The Sentinel=record. (Hot Springs, Ark.) 1900-current, 1914-10-09
COMMISSION BILL
MEETS WITH FAVOR
is ADOPTED SECTION BY SECTION
AT MASS MEETING PRESIDED
OVER BY M'LAUGHLlN.
Issue over the Police Judsship Was
Disposed of by Adopting the Bill as
II Came From the Bar Association.

The proposed legislative bill for a
form of government for
Hot Springs was adopted from section
10 to the finai section at mass meet |
ing last night which had been sche1- |
uled to be neld under the auspices
of the Chamber of Commerce, but
which later developed into a mass
meeting presided over by Leo Nc
Laughlin.
1t was apparent at the outset of
the meeting that the hotel men Of the
city had gathered in numbers and
that it would be within their province
to make about whatever disposition
of the bill they sought. The dispo
sition they did make of it was to ad-
here strictly to the bill as it had been
reported on by the bar association,
and to adopt and recommend the bill
as a whole.
A legislative committee, composed
OF Chairman Judge Curl, w. j. Lit
tie, l.. f. Sawyer, Sam Williamson,
Judge Gotham, Dr.. Il. X. Martin and
John G. Higgins was named to have
the custody of the bill and to present
it to the state legislature.
President George Callahan of the
Chamber Of Commerce called the
meeting to order and stated that in
as much as there were several eX-
ceptioas taken to the bill as drawn,
and that it was desired to give those
interested an opportunity to further
consider changes, it had been decided
after a conference of officers OF the
! Chamber of Commerce that the meet
ing would be postponed. He stated
that he regretted having to make this
announcement, and that he would ap
preciats from the assemblage IL ii
would take favorable action on the
matter of postponement of the mat
ter.
There were murmurs or discomfort
| Physicians and hotel men, who are
usually found at issue, were scattered
literally in the audience. 1t was not
difficult to see that the hotel mer
wanted the issue taken up and dis
posed Of, and that they would moi
brook delay.
Leo Mclaughlin made an impas
stoned speech for immediate action
He stated tnat the citizens had beer
called in mass meeting, and that they
| arf1 Lnf N
heard amendments were to be put
in the bill to practically remove hin
from office, and he had his friends
! there to be heard, and that he would
insist that the audience be freed OF
those not bona fide citizens, and that
then the mass meeting consider the
bill.
president Callahan saw the meet
ing would not adjourn at his request
and left the cnair. DR.. w. G. Choata
made a motion that Leo Mclaughlin
be chairman of the mass meeting
which carried. He assumed the chair
lie called on Secretary Latta to take
up the reading of the commission bill
at section 10, where It had been dis
/ continued at a former meeting. Sec
rotary Latta read this section, which
obtained as to the disposal of the po
lice tudgship. Later Mr. Latta vita
drew from the meeting, and Mr.. Wal
ter Ebel was made secretary aId con
tinued to serve the meeting through
+ the consideration of the bill.
When the police judgship section
was taken up, Chairman Mclaughlin
called on Judge Curl to speak to thai
section. Judge Curl said that 1t had
always been considered dangerous
proposition to combine tae executive
and the judiciary, and for that reason
the bar ASSOCIATION had provided that
the police judgship should be sepa
rate. He said the salary had beef
made $4,000 because il was hoped tC
make this court a court of record
and that il would elevate the munici
pal court in the event the justice OF
the peace system was disposed OF
He also thought 1t was a mistake tC
make a laymaa a city court Judge.
The section as originally drawn
was adopted. From that section tc
| the final conclusion the sections were
adopted as read, without comment
save in the instance of the recall
which Mr. James Bryan thought
sloud be changed to be that officers
should be subject to recall at any
time, when the bill provides they shall
be subject to recall but one time. The
original section was adopted as 1t
had been contained in the bar associa-
ton bill