The Spectator., 1915-03-12
For an hour Senator Clyde Going ar

elect the members of the St. Francis Levee Board. He declared that the bill would not stand the legal test. saying that it was crudely drawn. He asserted that he represented 750,0C0 acres of the 1,6oO,0O0 acres in the dis trict, and 4,500 of the white voters of the district, or more than the com bined strength of the other senators of the district He stated that his people did not want the directors elected, and sought to place an amend ment upon the bill to refer 1t to the property owners of the district
 Senator Vann, supporting the bin, stated that it was not his measure, but the bill of the people of the district. declaring that they had risen up in arms against the Board and demanded of the governor a special session to make the officers elective. He assert ed that he intended to run for the legislature until his head was white as snow or pass the measure. Speaker Eann referred to the political power of the Board and the part it had played in the Brundidge-Davis campaign.
 Senator Slaughter went into the his tory of the mass meeting held in East ern Arkansas a year ago, at which the affairs of the district were rather free ly aired. He stated that the feeling against the directors was so strong that & comparative stranger had been elected to office in his district because he stood for the election of the direc- tors by the people. Senator Slaughter defended the constitutionality of the bill, saying it was drawn by the best attorneys in the district
 Although he was allowed to speak Senator Going was permitted ten min utes rejoiner on question of personal privilege Senator Vann had referred to him a number of times in his speech as the Gentleman from Mem phis." an appelation which has often been given to Senator Going in joe ular way. This time Senator Going took exceptions and stated that he had made all his money in Arkansas. had it invested here. had spent his entire life in Arkansas, expected to die in the state, and had done what many of the other senators had so far failed to do in paying his 1915 poll tax in Arkansas. The bill was then passed by a vote of 25 to 5. It now goes to the governor for his ccnsidera- tion.
 The house in Committee Of the Whole made the following changes in the general appropriation bill, as it came from the Senate: Striking out one clerk from office of secretary of state at S1,200 per year; increasing item for assistant attorney general from S3.O00 to s4,5OO for two years: cutting salary of stenographer in at torney generals office from $2,00O to S1.S00 for two years; cutting out item for two new typewriters in office of secretary of state; reducing from $2,- 800 to $l,500 the item for travelling ex- penses of commissioner of mines, man. ufactures and agriculture; adding section carrying total of s49,700 to take care of all work of feed and fer tilizer inspectors in Department of Agriculture; reducing salary of secre- tary of Tax Commission from $3,600 to $3,OOO for two years; reducing salary of stenographer in same department from $2,400 to $2,000 for two years: adding $500 for adding machine in the state treasurer's office; reducing item for preliminary surveys, maps, etc, in State Highway Department from $1o- 900 to $5,000 for two years; adding a section to provide salary for new Char ities Board created by present legisla- ture, $lS,600, this item having been committed from original bill because the change had not been made in Charities Boards at time: increasing item for the maintenance of mine in- spector from $75O to $1,0O0; increas- ing salary of the assistant librarian of Supreme Court from $1,200 to $1,SO0 for two years; reducing the item for contingent fund in auditors office from $400 to $500. The total reductions in the bill are $S.300; total increases in items already in, S2,350; total in- creases in the new items. S6S,60O, or 8 net increase in the bill as a whole of $63,650.
 While no definite announcement has
 been made by the supporters of the
 Sawyer Having bill, it is generally
 conceded that they are planning to
 test the validity of Gov Hays veto | in the courts. If the bill were assumed to be law no mandamus proceedings could be brought tD force Governor
 Hays to appoint the fair commission
 created in the bill as a means to bring
 the matter into the courts. The con
 stitution of the state provides that
 such proceedings cannot be brought