The Springdale news., 1913-03-07
LEGISLATIVE PROCEEDINGS
La st week.


 sary business of the General As sembly cannot possibly be disfozed of by March 13, on which day the ession must adjourn sine die
 The people have said and the su- preme Court has affirmed it, and there is no recourse The law makers have a cordial invitation to stay as long as they want to, but they must serve without pay, and few are sufficie ently patriotic to agree to that.
 The governor may call them back in extra session for not more than fifteen days, but they must serve for only half-pay, or $3 day, and some of the members have inttmat- ed that they would resign before they would return As matter of fact, there is no money in legislat- ing any way for the honest man, and the other kind seems to be rare in the 39th General Assembly.
 It is freely predicted that Gov. Robinson will be forced 10 call an an extra session to take care of the necessary appropriation bills. The general appropriation bill was not introduced until Monday of this week, and this and several of the bills for the mantainance and support of the charitable institu- tions will consume at least two days each in discussion in committee of the whole. One day last week sey- eral hours was devoted to dis cussion of an interest item in a deficiency bill of 1000 to pay salaries of clerks and stenographers whose compensation was vetoed or not provided for in 1911. When 1t comes to the consideration of bills carrying in the aggregate nearly three million dollars, it may read fly be surmised that not all will be clear sailing.
 It cannot be denied that more than half the legislation has been Of local character, although there have been a few general bills of importance that have become laws It is unlikely that the acts will be printed in two volumes this time as they were in 1911, for If they were the general acts would make scarcely more than a phamph- let There has been no diminu- ton in the amount of local leglsla- ton. notwithstanding the agitation against it, in fact it seems rather to have increased in yolrme
 Two measures have been intro duced that if passed will have a tendency to relieve the financial stress One is an administration measure by Newton of Lonoke, providing a bond issue of s750. 900 to take care of the deficiency 4 prominent firm of Little Rock law yers this week gave out an opin- ion holding that bondissue is con- stitutional, for the state. the inhi- bition being only against counties municipalities, and against the state 'loaning its credit
 This will provide temporary re- lief. but 1t is realized that there must be constructive legis 'ation -f Af a future. To meet this requirement., special committee has drafted and introduced bill providing a syst em of asses sment and taxation that it is believed will greatly increase the revenues. This bill is not so drastic or revolutionary as the Tur- ner-Jacobson bill, repudiated by the people in 1912, being more an amplification and systemitizatioa of existing laws rather than the SUI titution of new laws. These two measures have the hearty sup port of Gov. Robinson, who adyocat- ed them on the stump, in his inaug- ural message, and III speclaI mess ages which he has sent to the Gen. eral Assembly urging definite act ion to meet the financial require ments of the state It is believed that the bills will be passed and so far as they go vindieate the position assumed by Gov Robinson for constructive financial legisla- tioa.
 The time is rapidly approaching when the negative results of the session may begin to be obtained. The grandfather clause amendment has been defeated; woman suffrage has failed of submission; no eonsti- tutional convention will be called, i, it seems that no definite action will ba fakan toward tho atipn of