The log cabin Democrat., 1917-01-27
HOT FIGHT ON FOR THE UN|YERS|TYS|TF MEASURE HASOPPOSI1l0N Proposed Removal of School to Cap
 ital Outlined-ImprOvem
 District Proposed.

troduced Tn the senate by Senators Edmonson and Alexander, 60 change the location of the State University from Fayetteville to Little Rock. is attracting great attention over the state and promises to precipitate a stubborn contest in both houses of the legislature. The proposed act creates en improvement district embracing nearly all of Pulaski county. Her man Kahn, J. R. Vinson, Moorhead Wright, w. I. Hemingway. W. E. lepca, w. B. Smith and c. G. Price are appointed the commissioners of the district.
 The board of commissioners shall have control of the site and the con struction of improvements contcm- plated. They may advertise in local newspapers or in newspapers pub llshed In other states for proposals for doing the work by contract; and no work exceeding $1,000 shall be let without public advertisement, but they shall have the power to accept or reject any proposal
 In order to raise the money with which to acquire land and to make tn necessary improvements, the board may issue negotiable bonds therefor, and may pledge and mortgage all of the assessments for the repayment thereof. No bonds or other interest bearing evidences of indebtedness of each, and no warrant shall be paid unless there are in the treasury funds enough to pay all outstanding war rants bearing a lower number. No warrants shall be increased by reason of any depreciation in the market value thereof, nor shall any contract or warrant be made payable or paid in anything but money.
 The present property of the Uni versity of Arkansas at the city of Fayetteville, in Washington county. shall after the establishment of the State University on the site contem- plated by this act, be run as a col lege or university for the benefit of agriculture and the mechanical arts as provided by the act of the general assembly of 1871, entitled An act for the erection, organization and maintenance of the Arkansas Indus trial University, with normal de- partment therein" and shall be man. aged and controlled by the board of trustees as an agricultural and me chanical arts school or university, and as a branch of the Arkansas State University.
 For the purpose of acquiring the necessary land, the district shall pos sess the right of eminent domain. which shall be exercised in the man her provided in cases of railroads, telegraph and telephone companies, and they shall have the same right as is there provided to pay into court a sum to be fixed by the judge, or by the court, and to take possession before the adjudication of the amount of the damages.
 The district created shall have the power to acquire and hold real and personal property, and may receive gifts, donations and bonuses for the purpose of carrying out the objects and purposes of this act.
 l It is ascertained and hereby de- clared that the establishment of the State University at a point not more than ten miles in any direction from the corporate limits of the city of Little Rock will be a local improve ment, and result in an increase in the value of real property within the dis trict aforesaid, justifying the levy and collection of local assessments, and that such benefits will exceed the cost of purchasing the necessary land and building thereon the neces- sary structures.
 When said district shall have ac- quired land satisfactory to the gov ernor, president of the senate and speaker of the house, or a majority of them, or shall have obtained op- tions thereon for a period of not less than three months, satisfactory to said parties above mentioned, and when it shall have made arrange ments to dispose of it's bonds for a sum sufficient to acquire said land and build the structures agreed upon between said district and the above mentioned parties acting for the state contract shall be drawn be- tween said parties acting for the state and the said State University improvement district for the acqui- sition of the necessary land and the building of the necessary structures by the said district and the establish ment of the said university thereon by the state and this contract shall be an irrevocable contract binding alike upon the state and upon the said district.