The De Soto County news. [volume] (Arcadia, Fla.) 1898-1924, 1916-07-13
SHOULD
MEET OFTENER.

| is not entirely suiltle>s. that the state
legislature should meet once in four
years only. instead II every two
years, as at present,
suppose we study this suggestion
little more closely. II we had no
session 4 the legislature for four
years. we would be compelled TO put
up with the Bran primary law and
| 1rimmeu's corrupt practices act for
another two years. And this i not
,he lca>- II the owl, that experiment.
,al legislation Ia, forced upon the
PEOPLE II this state.
4 close examination II the law gov
erning the appointment of county de-
ro,itore, under the law 10 become e.
frr,iyr January 1,t. reveals the fine
Rand Of the banking interests, as req
resented hy Mr.. Wood et al.
The law first provides that every
hank in the county may become a lie.
7. STORY. and that after being appoint
cd they shall hav" receive an equi'a-
l1e division II the funds. Thi, looks
fairly well on it, face. but the law
t-uyidrs. or wa, SUPPOSED 10 provide,
that the county shall receive interest
ou il, dgIo~it,. hut the fine work
comes IN at this iunc,ure. The law
further provide, that the balance in
each depository shall be in cNcXesS Of
s. 600 before interest &, paid.
To- Illustrate: pcSoto county has
thirteen hanks. suppose that all Of
those hanks qualify rs repositories.
then the county must have a cash bal.
ancc II more than $4,000 before any
interest is paid. provided the funds
are equally divided as contemplated
in the statute: in any case. the coun.
t. will have on deposit the large sum
on which no interest whatever is
paid, provided all hanks qualify and
It is likely that they will.
Again the new law provides that no
warrants shall be drawn on these De.
positoricS unless there is sufficient
funds in that Institution TO pay the
warrant>-nO overdrafts. II you
please. This. too. looks and listens
well until We consider that. ON the
average less than 30 per cent " the
tax Is paid during the first nine
months Of the fiscal year, the re-
maindcr being raid during the last
three months. and most Of it in one
months time. Now. If the law deny
Ing ovcrdrafts is complied with. the
County Commissioners must do one
II three things. viz: They must make
an excessive tax levy (ahout double
the actual requirements in order 10
have funds for the current expenses
If the county during the first nine
months 81 the fiscal year: or they
must hold MP the bills for this expense
until the taxes are paid: or they must
i,-uc iutcroSt-hcarin. due bills in
stead Of warrants. all If which works
very nicely for tho banking interests
Int are mighty Ind on the tax pay
crs. In any event there seems to he
4 'nigger in the woodplc" in the
much Haunted reform laws aholishinc.
the office Of county treasurer. and
if the legislature did not meet for two
moro years there would he little.
chance TO cure the evils that have
probably been put through by design
IN the rush Of business.
Add to these objections. the fact
that the membership Of the legisla-
turc changes every two years, or with
every session, ana the state is thus
kent we'll supplied with inexperienced
law makers. who will likely never
have an opportunity to correct errors
that they are sure to make. ana It
seems that they should meet every
wear. or have no regular time to meet.
and hold cssionS only when petition,
cd by sufficient number Of voters
to meet to repeal some Objectionable
or impra"ticable law-the latter sus-
ccstion probably being the lesser Of
the evils.
OF course when the legislature re-
fuses To pass n law requiring that
county superintendentS Of public in
struction have at least a high school
education. killing such a reasonable
measure with the rube vote. and then
make certain other laws so fragrant
" in violation of the Interests Of the
people one feels like the whole insti.
tuition should he forever abolished, |
hut there must he some way to have
their numerous errors corrected.