The Springdale news., 1917-03-09
Fayetteville Demoerat)

President Futrall of the University has returned from Little Rock where he spent the greater part of several weeks in looking after the various University bills before the legisla- ture. Speaking to reporter for the Democrat, President Futrall said:
 Owing to a combination of cir eumstances, the University was com pelled to secure from the legislature of 1917 an unprecedent amount of legislation. In addition to the regu- lar appropriation bills for the main University, the Medical Department, and the branch Normal College, there were four other bills of the greatest importance. These were the millage bill providing special tax of four ninths of one mill for the support of Fayetteville, the Agricultural Exten, sion appropriation bill carrying $102, 860, the deficiency appropriation of $31 ,000, the chief item in which was deficit of $23 ,000 incurred in the bien- nial period 1911-13, and bill to re store the University endowment fund, refund the endowment bonds, and raise the interest from 3 to , per cent.
 "All of the bills with which the main University at Fayetteville is directly concerned have now passed both houses of the legislature, ex- eept the bill to refund the University endowment fund, which has passed the Senate and is now on third read ing in the House.
 The main appropriation bill for the University and the Agricultural Extension appropriation bill amount to a total of $48100O for two years, which is $141 000 greater than any previous appropriation made by the legislature The general appropria- ton. exclusive of Agricultural Extens sion carries S378,oo0, which Is S16s5 GOO more than the University actually received during the present biennial period.
 The most .aportan. b. of all, .foUeve4. was the millaee bill provi1- 70 a social of foae-n.ntl.s of q aill fot the support of the Univef- sit,;. After the present 6ieueial per iod, even if there should be no in crease in the taxable values of the state, this will bring into the Univer- sity $200,000 a year or $400,000 for biennial period and will eliminate the necessity of lobbying before the legislature for the purpose of seeur- ing an appropriation that would en- able the University to live.
 "The Washington County delega- ton. consisting of Senator Great house and Representative Buchanan, Cardwell, and Collier, gave valiant assistance in the passage of all these bills. These gentlemen were always on duty and alive to the interest of the University as well as to the gen eral interests of the county and the state, and without their active assis- tance, it is very doubtful whether the various bills could have been gotten through.
 "The mere fact that the Univer- sity has so much legislation before the General Assembly created an im- pression on the minds of some of the members that the University was asking too much The sixty days session is so short and the flood of bills is so great that members who cannot get their bills acted upon sometimes resent the introduction of many bills by one person or organiza- tion, and are inclined to vote against such bills, without regard to their merit.
 "The only item in the appropra- tion bill that was stricken from the bill by either the House or the Senate was the Sl5,0OO for the purchase of a farm, and the opponents of the bill were enabled to do this only by reas- on of the removal agitation.