The log cabin Democrat., 1915-03-05
HOUSE DEFEATS
 STA1t LOAN BILL
ALSO Z I-2C RATE BILL
AUDITING COMMITTEE MAKES REPORT ON AGRICULTURAL
 DEPARTMENT.

Little Rock, March 5.-The house overwhelmingly defeated the Griffin bill for a million-dollar loan to meet the deficit in the state treasury, the vote being ayes 13, noes "A.
 The bill was signed by Messrs. Griffin, Jones of Pulaski, Sawyer, Dipboye and Woods. It provided that there should be issued notes for an amount sufficient to pay the outstand- ing treasury warrants which have been issued to date and to cover the deficit in the general revenue fund which may be due June 30, 1915, but which in no event should exceed the sum of one million dollars. These notes were to bear interest at the rate of five per cent, payable semi-annual- ly, so that all may be discharged in the course of 12 years from Septem- Der 1. 1916. The notes were to be sold by a commission composed of the governor, secretary of state and the state treasurer. The proceeds of the sale should be used only in the retire ment of treasury warrants The tax of one-eiehth of mill heretofore lev jed for the capitol fund was to be transferred to the note redemption fund, and there should also be trans ferred to this fund one-fourth of one mill from the general levy.
 Speaker Sawyer took the floor and made a speech for the bill. The op- position was led by MT. Belote, who denounced the bill as the most vicious ever conceived by the mind of man.
 Governor Hays has approved the bill for the consolidation of the state elections with the congressional cleo tions in November.
 Governor Hays Thursday afternoon announced the appointment of Capt. John Burkett of Camden as a mem- Der of the penitentiary commission, to succeed J. F. Murrey of Little Rock, who was appointed on the commission when it was first created two years ago.
 The house Thursday night, by a vote of 50 to 37, defeated the Bland bill fixing ? 1-2 cents as maximum passenger rate in Arkansas.
 Representative Armstrong intro duced bill Thursday afternoon rais- ing the tax levy for general purposes from 2 IA to 8 mills, as a means of providing revenue to meet the neces- sities of the state. It is estimated by the auditor that this will be sufficient to put the state on a cash basis with in tRe next two years.
 The special auditing committee Thursday afternoon submitted the report of their investigation of the department of mines, manufactures and agriculture. The report is thor ough review of the transactions of the office but does not contain any very sensational findings. The only source of receipts in this office is the sale of fertilizer and feed tags. The to- tai receipts from fertilizer tags from November 1, 1912, to February 15, 1915, were S53,S45.06 and from feed tags S42,76S.3S. On account of the injunction against the sale of feed tags there were no receipts on that account after October, 1915. The to- tai receipts from November 1, 1912, to February 15, 1915, were $96,613.44. A few slight irregularities in the handling of the fertilizer tags are shown by the report, but these in the main are explained by the commits sioner, John H. Page. The committee says it has no information whatever that the department has not account ed for every cent due the state.