The Forrest City times., 1911-05-05

For Cross State Highway.

reaching importance have been con sidered at the present session than the Martin-Ragon house bill and the Toney senate bill, providing for the construction of a macadam highway from Pine Bluff to Fort Smith, The Toney bill has passed the senate and the house both, and provides for that part of the road between Little Rock and Pine Bluff. The Martin Ragon bill is practically sure of passing the senate, after having passed the house, as both bills are the same. The Mar tin-Ragon bill provides that the coun- ties of Pulaski, Faulkner, Conway, Pope. Johnson, Franklin, Crawford and Sebastian be formed into an i'm provement district with authority to issue bonds for the building of tho road and that tax levy of one-haif mill be made for the purpose of pay ing the bonds. The bill was opposed by Representatives Partain of Frank lin. Willems of Logan and Wagner of Crawford. The fight for the measure was led by Representative Ragon of Johnson. He asked the house to pass the bill because he said every repre- sentative except three from the coun- ties affected are for the bill, while the people in all the counties favored it. He said that after so many con- ventions and speeches in favor of good roads during the past few years he considered it time now to get busy and make some good roads. Repre- sentatives Faucette and Pinney also spoke in favor of the bill, which was passed by decisive vote. The pas sage of the Toney bill Immediately followed that of the Martin-Ragon bill, with only slight opposition, which was led by Rice of Saline and Bel lamy of Lawrence.
 A Gallant Fight for Home Interests.
 The bill introduced by Senator John Holland of Sebastian county, being measure to empower any city of the first class to adopt what is known as the commission form of government - was the most stubbornly-fough bill before the Thirty-eighth General As sembly. Foreseeing defeat for the general bill, Senator Holland amend ed 1t in the senate to apply only '.o Fort Smith, but this did not save it from further vigorous fire. He sue ceeded, however, in having 1t pass the upper branch, but without the re- call feature. It was supposed that when it reached the house it would have clear sailing, but instead it was fought with more force than in the senate. Representatives, Black, Cal vert and Yadon of Sebastian county combined their efforts to save the bill. Representative Calvert, ac- knowledged to be an expert in parlia- mentary tactics, was compelled to re- sort to every known play of the rules to even secure consideration of the measure. Time and time again he kept 1t before the house in the face of general antagonism from every quarter. but it finally met defeat on close vote. The principal objection was that it proposed to strike down the system of municipal government that has prevailed ever since Arkan- sas had a charter
 Resolution to Amend No. 10 Rejected.
 Representative Hardage called up his resolution proposing an amend ment to No. 10, known as the initia- tive and referendum, adopted at the last election This resolution aoeks to eliminate the alleged joker" from the original amendment by specifical. ly taking from localities the right to initiate the enactment of laws or TO- fer their repeal 1t also increases the required per cent of voters to initiate or refer. While the measure received substantial majority of the mem- bers present, yet 1t fell three votes short of the constitutional majority