The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1913-02-27
VERY FEW OF 1900 BILLS INTRO
0ucED HAVE RECEIVED
FINAL ACTION.
ONLY THREE WEEKS LEFT
Steering Committee to Be Appointed
TO Keep Track Of Important
Bills in Legislature and Give
Them Precedence.

jefferson City The Legislature will
have to hustle II It expects 70 pass
many bills during the remainder Of
the session. Only % days OF the 75-
day session remain and very few bills
OF any importance have been passed,
with the exception of appropriation
measures.
1t looks very much like a repetition
OF the feat of two years ago. when 1877
bills were passed in one day, will
have to be resorted to at the close of
the session.
Nearly 1900 bills have been intro.
| duced, and II Is conceded that bills
introduced from now on stand little
or no chance OF becoming laws unless
they are of such vital importance as
to be given precedence over every.
| thing else.
The house engrossed tho bill Great
ing state board OF pardons and pa
roles. an administration measure. This
proposes systematic handling OF all
paroles to the end that men capable
of reformation may be removed from
| their prison environments.
Senators are disturbed by the near
approach of test Of strength upon
the county unit bill. the last hearing
on which was held by the committee
on criminal jurisprudence Wednesday
night. Polls of the senate indicate
that the vote will be very close, but
the friends of the measure hope to be
able to pass H.
The very drys" are not numerically
strong in the senate. out of the total
membership OF "a only four are
classcd as "watcr-wagon statesmen"
II the legislature passes the bill ad.
vocates OF the license forces say they
will submit the law by referendum
to the people for their ratification
or rejection at the next election. The
submission would suspend the opera.
ton Of the law until the vote is taken.
The house refused to reconsider a
measure recommended by the state
superintendent of public schools. Supt.
Blcwitt of the st Louis public schools,
w. f. Houston, chancellor OF Wash.
ington university, and other school
men providing for the creation of a
commission to investigate rural
schools and to suggest means for i'm.
proving them. This bill was strongly
urged by Gov. Major in his inaugural
message to tho legislature.
The Joint resolution ratifying the
amendment to the federal constitu.
tion providing for the direct election
OF United States senators. was report.
ed fayOrahly from the senate commit
tee on elections Thursday. This meas.
IRE passed the house with only ono
dissenting vote that being cast by
Representative Cooper Republican
The food OF bills into the lcgisia
ture hopper has largely abatod the
members believing that bclated meas
urcs will have little chance Of pass
ing 4 steering committee probably
will be appointed this week to keen
track of important bills and give them
precedence in printing and considera
tion over those of minor import.
The house. which is dry by large
majority, killed Wednesday an anti
treating bill This measure provided
penalty ranging from S. to SIS FOL
each offense. Some effort was made
to amend the bill TO apply only TO in
toxicants, but this amendment also
was rejected.
Perhaps the two most important
general subjects with which the leg
islature feels 1t must take action arc
education and good roads. These
problems are being wrestled will
night and day. and decisions made
TO concentrate on specific plans o
legislation.