Shiner gazette. [volume] (Shiner, Tex.) 1893-current, 1911-03-09
The Thirty Second Legislature
I, WHAT THE LAWMAKERS HAVE DONE
AND WHAT THEY WANT DONE


House Proceedings.
Austin, Textile house considered
senate bills Friday and Saturday,
working industriously, with few fancy
frills, and passing hnally all the SEN
ate measures on the days calendar.
The Watson stenographers bill was
debated at length and some opposi-
ton was developed, it being contend
ed in effect that court reporters make
too much money. The bill provides a
salary of So per day, with 15c per hun
dred words for transcripts. In districts
of more than one county straight
salary of $500, with transcript fees,
is provided Several amendments
were offered, limiting the maximum
salary which might be received and
requiring publicity of all fees taken
by court stenographers for transcripts
These were lost, and the bill finally
passed as introduced.
Purchase Of lnterurban.
The bill permitting the purchase of
the Denison-Sherman Interurban by
the Texas Traction Company was
passed finally, as was the bill estab-
fishing a state normal school at Wa
co, and the measure permitting rail
roads and other companies to secure
rights of wan across islands in Aran-
sas Bay. VIII are state property, for
the Develop INT of Arkansas Bay.
The free conference committee re-
port on the Weinert suspended SEN
tence bI4., which was adopted, leaves
the measure as it passed the house,
which is that suspended sentences
may be given in first convictions OF
felonies, manslaughter being added to
the list of crimes for which no suspeE'
sion of sentence may be made.
Upon converting from Fridays re.
cess-still working on senate bill day
the house engrossed the Cofer SEN
ate bill, abolishing the rule in Shell
ley's case"
stenographers' Bill.
The Watson bill requiring stenogra.
pliers, ~ Rict and county courts to
paSri lnation in which he shall
cor eid tfs providing lfGii ga a
compensation for such stenograhers
of So per day and 10 cents per 100
words for transcripts; providing
straight salary of $500 per year in
districts of more than one county was
taken up.
Mr.. McNeal offered an amendment
placing a maximum limit of $4,000 sal
airy and fees for court stenographers
and of 81, 200 for assistants, and re-
quiring such stenographers to file quar-
terly reports of all fees received, and
to turn all in excess of the maximum
salary provided into the county treas
ury.
Mr.. Terrell of Cherokee offered a
substitute allowing a maximum of 49,
500 in cities of over $4,000 population
and requiring sworn statements of to-
tai amounts received.
Mr.. McNeal opposed any proposition
of raising stenographers' fees.
"cheap John Economy"
Mr.. Buchanan and Mr.. Cureton
spoke against he amendment and sub
stitute, the latter protesting against
cheap John economy" and the fool
ishness of Swearing men to tell the
truth and getting bum stenographers
to take it down wrong" Such would
be the case because the good stenog-
raphers would not work for $250O a
year. He said this kind of cheap econ
omy had resulted in the building by
the state of college buildings at Den
ton, dormitories at the A. and M. Col
lege, and buildings at the insane asyl-
UNI at San Antonio that were now
falling down. (Applause) He pro-
tested against such Economy"
Mr.. Rogers favored the substitute,
and urged the house to adopt it.
The bill was engrossed, 68 ayes, 80
noes.
A tilt over the Harris county court
bill was occasioned when Mr.. Standi-
fer moved the house to grant the
senate's request for free conference
committee on that bill.
Mr.. Gilmore raised a point of order
citing at length from Kinds presidents,
to the effect that such action could not
be taken until the senate and house
hal rescinded the action of their pre-
siding officers in signing the bill,
which has passed both houses and
been returned by the governor by re-
quest.
After discussion by Messrs. Gilmore,
Standifer and Terrell of Bexar, the
latter opposing the point of order and
contending that the unbroken prece-
dent OF this house had been to SO han
die bill, the chair (Nickels of HID
overruled the point of order The mo-
ton to grant free conference COM
mittea nravailAd and the following