The Harrison times., 1915-03-06
LAWMAKERS ARE
VERY BUSY
MANY BILLS WILL DIE ON THE
CALENDAR, BUT THE STATE
WILL BE AS WELL OFF.
LASTS ONLY ONE MORE WEEK
Both Houses Have Worked over
time, Much Good Legislation
Has Resulted,

| daVS and the FOrlIcth General AS
sembly Of Arkansas will pass into
history, There is no disposition on
the part of the members to STAY here
without pay, and the pay stops au-
tomatically at noon, March ~ 1t
also develops that it would do no
good for the governor to call an i'm.
mediate extra session to aid in pass.
ing important bills now nearly
through the legislature, as, under
an extra session, all bills have to
start over agrin as new bills. They
could not be taken up at the extra
session where they are now on the
cal ndar and carried forward as un-
finished business 1t is not believed
that Governor HAYS fances an extra
session, anyway, but if the legisia.
ture can't settle the financial prob
lem an extra session for this pur,
pose will be almost imperative; if
the States warrants are to be kept
from going begging at big discounts
Last week Representative Griffin
introduced bill providing for an is.
sue of State treasury notes to an
amount not to exceed 81 ,0O0,0 600 to
pay the deficit in the general fund
and put the State on a cash basis,
The bill provides tlat the notes shall
be sold by a board composed OF the
Governor, Secretary Of State and
State Treasurer, and must not be
sold at less than par The notes are
20 be repaid by assessment, the levy
to run not longer than . years, An
equal amount Of the loan with inter,
est figured in, is to be paid back each
year, The tax levy provided is &c be
made up OF the ls mill now levied for
the furnishing Of the new State CNpi'
tol and s mill taken from the general
tax levy, thereby not increasing the
total present tax levy Mr. Griffin
has gone extensively into the matter,
figured the interest necessary 20 re.
tire the loan, and finds that the loan
can be taken care Of without dis
turbing the tax system or squeezing
State departments aud institutions,
The biggest argument in favor OF
m immediate loan is that the state
will save in the next few years double
the amount Of the loan in discounts,
and will also save its financial credit
abroad, The Griffin bill is the only
measure offered to wipe out the de-
! felt, and it will be one ofthc meas
urcS over which the legislature will
battle this week, Friends Of the bill
ask the question: It the lDan plan is
turned down, how can the state save
it's credit except by m increase in
the general tax levy
Appropriation bills for the various
State departments and institutions
have been pouring in for the past
Wcch They include the following,
with Others vet to come University
of Arkansas, 100000; State insane
asS mm, $500 ,OOOi the penitentiury,
S3I2 5000 maintaining new state
capitol for neNt two years, S43,OOu;
negro branch normal school at Pine
BluIl $4,000, dcaEmute institute,
| ISll5, 5000, State Normal at Conway,
|S7LSOO, reform school $4,000;
State guard, S25,0O0' deficiency for
Confederate Home, $4,000, agri.
cultural extension work under Smith.
Lever act Sl1 26O general stpte de-
pnrtmcnts, SSlh0O0, bnaidcs nu'
merous smaller appropriation bills.
IOtlhc above the bills for the State
guard, State normal, reform school
and Confederate Home Il, ieit, have
passed the Senate, and ,lc bill for
farm extension work has passed both
houses Other appropriation bills
passed by the Senate include bills to
|pOy w. T. Kirby aud the estate ol
the late James II, llorrod $4,000
each, and Judge ! NJ, llill $4,000
~ attorneys fees in the rate liligo.
tionj to pay a pcnIlcntiary deficit oI
! |Sd,2ii, and a few Others. including
the Panama Exposition bill
In fact, the Panama Exposition
bilI providing $4,000. to be rN'
pended ia completing the Arkansas
exhibit at the great worlds lair at
san Francisco, has passed both
houses, been approved by Governor
Hays and Il en- upheld by the Pulaski
! Ghuueery Court, where an attack
I was made upon It by Representative
Icorond a few Others, who claimed