The weekly soliphone., 1915-03-12
FRANK KITCHENS SAYS
HAYS SIGNED RACE BILL
Gives Out Statement Detailing Incl
dents in Governors Office When
Measure Was Approved.

Conflicting statements concerning
the action of Governor Hays with
regard to his action on the racing bill
were made last night by men who say
| they were in the governors private
office yesterday afternoon, and by
| Governor Hays, says the Gazette of
Tuesday. Governor Hays says he
signed the bill only when he vetoed
lit. The men say he affixed his sigma
ture to the bill shortly after 4 o'clock
yesterday.
The men who say they were pres
ent in the governors office when the
bill was signed are F. F. Kitchens of
Helena, Judge Eugene RoIfe of For
rest City, George Bedding of Hot
Springs, Captain r. r. Rice of Var
ner and j. A. Bradsher of Little
Rock.
They say Governor Hays signed
the bill in their presence. They say
the entire company then talked for
some time before the governor called
Harry Stewart, his private secretary,
and gave him the bill to take to the
office Of the secretary of state. La
ter, they say, they were informed that
he had called Mr.. Stewart back and
refused to allow the bill to go to the
Isecretary's office.
Il had been in the governors Of
fee most of the afternoon" Mr.
Kitchens said last night. Capt. Rice,
Judge ROlfe, George Bedding, 'Thel'
Bradsher and | were in the private
office a little before 4 o'clock. At a
| little after 4 o'clock he took his pen
and signed the bill. We all shook
hands with him and talked for some
time longer. We discussed the prob
able personnel of the fair commission
created under the act. After some
! time the governor called Me. Stewart
and gave him the bill to take to the
office of the secretary of state. We
! left the office then and went outside
to inform others that he had ap-
proved it. Some time after that
heard that the governor had called
Mr. Stewart back and not permitted
the bill to go to the office of the sec
rotary of state
Il did not know the governor had
vetoed the bill until I received the in
formation from the house tonight al
though | had heard that he had pre-
pared veto message. He left DON
after the bill was brought back to
him. believe"
The others who were in the COVER
.nor's office agreed with Mr.. Kitchens
statements. All say they saw the
governor sign the bill and that they
had congratulated him Immediately
after the signature was attached to
the bill.
The news that he bill had been
signed spread rapidly. Persons who
called the office of the governor by
telephone between $40 and 500
O'Clock to ascertain what action had
been taken on the bill say they were
informed by employees OF the office
that the bill had been signed.
When Mr. Belding and the other
men came from the private office at
Sill o'clock they told others in the
outer office that the bill had been ap-
proved and the word was passed on
through the building and to persons
outside over the telephone A re
porter entering the office at 5:15
O'Clock was informed by Capt. John
T. Burkett, intimate friend of Go.
Hays, that the bill had been signed.
At 6:15 o'clock a report who call
ed at the office of the governor was
informed by dinner Burnsides, assist
ant secretary to the governor, that
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