Pocahontas star herald., 1915-03-12

would also save county officials
much worry. The local legislation
has run much to special school dis
tric,s, tick eradication, drainage,
road aud levee districts. General
road and stock law acts were passed,
giving counties local option with
reference TO them. Many counties
though asked and received stock
laws, showing a marked change
from few years ago, when four
wire fence laws were always tercely
contested. The state has reached
the period in these matters where IL
Is only a question Of one or two
General Assemblies before the peo-
pie Of each county will be permit
ed to vote on such measures with
out appealing to the Legislature.
An amusing action Of the Assem-
bly, IN dealing with dog tax meas
ures shows that burned child will
stay away from the fire. The House
passed two OF these measures, one
for Independence and one for Cross
counties. The senate passed the
Cross county bull, it being rushed
through, a local measure for the
protection Of the sheep industry,
but with the roll call still echoing
through the senate chamber, no.
tice was given for reconsideration.
Not so many years ago the Arkan-
sas legislature passed a general dog
tax bill aud every man who support
ed It failed in his efforts 10 he retur-
ned to the next session Of the As.
sembly. A tax on children might
not be opposed, but woe to the leg
islatOr who puts a tax xupon the poor
mans dog.
In a general way, the game bill
takes a position almost as prominent
as the liquor legislation. After its
passage outside Influences were
brought to bear on Gov. Hays to
prevent hls signature being attach
ed. Arkansas is no longer the hun
ter's paradise, so far as the nom
resident is concerned and they have
no love for the Futrell bill.
1t is probable that the Daven-
port bill t. permit iuries to assess
life imprisonment in capital punish
ment cases, will become a law, for
it has been strongly advocated in
the House, after its passage through
the Senate. 1t may also save the
lives of several boys now in the Ar
kansas penitentiary, who are under
sentence OF electrocution.
Because the loan sharks, who
lend to the poorer classes of cities
and charge exorbitant interest could
not be reached without running the
legitimate pawn broker out of busi-
ness, they may ply their d'spi:ed
trade two years more. In the mean
time the new crop of Legislators
may find way TO reach them. The
practice is so nefarious that it is
sure TO be eliminated in time.
Railroads or corporations of any
kind, was not effected to any ex.enC
by the Assembly. The railroads
were denied their plea 10 have the
Arkansas Railroad Commission in
vestigate their condition and he
given the power to increase passen-
ger rates if they saw it was neces-
sary in order to operate the rail-
roads with profit, but on the other
hand no additional burden was
placed upon them. The Senate
never took TO the Public Service
Commission bills, any more than
it did to the bank guaranty or tele-
phone regulation bills. The 1915
session of the Legislature was not a
CO p pratt N batter, marked cha lge
in the past few years. If this keeps
on improving, in a few years the
Legislature will be actually encour-
aging capital, and inviting it to
ONE to Arkansas to seek invest
ment.
A bill was passed to require all
railroads operating IN Arkansas to