The Springdale news., 1912-09-27
HOW IT WILL WORK
New Law Will Do Away With Lo-
 cal Legislation.

cal IleSlsLAsou.
 The new amendment to the con stitution, limiting the amount of the per diem of the members ef the General Assembly. which has ben adopted, will revolutionize some of the methods of legislation that have obtained ill Arkansas since the adoption of the eonstltu- tion of 1874.
 Under the constitution. the ses- sions of the legislature were limit ed to 60 days. which could be ex- tended any number of days by two-thirds vote of all the members elected to the two branches Of the body. Under the amendment voted on at the recent general election, the legislative session is restricted to 50 days, but it furthen provides that the session may be extended 15 days, in which case each member will receive a per diem of but s3 day. half the amount now provided by law, the members to receive no pay for any day beyond the f5- day extension
 All Sessions But One Extended.
 With one exception every session of the legislature has been extended the extension being made because of the failure of the General Assembly to dispose of the general approprla- tion bills during the regular session. Tn 1897, the legislature adjourned at the end of the 60-day session on March II, and was reeonvened In extraordinary session oH April 26 by Gov Dan w Jones for the purpose of passing the appropriation bills. creating a railroad commission. and to enact laws for various other purposes. This extraordinary ses- sion lasted about 45 days
 Two years ago the session was extended 65 days and afterwards was called in extraordinary session by Governor Donaghey. the extra session lasting 14 days A great number of bills were pssed by this legislature, majority of which consisted of local measul es.
 The 1913 Legislature.
 Under the new amendment the legislature of 1913 is expected to dispose of all general legislation within 60 days, unless ii should ex- tend the session for F days and each member receive half pay for his service
 Should the next legislature make no more progress in the passage of bills of a general nature within the first 60 days than did the last one, a 15-day session or all extraordinary session will become necessity.
 According to the records of the legislature of 1911. only 22 general laws were enacted during it's 6o-day session, as follows: Making Golum- bus Day legal holiday. appropriat- r0 ffI q pr1-l sions, specifying the legal methods of consolidating cities. defining bag gage and providing that charges on excess shall not exceed t2 r. Der cen. i of the owners fare. to erect q mon- ument to the Arkansas women of the Confederaey, making general election days legal holidays. making illegal betting on the result of pr1- mary elections, providing for juYe- nile courts, fixing the age limit at which the disabilities of minors may be removed, providing tor double primary, 10 cure defective acknowf-l judgements of eonveyanees and oth-t CT instruments of writing purporting to affect titles to lands. approprfat- ing $22,S 6 for the maintenance of the Arkansas Tax Commission. re- quiring railroad companies to place lights at switches on their main lines, to regulate the assignment of wages, prescribing the fees 10 be paid by corporations. providing penalty for short weights and meas ures, requiring corpor ati0ns, firms and individuals 10 furnish list of employes to assessors, to regulate liabilities of employers 10 employees. providing for the consolidation Of n1 mi oa companies to keep lookouts on their trains, to faeilitate the collection of overdue taxes from corporations and providing for an annual franchise tax to be paid by corporations
 None of the appropriation bills for the maintenance of the state government We're passed during the regular session, the major portion of the time of the legislature being consumed in the passage of local bills
 Outlook for Next Assembly.
 The legislature, which will meet in January next, likely will be re- quired to solve more important problems than any of it's predeees- sors, and within shorter period of time, assuming that the amend ment limiting it's session has been adopted Within the 60-day period or in Is days thereafter, when the members will be required to serve on half pay, 1t will be expected to provide for the deficit in the gen eral revenue fund. pass the gener al appropriation bills for the main tenance of the several state ehari- table and educational institutions.
 The first week of the meeting of the legislature usually is given to organization. On one occasion, the legislature spent two weeks in or ganizing. The legislature of 1918 will convene on January 13, and the constitutional session of 60 days will expire on March 13 Estimating that 1t will take six days for the