The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1912-01-31
A GOOD RECORD
IS BEING MADE
Legislative Session Is a Wonder
for Business.
KEEPING UP with THE WORK

In Sharp Contrast to the Dilatory
Methods of Previous Legislatures,
Particularly That Of 1908, Present
Session Has Got Down to Business
and is Really Passing Bills in This,
the Fourth, Week of Its Career.
Frankfort, KY, Jan. 30.--At the rate
that the two houses of the general as
sembly are passing bills, this early
in the session, 1t is probable that all
records for legislation will be broken.
The house has begun to pass bills
In earnest, in the fourth week of the
session. This affords a striking con-
trast to previous sessions when the
bulk of the bills were put through dur
ing the last week of the session.
In 1908, four years ago, every bill with
one or two exceptions, was passed
after midnight on the night that the
session ended. The ending of the ses-
sion at midnight is only technical for
the clocks are all stopped and the
house and senate grind along so long
las may DC HtCtSodIy, SuOl L VI
In that session of 1908 at midnight, &C
tual time, there had been passed only
one or two small bills and the re-
mainder of the important measures
were put through after the hour Of adj
journment, If the strict letter of the
law had been observed.
But there will be nothing like that
at this session. The two houses prob
ably will have finished up everything
Of Importance before even the last
week, much less the last day, and
during the last few days will be sit
ting around doing nothing. One
reason for he hurry in disposing of
important legislation is that the Demo
Gratis, with a great majority, are try
ing to live up to their party pledges
and carry out the platform. The in
surgents have fallen into line and
everything is rosy and lovely.
The Republicans, too, are in line
for the same things that the Demo
Gratis favor, the platforms OF the two
parties being so nearly the same as to
be almost indstinguishable. 1t was
thought for while that the Republi-
leans would resort to obstructive tao
tics in an effort to force the passage
of fair re-districting bill but 1t seems
now that the Republican leaders, who
gathered in Frankfort in force last
week, laid down the law that there
must be no such practices attempted.
The Republicans, therefore, can be
counted on to support those measures
which are mentioned in their party
platform. They will vote for the plat
form pledges. as will the Democrats,
so that the bills favored by the ad-
ministration will all go along smooth
ly. the only delay being the steps nee
essary to get the measures into line
for passage. AS the committees are
busy every night the preliminaries are
quickly carried through.
The first bill that will go to the
governor for his signature will be the
county extension bill, which was pass
ed by the senate on Thursday, after
having been suddenly sprung in that
body on Tuesday. when nobody was
looking for 1t. The bill which passed
the senate was offered by Senator Ora
ham and was known as senate bill 21
AS II originated In the senate, al
though exactly duplicate Of the Niles
bill which passed the house, the SEN
ate bill viii have to go to the house
and be passed there before 1t can be-
come law with the governors sig
nature. 1t Is generally conceded that
the senate BILL which has passed, will
be sent to the house rather than take
any chances with the house bill In the
senate and start food of oratory on
the whole subject of temperance in
the senate again.
i It will require four or five days o
get the senate bill up for passage in
the house but II Is likely that by the
end of this week the county unit bill,
which has vexed every legislature for
the last ten years. will be ready to go
to the governor. He will sign 1t, as
matter of course, having recommended
1t and worked for its passage. Not in
years has bill of general Importance
such as this one. been sent to the gov
ernor so early In the session.
! The question that is now being most
generally discussed, since the county
unit bill is out of the way, is what will
be the effect on the counties in Ken
lucky which now have saloons. One
of the brewery men who has taken a
deep interest In the fight over the
county unit bill said at the Capital
hotel the other night that II the county
unit law was passed the only counties
in the state which would remain wet
were Kenton. Campbell and Jefferson.