The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1915-03-13


mics. The reasons for the defeat of
the administrations program in 1912
and 1914 have recently been thorough
ly advertised.
The fiscal agencies contracts of the
state were let in open session at 81
per cent to an association of banks
covering the entire state, despite pro-
tests from higher bidders for parts of
the funds. The previous contracts
were at three per cent and higher bids
were not opened or were ignored. The
individual bidders did not offer to take
all the funds and the associated banks
bid for all or none. The Supreme
Court, in deciding the protests, declar-
ed it had no authority to interfere. This
was the administrators answer to it's
sixth pledge, that the funds be award.
ed ito the bank or banks paying the
highest rate of interest"
The Conservation Commission was
substituted for the old game and oyster
conservation commissions and the con.
servation laws revised in accordance
with the seventh pledge. An Orleans
member offered resolution to investi-
gate the Conservation Commission at
the last session of the legislature and
it was wiped off the records by a solid
vote.
The adoption of a systematic plan
mapped out by the State Highway En-
gineer, the methodical distribution of
state aid for good roads and the new
automobile tax, the bill for which was
drawn by the State Highway Depart
ment, will result in connecting all the
important centers of the state with
serviceable roads instead of stretches
of modern highway here and there
without such connection. These plans
and the results accomplished in line
with them are in response to the good
roads plank" of the platform.
The Marks Bill was repealed and the
Burke Law enacted in compliance with
the ninth pledge, which demanded "the
separation of our public school system
from politics and political control.
Recourse to the courts instead of to
political committees when frauds are
discovered in primary elections Is the
main feature of the revision OF the
primary election laws passed in re-
Spouse to the tenth plank. Restric.
tons on assistance" is another of the
salient provisions of this legislation.
The registration laws were not them
selves revised but in compliance with
the eleventh and twelfth planks the
appointive jobs of registrars of voters
in the parishes were abolished and the
clerks of court made registrars of
voters. These changes, with the ap-
pointment of a new registrar in Or
leans, were considered sufficient to
bring about decent registration of
voters and the requirement of greater
detail in the registration certificate
was considered unnecessary.
Increased appropriations were made
for the schools and the insane asylums
and other institutions in accordance
with the thirteenth plank, which de.
manded also the full maintenance of
the levee system. The platform was
adopted at the Good Government
League conference in New Orleans
June 81, 1911, and in 1912 there were
nine crevasses that did 100000, 900 of
damage, according to the estimate of
the Chief State Engineer. Before the
high water of 1913 the wrecked levee
system was so completely restored that
only one break occurred on the Mis-.
sissippi, the Lake st. John or Vaucluse
crevasse in Concordia parish, and one
on the Atchafalaya, the Coville ere.
vase in Pointe Coupee parish.
There was more levee work done in
the period between April 20, 1912, and
December 81, 1914, two years and nine
months, than had been done in the pre-
ceding four years Over $926,OOO was
spent doing over 100000 yards of
work on the Atchafalaya River in
Pointe Coupee, st. Landry and Avoy-
Giles parishes, in some of which no
protection had been provided before.
On the east bank of Bayou Teche, in
st. Landry and st. Martin, 235, ZOO yds.
of new construction cost $41,129.
The Confederate veteran tax was in.
creased to whole mill, providing
S55O,0OO which permitted material in
crease in the pension roll; and the
wives of veterans were admitted to the
Soldiers Home. This answered the
fourteenth demand, for 'the most lib.