO be opposed to the enactment of a |
text book bill. but the state superin- |
tendent of public instruction has al
ready pointed out the necessity of the
enactment of such bill at the present !
session. Many restrictions are being |
placed in this measure to prevent lob
bying by representatives of text books |
as was witnessed during the Campbell |
Pros to Press Advantage.
Now that the pros have thus far won |
a substantial advantage in the estab- I
lishment of the legality of the investi- |
eating committees, it is said to be |
their intention to press the passage
Of the senate concurrent resolution |
providing for the continuation of the !.
election probe during vacation This |
is still pending in commit
tee, but whenever 1t is called out. 1t
can very easily be adopted as it is
signed by the II pro senator's. The
pros in the house are also as strong
it is only a question of
getting the resolution up for consid-
Grafton to obtain it's adoption.
/ The governor, however, is the final
irbiter of this proposition. 1t is en-
-irely within his power to veto the
resolution and thus end the show that