Putnam County herald. (Cookeville, Tenn.) 1903-1922, 1913-09-11
GEORGE N. WEIGH COMPLAINS
Says that Governor Completely Forget
Upper Cumberland

Says that Governor Completely Forge
Upper Cumberland
I The Democrat has received an liz
terview and copy of letter writer
by Hon. George N. Welch, senate
from the Upper Cumberland country
to Gov. Hooper, asking for the embod
iment of certain bills in the call for
special session of the legislature. Th,
letter follows:
Hon. B. w. Hooper, Nashville, Tenn
Dear Sir: would be glad to have
you include in your call for extra ses
sion the following subjects, to-wit:
ITO provide for the prospecting anG
) development and use and management
of the property owned by the State
and known as the Herbert Domain
capital for coal mining and farming
i purposes, authorizing the establish.
ment of branch prison on said prop
I erty. This bill was introduced in the
last senate as Senate Bill No. 502.
TO promote the improvement of
het Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers
now under way by the Federal govern.
ment by providing for the necessary
expense of gathering statistics and
data of the country affected and the
presentation of same to congress, and
to create State River Commission.
Said bill was introduced in the last
senate as Senate Bill No. $685.
ITO provide for t execution of per-
sons sentenced to the punishment of
death by electrocution and to provide
for a permanent death chamber and
apparatus necessary for the proper
execution of felons by electrocution,
to defray the expenses thereof This
was Senate Bill No. 1876.
ITO create the Office of official stem
ographer for all chancery divisions of
this state containing county contain
inb county of not less than 10000
nor more than 20,050 population. This
was Senate Bill No. 1876.
ITO enable all counties within the
state to issue road improvement bonds
for the purpose of building roads,
bridges, etc, by vote of majority of
the people, provided said election be
| called by majority of the county
court in regular session.
ITO provide for the use of state con-
victs in assisting in the construction
of state highways from Memphis to
Bristol via Cookev lie, Monterey,
johnson Stand, Crossville, Crab Orch
ard and lockwood, through Cumber-
land county, said convicts to be used
only in the county of Cumberland.
Yours very truly,
GEORGE N. WEIGH"
Mr.. WeIch's Interview
Senator Welch comments on the let
ter above as follows:
Il attach copy of letter to Gov. Hoop
er regarding different subjects which
desired him to include, none of which
was included, with the exception of
the electric chair bill, which is q pet
measure of his, and he was asked to
include it by Senator Walsh, who join
ed in with me in introducing it at the
recent session This bill was passed
by both houses, and was vetoed by
him on account of not being quorum
in the lower house when it passed it's
final reading.
"The other four bills are all bills of
vital Importance to my section of the
country, and bills in which the people
of this section of the country are very
much interested, and l would like for
this letter to him to be printed, and
my position fully outlined, in order
that the people of this section know
his attitude, as feel it will be worth
a great deal to 4he Democratic party
of this section, and at the same time
will make my position clearly under
stood.
"The bill providing for the prospect
ing, development, use and manage
ment of the Herbert Domain was in
troduced I. and almost unanimously
passed both houses of the legislature
at the recent session, after having
been advised by a special committee
appointed to investigate during recess,
and after, passed, was vetoed by the
governor for the reason that he per-
sonally objected to the bill, and in or
der that there be no politics in the
son a Regular Democrat, an Inde-
pendent Democrat and Republican
were named on this commission and
were three of the best men in that
section of the country.
"This section, or rather the section
surrounding the Herbert Domain, was
very much interested in this bill for
the reason that there is vast deal Of
undeveloped property in that section,
and as long sthe state owns this
property, others do not feel like max.
ing any move, and our position is, that
the state should either operate or dis
pose of this property, and before do
ing either intelligently, it is necessary
to put it in shape.
"The Upper Cumberland section of
this country is also very much inter
ested in the development. of Cumber-
land River, and the bill to promote
the improvement Of the Tennessee and
Rivers, now under way
by the Federal, government by provid-
ing for the necessary expenses for
gathering statistics and data of the
country affected and the presentation
Of same to congress and to create a
State River Commission, and the bill
was of muck interest to this section
"This bill was introduced by me dur
ng the recent session by request of
he Hon. M. T. Bryan and others, who
nave given manV wears of their hest II