El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-01-11
MAY PROBE
TEXA5PAIS0N
SYSTEM
Legislature Will Next Week
Be Called Upon to Face
Many New Measures.
MAY READMIT THE
INSURANCE CONCERNS

Austin, Texas, Jan 11.-Members of
the legislature are beginning to arrive
preparatory to the opening of the reg
ular session of that body next Tues
day Many of them have their pockets
full of bills and there promises TO De
the usual Quantity Of proposed legisla-
IiOn covering almost every cOnce1VaDle
variety of subjects. If the SOcalled
homerule- amendment to the consutu-
ton. which gives cities the right TO
pass upon their own special charters,
is found to be legally adopted, It VIII
mean big saving Of time to the legls-
lature- In past sessions special mu-
nicipal charters have occupied consld-
cradle time in the two bodies
Pros start n Fight
About so members of the legislature
are now here and all interest IS cen
tered in the speakership contest with
Chester Il. Terrell Of Bexar county
apparently in the lead. The prohl ~
ton issue has been injected in this
contest by T. d Rowell. one of the
O. candidatcs who wants pro caucus, 50
that one pro may be selected and be
pitted against Terrell, the anti lieu
tenant governor VIII H. MayeS, who
is here, announces that he and govern
or CoIquitt will work in harmony. He
expects to announce the standing COM
mittees Of the senate on the day the
legislature cOnvenes-
Governor O. B. Colquitt has given no
public intimation as to what he viii
embrace in his recommendations TO the
legislature. It is supposed, however,
that he will include the several sub
jects that are a part of the state Dem
ocratic platform and perhaps some ad-
ditiOnal matters Of more or less i'm
pOrtant nature
To Investigate Prisons.
It is reported that a legislative IN
vestigation of the state penltenulary
system is being fomented- The pur-
pose of this proposed inquiry. IS to dis
cover why the penitentiary system has
Jared so badly in a financial way dur
ing the administration of governor Col
Quit. 1t is not improbable also thal
other features of the penltentlary may
be embraced in the proposed InVestl-
cation. It is claimed by those VINO are
DroDosing the appointment of leglS-
iative committee TO conoucI TINS re
search that the business aIIalrS OF Ihe
penitentiary system have not been con-
Quoted On a proper basis, and that IN
less radical changes are made along
certain lines. this department OF the
government will continue to be IN a
state of financial mbarraSsmenG II IS
said that the inSCgatOrs OF TINS pro-
posed investigation have at their dls-
pOal a mass of figures and RECORDS OF
the penitentiary system winch, when
analyzed, viii show the defects IN the
present method
In the opinion of men who are fair
minded there is no question that from
a humane and moral standpoint the
convict charges of the state are IN Tar
better. condition than they were when
Mr. COlquitt assumed the goVernorshlp
Battle of the Alamo.
Lines are being drawn for another
battle Of the Alamo, which VIII be
fought in the legislature at the coming
session. Mrs. Clara Driscoll Sewer,
who now makes her home in New York,
is the leader of the Daughters Of the
Republic of Texas in the efforts OF tnaI
orgauization to obtain full authority
from the Legislature to complete the
work of rehabilitating the Alamo prop
ertv at San Antonio On the side thaI
is fighting the Daughters OF the IKE
public is governor Colqultt and others
who have rallied to MS support. II
an appeal addressed to every member Of
the legisla ture, Mrs Sewer. AFTER re
citing the fact that the Alamo IS a
present in a disgraceful- neglected con
ditfon and that the privilege OF re
storing the ancient structure TO II
original form is desired by the Daugh
tiers of the Republic Of Texas says
we Will, without destroying or re
moving one single living evidence
the historic struggle in 1886, make
the crumbling, totterIng runs shrlh I
at which all lovers OF liberty may "or
ship with reverence -,
building Of museum or the recon
struction Of the tumbIlng sheds ING
occupied the Alamo mission grounq
Immediately before the battle OF IN
Alamo would be a sacrilege- we nav
ascertained by careful inquiry that tn
people of Texas favor the improvement
of the property along the lines OF IN
design submitted to you in the appeal o
the Daughters Of the Republic above a.
others that have been suggested, an
we know that in granting our reQues
YOU viii be acting in ACCORDANCE VII
the wishes Of the most Of your con
stituents"
To Aid Insurance Companies.
Another effort is to be made to nav
the legislature repeal the reserve IN
vestment feature of the law enacte
a few years ago and applying to Tor
eign insurance companies. This lay
caused the withdrawal from the star
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