Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-03-04
SENATE VOTES
 ID CONTINUE
 GRAFT PROBE Bitter Is Debate Over Pro posal to Investigate Chari- table Institutions.
ROAD IMPROVEMENT
 MEASURE ADOPTED
Carter Bill Creating District No. , of Ashley and Chic0t Counties Passed Senators Commend Adting
 Governor Davenport.

tions loomed big before the senate ill the Saturday morning sess1on-on= as to whether or not there should be an investigation of the state charit- able institutions, as suggested by the
 bill introduced in the house by Mr. Davis of Columbia, an1 the other as to a proper time for adjournment The house had it's big day over the Riggs suffrage bill, but there could have been no more pandemonium than reigned in the senate over the efforts for a Saturday afternoon ses- sion. When the workers hinted at ,, night session too, there was a sort of ] compromise by assent, and it was agreed that all hands come back in the afternoon, but for fear there would not be a full house, it was agreed, after much wrangling, that only local bills be considered.
 The Davis of Columbia bill drew much fire and some of the speeches were bitter. One side, led by 'Sena- tor Greenhouse, declared that the pub lie charities committee. which had in vestigated the institutions, had done the necessary work, and was clear ing them of the undesirables The other faction declared that there was planeyt to be investigated. and that there should be committee appoint ed to spend weeks in looking into af- fairs of the institutions. The matter was considered in committee of the whole, and :n the end the appropria- tion for the committee was stricken from the bill and the committee re- ported it back with a favorable rec ommendation.
 The Hardage bill to increase taxes of insurance companies was passed under the impression that it was 8 local bill. The discovery was made and efforts to have it reconsidered brought to light the fact that it af- fected by two insurance companies, both located at Fordyce, and that tho president of the companies agreed to it's rr--o7isions. The bill was then passed again to make certain that 1t would stick in the courts.
 Regulation Lines of Communication.
 Two new senate bills were intro- duced, one by Senator Utley, to pay M. M. Whaley and wife $40 for ser vices rendered at the Arkansas build ing at the PanamaLP Pacific exposition. The other came from Senator Jones and puts the telephone and telegraph companies of Arkansas "nder the sup- ervisiOn of the railroad commission. This was referred to the public ser vice corporations committee, which will meet Monday morning at S:3O for it's consideration.
 House bills passed were: Brinton, fixing the salaries of Craighead coun- ty officials; Doyle, to require rail roads in Lawrence county to drain their rights of way; Trawick, fixing the salary of the prosecuting at- torney of the Sixth Judicial circuit; Hardy, to prohibit pool halls within three miles of Hendrix, college, Con- way; French, to amend the act creat- ing the Bay road and St. Francis Road Improvement district: Gunnell, requiring that drainage ditches of Ar kansas county be kept clean; Brinton, creating Jonesboro-Nettleton Road Improvement district; Davis of Mon roe, increasing the powers of the road commissioners in Moncroe coun- ty district.
 Continue Graft Probe.
 The senate passed the Greenhouse bill appropriating $7,5O0 to continue the investigation of graft in the gen. eral assembly. It provides for a special attorney and slenographer.
 Other senate bills passed were: Burgess, regulating operation of trains between Little Rock and Fort Smith through Coal Hill; Adamson, amending the Little Rock and Ar genta municipal court bill; Carter, creating Road Improvement district No. of Chicot and Ashley counties; Johnston, making county examiner of Scott county the county superinten- dent.
 When the session opened President Davenport announced that as Gov. c. H. Brough was out of the state, and he was unable to preside, that he would ask Senator Garrett to handle the gavel for the day. Sena- tor Garrett introduced the following Special music by a great choir. Are you in on the Epworth league? Something fine is heinz prepared for