The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1916-01-18

Oklahoma City.-Governor Villains
message to the special session does
not mention the grand father clause
but this may be discussed in a sup
Elementary message later.
The text follows:
To the Senate and House Of Representa-
tiVeS of the Fifth Legislature of the
State of Oklahoma:
The Fourth Legislature passed an act
amending Sections 25l9. 252O and 252S of
the general statutes of 1898, of the state
of Oklahoma, relating to gambling. This
act was approved by the governor on
April 18th, 1913. The emergency clause
not having been attached to said act.
within ninety days after the adjournment
of the Legislature referendum petition
was filed and caused said act not to take
effect. on June goth, 1914, the governor
issued a proclamation calling an election
upon said referendum to be held on the
first Tuesday of August. 1914. The result
Of said election having been certified to
the governor, in due course he issued his
proclamation declaring said law to have
been approved by majority OF the votes
cast thereon and the same to have taken
effect and was then in force as law Of
the state
The supreme court of the state in re p
]. Smith, No. 7645, on January 11th, 1916.
held that on account of certain omissions
in the submission of said referendum
question that the election thereon was
NOlu, anu llIdt dSt was sum IOt III
effect.
1t is my duty to recommend for your
consideration the re-enactment of this
act and that you declare that an emer-
gency as to said act exists, and that said
emergency be expressed by you in said act
as contemplated by Section 5S Of Article
Of the constitution of this state.
Gross Revenue Law.
The gross revenue sections of the con-
stitution have been before the supreme
court of this state for consideration and
construction, in the case OF The Wolverine
Oil Company. which was decided on the
18th day of October, 1915, and is now
pending on petition for rehearng,
The total of 1888, ,267.3l. which has been
paid in under this law, is in the state de-;
postory and not subject to be used to
pay the expenses of the state or state
agencies until the matters growing out
the Wolverine Oil Company case are fin
ally settled. In my Judgment, a revision
of these said sections would eliminate
great many of these objections and enable
this tax to be used for the expenses and
state purposes.
|, therefore, recommend for your con-
sideration Sections l, 2, 3, 4, and OBJ OF
subdivision A of the law with view OF
revising and amending them so as to meet
all reasonable objections involved in said
action and at the same time cause this
gross production tax to be realized and
converted into the treasury and through
the proper source expended to meet the
expenses of the state and state agencies.
If this tax were available the state
would now be on a cash basis. State war
rants bear interest at six per cent while
the state realizes only three per cent from
the deposit of this fund.
Interest, Usury and Pawn Shops
The question of the charging of eXtor-
tionate rates of interest has occupied the
foreground of discussion for some months.
Questions essential to be determined pre-
liminary to the consideration of the usury
question have been obtained from the So
lcitor of the treasury. at Washington.
through the comptroller of the currency,
at my request. on December Sth the
solicitor of the treasury wrote the comp
troller of the currency as follows:
Congress having power to create a sys-
tenn of national banks, is the judge as to
the extent Of the powers which should be
conferred upon such banks, and has the |
sole power to regulate and control the |
exercise of their operations.
while a state has the legitimate power
TO define and punish crimes by general |