The log cabin Democrat., 1917-01-29
DEFINES STAND ON PUBLICITY MEASURE PRESS IS INDEPENDENT Arkansas Association Will Make No Fight to Prevent Repeal of Act
 Adopted by People.

Little Rock, Jan. 29.-The usual as- saults are being made upon act No. IS, the publicity act, which was initiat- ed and adopted by the people, and not by the legislature, in 1913. It was a measure proposed and promoted by the people who insisted that there should be system of effective publicity for matters pertaining to the expendi- ture of the peoples money, and busi- ness vitally affecting their interests.
 But there are members of the legisla- ture who are fighting it, and the meet ing of the Arkansas Press Association last week the following statement was prepared to define definitely the atti- tude of the press of Arkansas on the subject.
 In view of the fact that another bill to repeal act No. 3, the public measure has been introduced in the legislature, and in view of the fact that bill to repeal this measure was defeated in the legislature of 1915, the members of the Arkansas Press Asso- citation desire to make this statement to the members of the Arkansas legis- lature and to the people of Arkansas:
 "The public bill was initiated and passed by the voters of Arkansas by a majority of 14,824. The members of the Arkansas Press Association know that the theory of the publicity act is proper theory, and know that publicity is the most potent weapon against petty graft and irregularities in government, but the members of the Press Association resent the atti- tude of those legislators who would put the publishers of the state in the attitude of favoring the publicity law merely because it produces revenue for the newspapers, and refuse to al low the publishers to be put in such attitude.
 "The members of this association deside to state most emphatically to the people and to the legislators that the revenue produced by this law is unimportant to the newspapers, and they desire to call to the attention of the people and the legislators that publications of initiated and referred measures under the initiative and ref erendum amendment to the constitu- tion cannot be handled by some of the larger newspapers of the state be- cause the rate of pay provided there in is too low to make such publica- ,snft fA perS.
 The Press Association desires to state further that it will make no op- position to any effort to repeal the publicity law, which came from the people and not from the legislature. The members of the association be- lieve a demand will be made by the people of the, state for a re-enactment of this measure if it is repealed. If this demand comes from the people the publishers of Arkansas will de mand that the rate of publication De made the full legal rate instead of half-rate as is now provided.
 "The publicity law has every right to remain in the statutes of Arkansas. It was passed by the people and the people have seen the benefits of it. But the newspapers of Arkansas will resort to no pussy footing methods to perpetuate the law, and choose rather, to make this plain statment to the general assembly, relying who'll ly on its patriotism and fairness in the matter. The association desires to announce it's intention to publish this statement in every newspaper al- lied with this association. This pub- lication will be made whether the act is repealed or not, for the publishers deem it wise that the people of the state should know their attitude in