El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1914-12-18
NO STATE BANK
FOR FERGUSON
New Governor Wants State
Platform Demands Car
ried Out Immediately.

Austin, Tex, Dec. 18.-It is regarded
as practically certain that the legisIa-
ture at its coming regular session which
will convene January u will not favor
ably consider the bill for the creating
Of a state reserve bank. Although the
enactment of such a measure is strongly
advocated by governor COlquitt, it
does not meet with the support of gov
ernOr elect James L. Ferguson. 1t is
said that governor Colquitt has sought
to bring Mr.. Ferguson around to his
way of thinking on this new bank
proposition but the latter has not been
converted to his views.
PlntfOrm Demands First.
. II governor Ferguson has his way
about it, there will be more business
transacted by the legislature at its
coming regular session than for many
years. It is said that he will insist
first of all, that the demands of the
state Democratic platform be complied
with before miscellaneous bills are
taken up for consideration. If there
is no loafing on the Job, the legislature
ought to get through with the platform
demands in 80 days, it is claimed. That
would give them 80 days more in which
to pass the general appropriation bill
and such other measures as may be
deemed to be urgent. 1t has been the
practice Of legislatures during the last
several years to defer action upon the
general appropriation bill until spec
ial session but there are no good
grounds for failure to pass the measure
at the regular session, it is claimed.
1t is hardly to be expected that the
legislature will get through with its
work within the 60 days that constitute
the regular session, but such thing is
possible. If Mr. Ferguson is the driver"
in business affairs that his friends say
he is he may be able to put through
his legislative program in record break
ing time.
To ReappOrtiOn State.
There is considerable speculation in
state political circles as to whether the
coming legislature will take up the
matter Of reopportioning the state into
new congressional districts. The SEN
timent seems to be strong that this
should be done without further delay.
Opposition to reapportionment will
come again from congressman If the
legislature should take up the question,
it is expected It is improbable that
governor Ferguson will recommend
consider alton of this subject at the
regular session but he may submit it at
a special session. Some Of the districts
contain a population far in excess of
what is necessary, and should reap
portionment be made the two new dis
tricts would be carved out of territory
in the more western part of the state
where the increase of population has
been large during the last several years.
There would be a general shifting OF
the lines of all the districts.
Prohibition May Bob Up.
There is less public agitation of the
prohibition question in Texas at this
time than for the last six or eight
years Men who were hopeful that this
issue had been disposed of for the time,
being by the results of the last state
Democratic primaries, are now fearful
that it may again be made a distracting
and disrupting factor in the new legis-
lature The developments which the
attorney generals department brought
to public notice in the recent prelimi-
nary hearing of the case against the
Texas Business Mems association and
its members have served to arouse the
old factional strife between the dry"
and wet" element Of the Democratic
party and it is now considered to be
practically assured that an attempt viii
be made to have a legislative investiga-
ton of the alleged activities of the
brewery and liquor interests in the
political affairs of the state.
1t is reported that attorney general
B. F. Looney, a dry" has a large
amount of documentary evidence on the
subject which would be at the disposal
of characterization committee, should
one be appointed.