The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-09-05
CHANGES IN CONSTITUTION.

|
Gist of Proposed Additions to Or
ganfc Laws OF State-Voters
| Should Inform Themselves as to
| Meaning of Various Measures.
Editorial in Shreveport Journal.
| Under the provisions of the state
| law, seventeen constitutional amend
| ments upon which the people are to
vote in November are now being
! printed in full in one newspaper in
every parish in the state. The de-
tails Of these amendments make
very dry reading, it must be ad-
mitted, but every voter in the state
ought to inform himself as to the
| merits or demerits of each one, SO
that he may vote intelligently when
the time arrives. But for the bene-
| fit of those who will not take the
time or trouble to read the printed
amendments, we present herewith a
very brief outline of what each one
provides:
No. l. Provides that foreign cor
porations doing a money-lending bus
mess exclusively in the state Of LOU
isiana shall pay a license tax of $3.50
to the state and an equal sum to the
city or parish where domiciled, and
an additional two and half per cent
of gross interest earnings to the
state and municipality. The object
Of the amendment is stated to be to
prevail upon foreign banks to again
establish branch banks in this state
for the loaning of money at cheap
er rate of interest.
No. 2. Providing for the exenp-
ton from taxation of all money in
hand or on deposit, and loans by
homestead associations to their mem
bers secured by stock in such associ-
ations.
No. 8. Providing for the levy of a
three-mill school tax in the several
parishes of the state for the support
and maintenance of the public
schools, exempting the city of New
Orleans and such cities as now con-
duct, under legislative authority. pub
lie schools open to the youth of the
parish.
No. 4. Proposing to increase the
salary of the governor of the state of
Louisiana from $4,000, to $500 per
annum
No. 5. Exempting from taxation for
ten years corporations constructing
and operating combined systems of
irrigation, navigation and hydro
electric power, same to be completed
within five years from January l.,
1915, and to cost not less than 3d.
100000.
No. S. Giving women the right to
serve upon educational and chari-
table boards in the state of Louisl-
ana.
No Z. Providing for. an additional
Judge in the til hirteenth 5isld feiaI dis
trict
No. 8. Giving police juries the right
to abolish drainage districts on au-
thority of a majority in number of
voters and amount of property as
sessment.
No 8. Regulating the collection
and distribution of funds for Confed-
crate veterans pensions, and proVld-
ing that widows of Confederate yeter-
ans, who were married prior to 1890,
shall have the right to participate
in the benefits of the fund.
no. TO- Authorizing the employ
ment of assistants to the various dis
trict attorneys of the state, fixing
a salary of $500 a year payable by
the state and such additional sum
as the legislature may fix, payable
by the parishes composing the judi
cial district.
No H. Amending the article of
the constitution fixing the sum OF
the total state tax at not more than
six mills, by providing for more elas-
ticity in the matter of taxation for
the purpose of paying the public debt.
No. r. Authorizing the commits
sioners of the port of New Orleans to
construct a canal connecting Lake
Ponchartrain with the Mississippi
river.
No 13 Providing for another
judge in the twenty-fiftf. district.
No. IA Defining motor vehicles,
and providing for their registry and
licensing by the state.
No Is. Authorizing the school
board of Orleans parish to borrow
$4,000, 1000
No. 16 Authorizing the establish
ment of a lake shore park in the
city of New Orleans.
No. IT. Providing for the recall Of
state officials, except judges of the
various courts.
A small proportion only of these
proposed constitutional amend
corora1 ar1 ct9taUidp
interest The most important, We
take it, is the last, providing for
the recall of public officials. This
amendment was submitted two years
ago and failed of passage by small
vote-failed largely because of the
opposition of the New Orleans ward
bosses, who piled up, by crooked
counting, an immense majority
against the amendment in the city.
The country parishes gave a majority
in favor of the amendment, and will
undoubtedly increase that majority
this year.
statewide interest is that authorizing
the election of women as members of
the school boards and charitable in
stitutions of the state. 1t is one
which should receive the hearty sup
port of the men of Louisiana. Ger
tainIy the women are better qualified
to discharge duties of this character
than are the men, and the state
should, by all means, have the bene-
fit of their services.
The third proposed amendment to
which the Journal desires to call spe-
cial attention is that increasing the