The Mena weekly star., 1911-05-11
PIPKIN BILL
BEFORE THE HOUSE,
Educational Measure Introduced nv
Polk C0unty's Representative
Brings Up Strong Debate In
Legislature.

ternoon TO the third of the thre,
important measures being advoeat.
ed by the state department of edu.
cation, the Pipkin bill providin,
state aid to high schools, when tina
measure came up on third readin.
in the House. The opposition wa,
led by Davis Of Lafayette, and Da-
Wis of Columbia, who criticised In,
bill as measure that would worI
to the disadvantage of the smaller
schools, and particularly against
the rural schools.
This was met by Floyd, pipkin
Clarke of Lonoke, and others. who
urged that the bill would not take
one dollar from the common school
fund, but would merely divert some
of it into other channels for what
the educators believed would be the
better development of the common
school system.
Davis of Columbia started the
fight on the bill by moving to indef-
initely postpone it. He declared il
would make the high school an adj
junct to the state university and
that the school system would be-
come one-sided. More than that.
he believed it would place an unus-
ual tax burden on the rural schools
Similar to this were the statements
made by Davis of Lafayette. who
charged that it would be discrim-
nation against the poorer sections
of the state.
Floyd declared it would not short
en- the present terms of the common
school, and that the system of
strong high schools, with normal
department as arranged by the bill
would work wonderful changes for
betterment in the grade of teach
ers and in the supply of teachers as
we'll. The state normal school, he
said. can not supply the demand for
trained teachers, and without some
additional plan as evolved in this
bill, the smaller towns and the
country would suffer. Clarke of
Lonoke also declared that Arkansas
is merely following the example of
other progressive states, and that
state aid to high schools is no new
thing.
The motion to postpone was final
ly defeated. and the bill made a
special order for the following
morning.
A billpassed "Wednesday afternoon
was that by Martin of Cleburne pro-
hibiting boys under i8 years of age
from smoking cigarette except at
home. Fines of from So TO $40 are
provided for violations.
The house also passed the bill by
Lindsey, appropriating $3,928 to
cover deficiencies arising from
transportation of prisoners to the
penitentiary. sheriffs' fees. etc.
After some debate, the House
passed the bill by Newton, Milwee
and Davis of Lafayette, providing
for an amendment TO the law gov
erning the expenditure of the con-
tingent funds of the two branches
Of the legislature.
Two Portraits OF Donaghey.
Two large oil paintings of Gov
ernor Donaghey, executed by Mrs.
Jennie Deoney-Rice- Meyrowitz, for
merly of this city but now of New
York, have been presented to the
two houses of the legislature, one
being hung in the Senate chamber
and the other in the House.
They were authorized by resolu-
tons of the two houses early in the
session and are to be paid for out OF
the contingent fund The two,
framed, cost $500.
Railroad Hospital Bill.
The Senate spent Wednesday af-
ternoon discussing the bill by Par
tain, which provides that all rail-
roads maintaining hospitals or hos
pital facilities for injured employ
es, where such are supported by
assessments, shall give the employ
es the larger vote of such lnstltu-
lions, by giving them out OF the .
members of the board of manage
ment.
The bill was placed back on It's
second reading for amendments.
The Charge of Money Influence.
The sensational speech OF Repre-
sentative Little, on the floor OF the
House Wednesday morning, IS still
the main political topic, and mueh
conjecture is INDUCED in as to what
will be the next development and
where it will come from.
While not charging outright tha'
money has been used in connection
with legislation pending in the up
per branch of the legislature, nc
has broadly insinuated as much by
declaring that it has been freely
talked that such is going on, anc
that sums approaching the thou-
sands have been ready to aid or de-
feat legislation.
His further intimation that tht
prosecuting attorney of this DIS
tricf miphf act makes the matter