The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1915-06-05
RESUME OF THE
Accomplishments OF
LEGISLATURE Of 1915
Continued from Page IL

comlnS ON top OF the general apprOp
riations bills that call for the ex.
penditure of two million dollars dur.
ing 1916 and 1917, leaves the state
with the prospect of having a far
greater surplus when the legislature
convenes in 1917 than was in evi.
dence at the opening of this session
The largest single special approp-
ration at this session was that for
the eradication of citrus canker in
the orange belts; $125,OOO was ap-
propriated for the eradication of the
canker disease, and $4,000 an
nually for the support of the state
plant board to eliminate crop pests
Of any variety. Strict quarantine
laws were included in the plant act,
that will place the trucker and cit
rus grower of Florida under better
protection than at any time in the
! history of the state.
1t is not generally known, but it is
fact that the state of Pennsylvania
appropriated at the session of the
legislature recently adjourned, more
than four times as much money for
their state road department than
Florida has appropriated for the en-
tire state expenditures.
Providing a four mill tax for the
purpose of paying the outstanding
Indebtedness of the various counties,
bill was enacted that makes any
members of the county commission
ers liable for expenditure in excess
of the tax levy in any one year, pro-
vided such member shall vote for
such expenditures in meetings of
the board Of county commissioners
This measure will eliminate in flu
ture any deficits in any county
Bondsmen are liable with the mem
bers of the boards of county COM
missiOners for such over-expendi-
lures.
County division has been one of
the biggest fights of a local nature
at this session, three new counties
being authorized, two have a refer
endum clause attached to the bill
making 1t necessary that a majority
of the taxpayers in the territory eff
fected to approve the division. Biloxi
ham, Broward and Okaloosa are the
three authorized.
The judicial salary bill, carrying
out the provisions of constitution
al amendment adopted at the last
general election gives the supreme
court judges a increase in salary as
we'll as those of the circuit bench
and courts of criminal record.
The number Of bills introduced at
this session has exceeded any prev
ious session of a Florida legislature,
and the number of general bills that
have been passed have been remark
ably small. One measure that died
on the calendar would have elimin-
ated the large volume of bills that
recurs at every session, allowing
charter changes for the various
towns and cities. This bill came
from Senator Farris and proposed to
allow the cities to change their own
charters without reference to the
legislature.
jacksonville has Jared we'll at
this session. An extension of the |
limit was granted and an increase
in the borrowing capacity was pro-
vided for, allowing the bond issue to |
be increased to large sum- A |
memorial to congress provided for
an improvement in the inside water !
way down the East Coast beginning
at Jacksonville. The military de-
partment received a large appropria-
tion for improvement to the military
reservation at Black Point. A new
commission charter was also enact
ed for Jacksonville. The bridge
fight which enacted from the Jack
sonville delegation aroused practi-
cally three days of the session but
finally failed of passage. The meas
ure would have forced railroads to
permit cities and counted to join
them in bridges across any stream
the passage a combination
for railroads and vehicles for the
public use. The measure, while
general in its provisions, wah aimed
at the FLORIDA East Coast
bridge at Jacksonville, where there
were reported to be certain real
estate owners in South Jacksonvill
that desired a double deck bridge
across the river, because the war
department had refused to grant an
extra bridge from Main street to
South Jacksonville.
The State game wardens office was
abolished, which has caused express
sions of general satisfaction
throughout the state, since the
amended law protesting game puts
the county game wardens to be Sc
ected by the county commissioners.
In the line of conservation of nat
lral resources, the hands of the !
she'll fish commissioner were mater I
ally strengthened in the amend {
nents to the new fish laws, the salt
water fish protection being placed
nder the shell fish commissioner,
md a provision. 8
A meritorious measure that failed 7
If Ia