The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1914-06-27
THE LEGISLATIVE GRIND.

The Louisiana general Assembly
has been putting in steady ticks THIS
veek-the seventh of the current SEES
sion-and both houses have made TAR
" good progress in the attempt to
keen un with the rising tide of bills
and clear their respective calendars
from day to day. a few more mea-
sures were added to the grand total
of approximately $50 that had been
previously introduced up to the end
of the sixth weeks work, and it is
annarant that when the time Of ad-
io71rnment arrives less than two
weeks hence there will be a far
greater number of these bills in the
'iunk heap than among the states
new laws.
The most important matter acted
on in the house this week was the
general appropriation bill, which
went through by an almost unanimous
vote. practically in the shape SUBJ
mitted by the appropriations commit
tee. The concurrence of the senate
with few changes is assured, and no
difficulty is anticipated in securing a
satisfactory compromise of any points
Of difference that may arise.
Bills to carry out the assessment
and tax reforms advocated by the
Hall administration were introduced
in the house and reported by the
committee having them in charge,
but after brief debate it was agreed
to recommit the measures for amend
ment. The New Orleans Association
of Commerce is warmly supporting
the principles involved in the pro-
posed reforms, and the need for a
change from the present antiquated
and inequitable system of fixing the
valuation of property and apportion-
ing state and local taxation is gener-
ally admitted.
The Schwing bank guaranty bill
was Indefinitely postponed by the
house of representatives and the
Powell bill on the same subject was
withdrawn, hence there will be no
bank guaranty legislation at this
session.
Bills covering the measures for the
relief and promotion of the agricultur'
al interests of the state recommended
by the public meeting held in New
Orleans recently, have been intro
duced and are expected to go through
with little opposition.
Representative PoWell's bill to en-
power parishes to adopt the commits
sion form of government passed the
house by a large vote and will in
all probability receive the senate's
concurrence.
The senate passed a bill increasing
the fees Of the river pilots from 81. so
to SIZE per draft foot for plotting
vessels to and fro between New Or
leans and the Gulf of Mexico.
Seator Byrnes' proposed amend
ment to article 210 of the consti-
tuition, designed to permit women to
serve on public boards, passed the
senate by the requisite two-thirds
vote.
The senate killed the johnson bill,
which had passed the house, provid
ing for a merger OF the boards that
control the states seven institutions
for higher education into one commits
sion of five, to be composed OF the
governor, state superintendent of pub
lie education and three members with
overlapping terms to be appointed by
the governor.
The house hass Used the Generel-
" bill providing penalties of fine and
imprisonment for fraudulent return of
votes on constitutional amendments.
The senate receded from it's amend
ments to the Genere1ly election bills,
which accord official recognition on
ly to political parties that poll as
much as ten per cent Of the popular
vote, and the bills go to the governor
for his signature. The effect of
these measures will be to give the
Prosressives representation at the
polls in future elections, and to de-
prive the Republican party of that
privilege.
A red-hot fight was waged in the
house over the Lee-Norris fertilizer
analysis and inspection bill, result
ing in the indefinite postponement of
the measure by a vote of So to A.
The Locke constitutional amend
ment increasing the number of SUI
preme court judges from five to sew
en- failed to get a tWo-thirds vote
IL IAiS MUSE c1Q was ItluluSu To
the calendar for another trial
A favorable committee report has
been made on Senator Clinton's con-
stltutional amendment calling for di-
Vided sessions of the general as
sembly, one session of thirty days to
be held for the introduction of bills,
then a recess of several months, fol-
lowed by second session of sixty
days for action on the measures Of
fered at the first session.
Gov. Hall sent a special message to
the general assembly on Wednesday,
the creation of a legis-
latlVe commission with authority to
SIT during the recess for the purpose
OF investigating all public institutions
and boards. This kind of a measure
was proposed as a substitute for
resolutions providing for such
investigation by separate legislative
committees, and the understanding
hat the administration would favor
ne substitute was probably a dom
nant factor in securing the defeat of
several of the resolutions in cues
ion
Senator Smith of Richland has in
reduced at constitutional amendment
Proposing to substitute state com
llssion Of eight members for the
eneral assembly, one member to be
lected from each congressional dis
net. The effect of this plan would
e to put the state under the com
llsslon form of government. It re.
lures considerable effort of the
IMAGINATION to conjure up a mental
lcture of the Louisiana general as