The Green Forest tribune., 1917-01-19

ously and begin with the state convict farms.
 An Advisory Board.
 '''In my opinion the pardoning power of this state has been greatly abused; in man instances the requirements of tho law as to publications of petitions in the county where the crime was committed have not been observed; pardons have been granted through political influences before the con- victed parties ever left for the peniten- tiary, and the merits of the petitions for pardon have not been carefully examined. I fully sympathize with the heart-rackfng experience of all governors who earnestly desire to temper justice with mercy and in whose bosoms the milk of human kindness flows in overwhelming streams, yet the governor, as the chief executive of the state, charged with the solemn and sacred duty Of seeing that the laws of the land arc properly enforced must remember that
 ''Sovereign law, our States collected will,
 Should sit empress. crowning good, repress-
 ing H."
 ''In order that the governor may not de- vote the major portion of his time to con- sioeration of applications for pardons and in order that every pardon may be acted strictly according to it's merits free from poetical influences, Connecticut. Illinois In dia%a. Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi Ne brasEa, Nevada North Dakota Texas and Wyoming have created advisory pardon boards which consider all applications for pardons and make their recommendation to the governor. The governors of the states mentioned invariably follow the rec
 
 granting or refusal to grant pardons Is merely perfunctory act their part This a tremendous saving in the time of the executive which he can de- vote to the consideration of weighty public questions and at the time insures a thorough going consideration of all appli- cations for pardons on their merits.
 Geod Reads.
 "Arkansas has no greater need than good roads not only for travel, but for the cheap transportation of farm products. This year state has golden opportunity to be- gin comprehensive system of road build ing which will eventually gridrcn our com monwealth with @ vast network of improved highways. Under the provisions of the Shackleford good roads bill passed by the last Congress ss2,ooo is available imme- diately and will be available until June 20. 1917. The amount Arkansas should ceive for its 1917 apportionment is s166 900; for 1918, s24s.oco and by continuing the addition of sum slightly increasing the amount for the first year or SS2,00o each year for a period of five years the aggre- gate sum of S150o. 900, which also includes forest reserve fu:ds will have been received at the end of five years from the federal government for upon the states roads. However, to receive this federal aid the state will have to appropriate lberally for the of good roads for the next five years The sS2Ooo now available for Ark ansas can not be used unless the present general assembly makes provision for a similar amount, and authorizes apprepria- ttons to meet the government allotments for the next two years. If the state can show visible sources from which the money can be derived for three years. the requirements by the federal government will have been mt
 Auto Tax Amendment
 Il therefore recommend that the general assembly amend the automobile tax law so as to divert the entire tax into state fund.- to be used by the advisory board of the State highways commission. which shall consist O. the state highway engineer, the consult q tat hfeyI, ,rrf,.
 Der to be appointed by the governor for a term of two years, all to receive their act ual travelling expenses. and in addition there to the member appointed by the governor a per diem of s5.
 St. Francis Levee Road.
 The people of Eastern Arkansas most vitally concerned have been clamoring for years for elective rather than an ap- pointive St. Francis leyee board More than two years ago mass meeting of represent ative citizens was called In Marion, in Crit tenden county. and, after full and free dis cussion of the question, committee was appointed to draft elective law bill embodying the ideas of this committee was Introduced by Senator Vann and by Repre- sentative Robertson and passed by over whelming majorities In both branches, but was vetoed by the governor toe late to pass fs over his veto. If similar measure is passed by your honorable body l shall promptly sign 1t. I believe in the interest of economy that the present. membership on this board should be reduced from 24 to 16, giving each county two directors and that these directors should be elected by the qualified electors residing in each county, who have owned land in the levee district for six months prior to the election of di- rectors. It is not right that the expendi- ture of millions of dollars for eyee pur- poses should be vested In a political board appointed by the governor and amenable to his will, no matter who is governor be- cause this frequently means that the levy Ing or political tribute is a matter of more vital concern to the governor than the levee- ing Of the Mississippi river and it's tribu- taries,
 Moral Reforms.
 No people eyer rise higher than their ideals. Arkansas has been practically "re- deemed, regenerated and disenthralled'' from the degrading influences of the liquor traf- fic by the passage of a statewide prohibi- tion law and by the defeat in the recent cleo tion in no unmistakable terms of Act No g. which would have meant not the restoration of local option, about which good people differ, but the introduction of a saturnalia of license and immortality such as the state has never witnessed. But heavy interstate shipments of liquor continue and I believe this evil should be regulated by the passa ge of & law, similar to Alabamas prohibiting the publication of liquor advertisements in our newspapers, and taxing every package os nquor coming into the state The Webb Kenyon Dill, recently passed by Congress- IT akes the police power of a state full and p1enary, and l believe Arkansas should take advantage of this fact to save the boys of the generation from certain deEra- dalton A tax of. say. 50 cents per gallon on every gallon of whiskey coming into the state and or DO cents per case on every case or wine coming into the state would produce a substantial revenue, if enforced but I urge the adoption of this or some similar tax not as reyenue-producer but primar- lily as an extension of the police power of the state in checking dangerous and ne. fartous traffic.
 Public Utilities Commission.
 Frhctlcally every state bordering Arkansas has public utilities commission, having Jurisdiction over Railroads, street railways telegraph and telephone lines gas and cleo tric companies, and all common carriers operating within the state The idea of properly controlling the rates. franchises reserve capital, bond issues, and terms of competition of public service corporations has become popular that within the last decade SS states have secured regulation of all public utilities through such commis- sion,
 Such regulation could be accononIishsd very effectively and economically in Ark ansas. 1t seems to me, by simply enlargine, the jurisdiction Of the railroad commits sion so as to include the supervision of all public utilities, the only additional ex- pense attached to such plan being tbp employment Of technical expert to act with with the three members of the railroad commission, and perhaps an additional sec- retary. Such a commission, If created would not only reduce rates as consurners, which are in many instances exorbitant ,i 1p0Staiis III the case or long distance telephones. but could supply the tax commission with valuable information on questions of physical valuations Such data is indispensable if the tax com mission Is to really perform It's functions as state board of equalization, especially If 1t is given the power of re-assessment I respectfully recommend to the general as- semb1y that the railroad commission be on, larged as to Jurisdiction, supervision and membership SO as to enable it to control all public utilities.
 Absent Voters Law
 TT believe that justice to the great body of our commercial travellers, railroad men and other citizens who are frequently called away from hopna hv h,a aip a-a