Pocahontas star herald., 1915-02-12
WEEKLY NEWS LETTER
FROM LITTLE ROCK

Little Rock, Feb. 10 Ia every
section Of Arkansas those who. have
so long prayed aud worked for pro
hiJigon, are rejoicing over The ac.
lion Of the General Assembly in
passing lba statewide h,I last week.
rscy ug rejoicing tha, tbc sra,cls
at la,, TO Doc dry, and in ,heir zeal
imagine ,hr.lrstoremmihlt way
iu,, because thc b.,. b,comes a law,
bu, mless tHg. ras q covering over
ther ointment There ls extremely
liable 20 Doe q dy init While the
Frohbiloui.sare il'eun local OPP.
doui,,s viii De constantly working,
and ou lhcvgy aay the n wbgry
blll becomes effective. Jam. D, luI6,
|ll not before, a'pc,iu5h viii be put
m circulation TO initiate au act to
repeal tho bin, and possibly one also
% repeal the Gong Act.
Arkansas viii bc dry FOR a year,
even il the liquor men are successful
in repeating either, or both Of these
measures, for the matter cannot be
placed before the people until Sep
tember 1910. Success at that time
largely depends upon the election
commissioners appointed this year,
which will make these appointments
something to fight for.
The ten mile act for Little Rock
will hardly ge, by the Senate, for
the submissionists had majority
there until 4, col apsed like a bal
loon in mid air and came down in n
limp heap. This majority contained
several prohIbitionIsts who favored
submission, but would vote for the
New berry bill il they could not get
their desires. Several more switch
ed to the prohibitionists on the COM
promise to extend the liquor licenses
until Jan. /, aud IT was their under.
standing that there would be no ef.
fort to molest the saloons until that
time. They woke up TO the real
wording Of the bill about the time
1t was passed, and several were IN
eensed when they found that the
Pine Bluff saloons were left out be-
cause license had not been issued
prior to the signing Of the bill.
With this feeling, in the face OF
the compromise, it is hardly proba
ole that a bill making Little Rock
dry so soon after the licenses have
been issued will get through the
Senate Any kind Of prohibition
bill, no matter how radical, will 20
through the House.
With the legislative session one
half gone, HJJc constructive or gen,
eral legislation has been passed.
THE House bas bad 800 bills aud
the Senate l73. The two bodies
have disposed of practically Que
.half of the h.,.slutrolueed, and the
senate had on saturdly night passed
so of thc - House bulls before IT,,
while the House passed many Of the
Senate bills reported to that branch.
The Senate vii. dispose Of practi
caliy an House bills reported there,
and there Will hardly be occasion
|for Friday afternoon and Satur-
/ day session, a. there was last week,
Iunlcs5 il is TO consider Senate bus.
uess. The liquor bill out Of the
way the Assembly rushes bills
through like grist from a mill.
The Arkansas legislature works
on an average of 3 hours per day in
Legislative session. Thus the cost
of operating the House, not count
Ing clerical assistance, is $3.50 per
hour. The House debated for an
hour Saturday in dlscharging a jan.
itor for IutoxicatIon, and after re-
moving bis name from the payroll,
did like the historic army of Spain,
they marched up the hill, and then
marched down again, for the dis
charged janitor was Immediately re-
engaged, and by those who dis.
charged him. If it costs Sl20 for
a legislature to discharge drunken