Tensas gazette. [volume] (St. Joseph, La.) 1886-current, 1915-08-13
Speaker l.. e. Thomas Issues Ads
dress to citizens of Louisiana Hd.
visin6 AGAINST Holding Convention.

Speaker l.. f.. Thomas this week an
swers the arguments Of those who favor
the holding of a Constitutional Conven-
ton. He gives reasons rs follows:
Do we need two additional justices OF
the Supreme Court and reorganization
thereof? The General Assembly discussed
that proposition less than a year ago,
and after its thorough calculation decided
it was not well to do so at that time, and
the lawyers and justices could not them
selves agree on how it should be done.
Furthermore, ii necessary, why hold a
Constitutional Convention at an enor-
nous expense when an amendment alone
that will cost very little can he passed re-
organizing the Supreme Court as may be
necessary. The same will likewise apply
to the District Courts, and the amend
ments could have been voted on in April
az the District Judges do not go out OF Of
flee until January, 1917.
The next argument used is that our
Penitentiary Board is in debt some $780,
900, and is necessary to hold Constitu-
tional Convention to authorize them and
the State to issue interest bearing bonds
for years to come, and increase the bond
ed indebtness of this State to several
hundred thousand dollars and pile it upon
the backs OF the tax payers of louisiana
The Penitentiary Board has already is
sued some $3.50, 900 of bonds, extending
over period OF twenty-five years, and
paid Mr.. Kinkin's bank commission
thereon. the legality of which issue I'M
der the act is somewhat doubtful. The
records of the Penitentiary Board will
show that practically ever since the board
was created it has earned money up until
1912. During the four years of Governor
Heard's administration as president, COW
ering the years 1908 to 1912, the earnings
of the Board were never less than $50, 900
net per annum, and the best year it was
$lI9, 900 net profits. This was during the
boil weevil period, too. When he left the
Board in May, 1912, while it owed on the
face of the books some $3.50, 600, being
balance due on the sugar refinery, which
had been built at Angola at a cost OF
S4OO, 900, with its equipment, the Board
really owed less than $252, 900, because
they had on hand lot of second sugars,
black strap molasses and levee work al
ready done, and funds held back on levee
work uncomplcted, for which payment
had not been received, and these assets
which were received by the new Board
would have reduced the indebtness to the
above figure. 1t is true the high water
of 1912 did damage and destroyed the
crops, but the most pessimistic individual
would not consider this loss i'm excess of
$3.50, 900, being what the Board might
have produced. What is the situation
today? This Board, so l am reliably
informed, owes practically $500, 900, or an
increase OF nearly 5000, 900 of debt over
three years ago. understand theirmopth-
ly expense or disbursement account ex-
ceeds the Heard Board over ten thousand
dollars per month, with about the same
number of inmates. My remedy for that
situation would not be a Constitutional
Convention, costing $3.50, 900, in order to
issue hundreds of thousands OF dollars
more bonds, but would be a change of
the head management of the Board. l
do not believe there lis planter in Louis
lana who had manager running his
place who involved him in debt to that
extent, who would continue such a man
agement another year. Would you?
What am saying in this connection is
said without personal feeling in the mat
ter, for there is no reason why l should
have any, but this is simply my view OF
what would be the better method OF hand
ling the situation at the present time.
The last argument that you hear used
for holding a Constitutional Convention
now is that the financial system of the
State has broken down, and that we must
have more money to run the government
This. seems indeed strange when at the
close of the first two years of this admin
istration we had surplus in the general
fund exceeding $500, 200 one year ago.
l have always believed, and believe
now, that if our institutions were eco
nomically administered, the revenues Of
the State would take care of them. We
must reduce expenses just as individuals
have done since the war. My observation
is that parishes and municipalities as well
as the State, will spend more money if
you give it to them, for they can always
| find place where they believe it is really
| nee.led. Is that not so? for one am in
favor of giving the sick, and the insane,
and all of our educational and eleomosy-
nary institutions every dollar We can pos
sibly spare, and if the good people Of
Louisiana want to vote more taxes and
feel that more taxes are necessary to sup
port them, as they need and deserve, let
AATuHE