Mexico Missouri message. (Mexico, Audrain County, Mo.) 1899-1918, 1913-01-16
MUCH USELESS EXPENSE SAVED
BY PLANS OF LEGISLATIVE
COMMITTEES.
HOUSE HALL TOO SMALL
Necessary to Issue Admission Tick
cts to eremonles---HadIey Urges
Prison Reforms in His spe-
clal Message.

JeueISOH Nllg.--l me SeueIdl dSSttl-
bly, convened Monday and prepared
for the Inauguration OF state officers.
The joint committees from the
house and senate having charge of the
arrangements for the inauguration
prepared a program distinguished by
its simplicity. The plan to make the
ceremonies as simple as possible in
keeping with the dignity of the occa.
sion met with the approval of Gov
ernor-elect Major. It also avoided
much useless expense.
When the committees began consid-
ering plans they found one of the
chief obstacles to contend with was
the small halls of the house and SEN
ate chambers, where the Inauguration
occurred.
Senator Michael Casey found, by
close figuring, that about 55e persons
could be packed into the house, which
is the larger of the two legislative
halls. When all the state officers,
judges of the supreme court, senators,
representatives and officers Of both
branches assembled in the hall, little
room was left for spectators.
1t therefore was necessary to pro-
vide admission tickets, and those I'M
able to obtain these cards were un-
able to witness the ceremonies.
Gov. IIadley sent to the senate his
appointments made in recess, but it is
said all will be rejected.
Hadley Urges Prison Reforms.
Gov. Hadley sent a message to the
legislature transmitting a list Of the
pardons and paroles granted during
his term.
The governor in his message said
that, considering the prison popula-
ton, he had released fewer convicts
than any of his predecessors.
He urged the establishment OF a
state board OF paroles and pardons to
investigate conditions in the state
prison and to recommend releases of
convicts.
He also urged the establishment of
state tuberculosis hospital for con-
victs and the purchase of additional
grounds for a prison farm. He recon.
mended that prisoners make all the
clothing needed by inmates Of state
institutions.
$1,000 a Day for Clerks.
The pay for the clerks in the forty.
seventh assembly alone will run more
than $1,000 a day. The cost of the
169 clerks authorized by the house
will be $54S.5O a day, total of $685..
1896 for the 20 days of the session. II
has been the practice of the legisla-
ture to add clerks by resolution as
the session progresses. II this is done
the increase per day will amount to
$3.50 for each clerk, or 50 for each
member of the doorkeepers force.
Four Lobbyists for Trainmen.
Four members of the Brotherhood
of Railway Trainmen filed as legisla
tive lobbyists with the secretary OF
state. They are to work for the pas.
sage of laws beneficial to railway EN-.
ployes. The lobbyists are II. Pfleffer,
st. Louis; w. ]. Thelen, Sedalia; ].
A. Phillips, St Louis; 9. G. Bratting-
ham, Eldon.
Contest Is Threatened.
There is a bare possibility the Dem.
ocratic majority will be increased by
one as a result of a contest threatened
from Ste, Genevieve, where William
r. Wilder, a son Of Beer Inspector w.
w. Wilder, was elected over p. II.
Coffmann.
Coffmann, a Democrat, arrived with
the intention of entering a contest.
"The law requires that members
shall be "a years of age" he declared,
"and Wilder will not be Of age until
February 23."
None of the Democrats take the
contest seriously, because it is based
on such trivial grounds.
It requires only 70 votes 20 pass a
bill, and 95 to pass an emergency
clause. With their large majority the
Democrats will be able TO pass any
thing they want, and there would be
no excuse for turning down Wilder
merely because Of his age.
Constitutional Convention Sought.
Jefferson City, Mo-A resolution
for constitutional convention and for
the celebration of the completion Of
the Keokuk power dam will be sub
mitted 10 the legislature. Sidney J..
Roy, secretary OF the Hannibal Com
mercial Club, arrived in Jefferson City
to urge the latter As secretary of
the Missouri League OF Municipalities,
he also will ask for the constitutional
convention.