The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1915-02-20
The Legislative Investigating Com

The Legislative Investigating Com
mission will send to the governor
special report embodying its findings
in the recent probe of the conduct OF
Ulic ]. Burke as superintendent of the
New Basin Canal and Shell Road. 1t
is considered a foregone conclusion
that the report will be adverse to
Burke and it is likely to suggest the
advisahlity of his retirement from
office.
Two counts were contained in the
charges: one that Burke was collect
ing three per cent Of the wages Of
canal employees for a personal cam
paign fund, and the other that he had
permitted state labor to be used on a
private club house. The existence Of
the fund was admitted by Burke, who
defended it as legal and claimed it to
be entirely voluntary. Most of his
employees supported him in this asser-
ton, but few dissented and the sug-
gestion of moral compulsion was
raised. Two or three men testified
that they worked during State time on
club house, but the bulk of the evil
dence showed these instances to be
isolated. 1t was apparent that the
practice was not general, if the cases
cited were actually true. 1t, moreover,
was shown that the club house was
for the benefit of canal employees.
What effect the sending of a spe-
cial report to the governor by the pro-
bers will have at this time has been
discussed with considerable interest
In political circles. 1t is known that
numerous protests about actions of
Burke have been taken to the execu-
tive at various times and have been
rejected by him because of the super
intsndent's notably efficient and satis-
factory administration of the canal
The splendid showing made by Burke
in increasing the revenues, his i'm
provements in the systems in use and
his abolition of old time practices Of
granting special favors- kept the gov
ernor steadfastly behind Burke
through all the latter's stormy career
in the Cooney, the Lyons and Conner
ford episodes.
A hearing in two cases was held at
Alexandria before Examiner c. "
Burnside, of the Interstate Commerce
| Commission. One was case No. SAT,
| involving the cancellation of rates on
logs originating at points on the South
ern Pacific Railroad, destined for Alex
andria, and manufactured into lumber.
| The other case was No. SIS on the
docket, involving the cancellation Of
rates on compressing and concentra.
tion of cotton in transit at Alexandria,
originating on Rock Island Railway
points. which was submitted on briefs
by both sides.
r BY a vote of eight to four, the Cad
do parish police jury adopted a reso-
luton instructing the district attorney
to Institute suit in the name of the po-
lice jury, against the mayor and coun-
Gil of Shreveport "by injunction or
otherwise, to prevent the licensing of
the sale of intoxicating liquors in the
city of Shreveport, in violation of the
will OF the people of this parish, twice
expressed at the polls, and in viola.
ton of the laws of the state"
Special Naturalization Examiner
Frank II. Homer, who conducted ex-
aminations in the District Court OF
Applicants for naturalization dismiss
ed that of Constant Petrus for the rea-
son that under the laws Of Louisiana
an alien cannot be licensed to conduct
a saloon and The applicant admitted
that he and his brother under the
firm name of Petrus Bros, were en-.
gagged in the saloon business in Alex
andria, and had been for years.
Another d"ily newspaper will be
published at Crowley about March l.
The Daily Rice City News will be an
SPACE quarto and will be published
and operated by l.. Nussbaum, who
heretofore has been running a job
printing office. He will be associated
with H. r. Dupre, former editor of the
Crowley Daily Signal. The new paper
has strong financial backing and a
good advance subscription list.
The Prairie Farms Lands Company
has been organized at Lake Charles
with a capital stock Of 100000 to take
over and develop the 40,0OG-acre tract
of land south Of the city owned by the
late Francis Ogden. Plans have not
been fully matured but the wheels will
begin to move very shortly as the
stockholders in the company have
other interests which will be bene
fitted by the settlement of these va
cant acres.
The Allen Parish police jury formal
ly accepted the new court house which
has just been completed by L. r
Wright & Co., Dallas, Texas, at a cost
including furniture, of $4,000. It is 9
reinforced concrete structure, with the
outside finished in pressed bricks and
terra Gotta.
The indications are that a very