The Prescott daily news., 1917-01-25
SENATE PASSES GENER.
 AL HOSPITAL BILL
Carries Appropriation of $2OO,- OOO-$75O,000 to Pay Arkan- sas' Debts-Caldwell Bill For Purchase Digest Real Issue.

it hammer and tongs and fought it out along old time parliamentary lines and at times it seemed as though a | bit of tabasco of another variety was ! to be injected into the proceedings. | The passage of the state general hos | pital bill, carrying with it an appro- priation of $200,000, the money to be derived through the sale of State property, being the feature. This bill was in the middle of the floor with the fur flying when the Senate took out for lunch, and it was picked up in the same place in the afternoon ses- sion, reported back by the committee of the whole that it do pass, and over the objection of Senator Edmondson, who sought to have an unfavorable report brought in, went to it's third reading and passage with only four dissenting votes. The bill was then rushed on over to the House for reading before the close of the days session.
 The next fight turned out to be no fight at all. It was on the Moncrief administration bill, to issue evidences of indebtedness to the extent of $780, GOO for the purpose of carrying for the States indebtedness, and putting the State warrants at par. Senator Moncrief called attention to this hav- ing been an issue in the campaign, and that Gov. Brough being elected on it, it had men with the approval of the people. Senators Caldwell, Hester, Whitaker and Slaughter spoke in it's i favor. Senator Slaughter stating that the state was lige an individual, and , if it could not pay it's debts, it could
 not get credit. He stated that all
 merchants have to borrow money in
 order to successfully operate their business, and the methods of the in dividual must be applied to the State. Senators Brown, Bush, Garrett and
 Edmondson, most of them administra- tion men, opposed the bill, and but few others joined them when the vote
 was taken.
 Having now warmed up to the real
 issue, the Caldwell bill for the pur- |, chase of the Kirby and Castle Digest, : which had gone over on Tuesday af- ternoon at adjournment, was called up < again. It was continued in the com mittee of the whole, and the motion , bv Senator Ruff to strike out the sec [ ton carrying a $36,000 appropriation , was the subject The Senate voted this down, and Senator Ruff offered another amendment, to reduce 1t from S36. 900 to $24,000. This too was voted down and was followed by one to re- refer the matter to the judiciary com mittee, which had once before consid- cred the bill and approved favorably.
 Speaking on this motion Senator Ruff raised the issue that the Digest was published outside the state, and that it was printed by non-union la bor. He declared that the session of 1915 had provided a digester but the act of the legislature had been vetoed, and that Senator Kirby and Mir. Cas- tie had then gone ahead as private venture. He stated that if the Digest was adopted it would be a violation of the statutes of 1905, which pre- vents state printing being done out side the state.
 It was while Senator Ruff was talk ing that the dual clock system of the Senate came into play again. He was called to a point of order for the length of his speech, and claimed time according to the clock that is 20 min utes slow.
 | The motion to re-refer to the Judic- iary committee was also voted down, when an effort was made to read the bill the third time and call the roll upon it. President Davenport ruled that to do this would require two thirds vote, for there were special order House bills on the desk, carried over from the morning, and this could not be displaced
 Among the new bills introduced were those by Senator Alexander, ap- propriating $1S,160 to complete the paving about capitol; Ward, to per init the St. Francis levee district to issue $1,5OO,00O in bonds; Ward, to organizing an improvement district at ] 4o hr,I