The Harrison times., 1915-02-27
ARKANSAS LEGISLATURE.
Special Session Possible, Little
Legislation Completed. No
Constitutional Convention,
$4,000 for Panama
Exposition.

or an extended session of the
legislature, but why such should be
necessary is not apparent, for in the
two weeks which remain there is
ample time in which to attend to all
appropriations, The only possible
excuse for an extended session is the
financial condition Of the treasury,
and it would take every bit Of the
remaining twelve days to reach a
solution of this alone, That would
be rapid work in face Of the fact
that hnancicrs have been working
on the problem for years without
arriving at anything that will be
accepted,
There are quite a few revenue
measures before the legislature but
they can be only SparingIy noticed
with appropriations for all State
institutions to be fought over. The
big items in the appropriations are
usually the features least noticed,
with sometimes a half day being de-.
voted to a single clcrkship in some
department
Under the amendment to the Con.
stitution which limits extra sessions
to Ia days at half pay, and allows
no per diem for time consumed alter
that, it i, hardly reasonable to con.
template a very extended extra seS.
sion, iuaace or no finance,
Should the special call be made
with the condition OF the treasury
as the foundation, it will probably
include number Of other matters OF
Importance. Among these may be
the extension O. time fDr paying
taxes (which is a much discussed
measure in the House Just at present
after passing the Senate, This IS a
pet administration measure and is
looked upon with favor and diSIayor
in every section. Many prominent
hnoncicrs claim it will disrupt the
school system aud SO tumble taxa.
ton that it can never be straight.
cncd, There are others who declare
that it is the salvation Of the prop.
crty owner. The members Of the
legislature are Just now hearing al.
most rs much about it as they did
on the rate increase for thcrailroadS,
but it is hardly probable that the
House will deal with it as lcnicnlly
rs did the senate,
As for lhc bank guaranty bills,
senators ones and Duty aIe also
authors OF measures Of this kind,
though they are radically different
in many sections They have com.
promised on n bill which is now in
the hands Of the Banking Commit.
tee 1t is q lengthy affair and it will
Iprobobly be sacrificed bccousc Of the
! lack Of time, though if there is spc'
cinl session it may be included in the
call, 50 it could then be more fully
discussed
In connection with his work rs d
member Of the budget committee,
Mr. DDwdy gave the House some
interesting facts regarding the Iioon.
ccs Of the state, lie tlumatcs the
revenues lor the nest two years at
mot over Sg,DS6, 10000 to be dyriy,
cd from the following sources Gen,
rru revenue, S2O2U,UUO; liquor
| 500, OOO, Insurance fees and taxes,
! S2Ui 10000, franchise taxes, S33O,.
OOO, Secretary Of State, $4,000, in,
! hcrluncr tuX, Sl6U, 1000 Against
| this, he says, the state departments
and institutions are asking for u to'
al or 49, 100000, He also estimates
! The deficit that must be made up by
this legislature at Sl2hOOOOO and
after adding to his his estimated def
.Iipit Of 500, 1000 ~ the general rev
enups for the same period, In other
words, the deficit, according 20 Mr
UOwdy's figures, il now Sl,G7LOOO
or will he at the end oI the present
biennial period llowcvcr 1t must
he understood that these hgurcs are
based on what the state institutions
have asked lur=nut what they are
/ going 20 get from the legislature
i Already IN the bills so far reported
/ to the legislature there has been
some sharp rhupping done on the
original demands and requests from
the boards controlling these insttu.
tions 1t must also be borne in
mind that these figures include 81 No..
\ 600 asked for extension work at the
state hospital for the treatment Of
nervous diseases
Thcbill appropriating $4,000 Tor
/ thtcomplclion ol the Arkansas cN'
hiblt a. the Panama Exposition,
and which has been specially urged
II hy GOyernnr llNVh, nasspd the House