The Springdale news., 1915-02-12
WEEKLY CAPITOL
 LETTER

Little Rock. Ark, Feb. This has been statewide prohibition week with the legislature, the question having been constantly before one or the other of the two houses. The fight opened in the lower house on Monday when the NeWberry bill, special order came up at ID o'clock. The bill being op it's second reading was subject to amendment and the opponents offered every amendment that they could thnk Of. These were promptly voted down, amid when Mir. Griffin of Pulaski offered an amend ment that he was then writing an- other member asked that the Speaker require him to tell his amendment hat it might. be voted down while he was writing it. Mr Griffin had Fainly tried to get to speak on the bill but was unable to until the pre- vieus question was ordered and then he had 15 minutes At the con- clusion of his argument the bill pass ed the house Il to .. In the Senate there was continuous parleying un- til Friday morning when an amend ment was adopted making the act ef- feetive Jan.. l, 1916, and then the bill was passed g to ,. Friday af- ternoon the house concurred in the senate amendment and made the
 
 bill special order for Saturday morning. On the third reading Of the bill Mr. Griffin secured reeogHi- ton and held the floor against all the parliamentary taetiets that could be directed against him until 10.1 when la yielded and vote was taken at once, however, not unti the County Judge os Pulaski had had time to hearth petition of the saloon men and grant license The Governor signed the bill at11.10 There=Wa a delegation of Jefferson County men who begged the Governor not to sign until license could be granted in Jefferson, but without avail There is probability Of a measure being introduced prohibiting the sale of Ii. quor within 10 miles Of the First Baptist Church in Little Rock, which, if passed, would knock out both the saloons in Little Rock and Argenta.
 Woman suffrage has had it's inning winning in the senate by a good vote. In the house a motion was made to indefinitely postpone. which was lost Two Washington County representa- tives voting for ard one against post ponement. When the final xnte Was taken that passed the house Fridey night only one Washington County representative was present.
 \ bill that is Of interest to Wash Iington County passed this week re- quiring the County officers to make immediate settlement at the eXpira- ton of their terms. This is q local act for Washington county only. The bill to prohibit the shipping of liquor within ten miles of the public school house in Lincoln having passed the house is special order for Tuesday morning in the senate. An important measure by Mr Jones providing for four district Auditors to audit the accounts of county officers was de- feated in the house this week, as was one by Py Perkins and Buchanan making per cent the maximum rate Of interest bill legalizing race track gambling in this state passed tho house Wednesday. The influence of the Speaker put this measure through, he being interested in rae ing for Hot Springs.
 This week there was filed with the Secretary of State the three Consti. tutional amendments that are to be voted on at the next genreal election, the state federation of labor getting in the third. It provides for abolish ing the emergency clause, lifting the limit on constitutional amend men4t that may be voted on at any general election and greatly eurbs the power of the legislature. There has been a bill introduced in the house repeating what is known as the enabling act to amendment No. 10 the Initiative and Referendum. The other amendments that were filed was one allowing districts to vote P mills special tax, and one allowing counties to vote bonds for road inn provement. This last by the legis- lature.
 A resolution was offered by the representatives from Pope county making charges of irregularity at the Agricultural School at Russell