The log cabin Democrat. [volume] (Conway, Ark.) 1908-current, 1913-02-27
MUCH MORE TO
BE ACCOMPLISHED
BY 39TH CEN'L ASSEMBLY
WITH ONLY TWO WEEKS YET
REMAINING AND APPROPRIA-
TIONS TO MAKE.

than three weeks of the session re-
naming, it daily becomes more and
more apparent that the necessary
business of the general assembly can
not possibly be disposed of by March
13, on which day the session must ad-
Journ sine die.
The people have said and the su-
preme court has affirmed it, and there
/ is no recourse. The lawmakers have
cordial invitation to stay as long as
they want to, but they must serve
without pay, and few are sufficiently
patriotic to agree to that.
The governor may call them back
in extra session for not more than Is
days, but they must serve for only
half pay, or So a day, and some of
the members have intimated that they
would resign before they would re-
turn. AS a matter of fact, there is
no money in legislating anyway for
the honest man, and the other kind
seems to be very rare in the thirty
ninth general assembly.
1t is freely predicted that Governor
Robinson will be forced to call an eX-
ira session to take care of the neces-
sary appropriation bills. The general
appropriation bill was not introduced
until Monday of this week, and this
and several of the bills for the main
tenance and support of the charitable
institutions will consume at least two
days each in discussion in committee
of the whole. One day last week sew
eral hours was devoted to a discussion
of an interest item in a deficiency
bill of $4,000 to pay salaries of
clerks and stenographers whose com
pensation was vetoed or not provided
for in 1911. When it comes to the
consideration of bills carrying in the
aggregate nearly three million dol
lars, it may readily be surmised that
not all will be clear sailing.
1t cannot be denied that more than
half the legislation has been of To-
cal character, although there have
been few general bills of Importance
that have become laws. 1t is unlikely
that the acts will be printed in two
volumes this time, as they were in
1911, and if they were the general
acts would make scarcely more than
a pamphlet There has been no dim
mutton in the amount of local legisla-
ton, Notwithstanding the agitation
against it, in fact, it seems rather to
have increased in volume.
Two measures have been introduc
ed that if passed will have a tenden-
cy to relieve the financial stress. One
is an administration measure bv New
ton of Lonoke, providing a bond issue
of $750,000 to take care of the de-
ficiency. A prominent firm of Little
Rock lawyers this week gave out an
opinion holding that a bond issue is
constitutional, for the state, the inhi-
bition being only against counties and
municipalities, and against the state
'loaning it's credit"
This will provide a temporary re-
lief, but it is realized that there must
be constructive legislation aside from
that to take care of the future. To
meet this requirement, a special COM
mittee has drafted and introduced a
bill providing system of assessment
and taxation that it is believed will
greatly increase the revenues. This
bill is not so drastic or revolutionary
as the Turner-J acobson bill, repudiat
ed by the people in 1912, being more
an amplifcation and standardization
of existing laws rather the substitu-
tion of new laws. These two meas
ures have the hearty support of Gov
iernor Robinson, who advocated them
on the stump, in his inaugural mes
sage and in special messages which
he has sent to the general assembly
urging definite action to meet the
financial requirements of the state. 1t
is believed that the bills will be pass
ed, and so far as they go, vindicate
the position assumed by Governor
Robinson for constructive financial
legislation.
The time is rapidly approaching
when the negative results of the ses-
sion may begin to be tabulated. The
grandfather clause" amendment has
been defeated; woman suffrage has
failed of submission; no constitution
al convention will be called; it seems
that no definite action will be taken
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