The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1917-02-15
AGAIN
TRIES TO HALT
DRAINAGE GRAB
Introduces New Measure
Asking That Swamp Com
panies Pay Our Bills.
COMMITTEE REJECTS
FIRST BILL OFFERED
Legislators Want People to Petit
ton Lawmakers in Behalf
of Bill.

The drainage bill, introduced in the
Legislature by Representative H. W.
Bridges of Cape County, compelling
the drainage companies to erect
bridges across the highways at those
points at which the channels cross the
roads, was adversely reported by the
kmambers of the Swamp Land and
Drainage Committee of the Lower
House, Representative Bridges said
asst night upon his return from the
State capital.
The bill was taken up by the COM
mittee Thursday afternoon, and of the
ten members who attended the meet
ing, eight voted against favorably re-
porting the measure. This virtually
killed the measure, Capt. Bridges said.
He has prepared another measure,
twin bill to the one known as House
1
committee Thursday. This new bill
lis practically the same as the first.
Mr.. Bridges said. and he will bend
every effort to have the measure
brought before the House, in the event
it should not meet with the approval
of the committee.
The new bill was read Thursday aft
| c1moCn and MS also submitted to the
Swamp Lands and Drainage Commit
tee as the first measure, Mr.. Bridges
made several attempts to have the
bill sent to a different committee, but
his efforts failed. His motion to refer
the bill to the Roads and Highways
Committee, and substitute motion
to have the bill considered by the Pr
vate Corporations Committee, were
voted down by the members of the
House.
Representative Bridges could not
learn the reason for the majority's
opposing the measure. He said he
would make an attempt to have the
second bill taken up by the House over
the vote of the committee, should it
be reported unfavorably.
The representatives of the counties
! of Southeast Missouri that are vitally
interested in the bill were unanimous
fy opposed to the bill, according to
Representative Bridges. Those Of the
committee who voted against the
measure were: Sloan Oliver, of PENIS
cot County; Bradley, of Dunklin Coun-
ty; Dawson, of New Madrid County;
Berry, of Mississippi County; Bow
man, Of Scott County, while DR.. Speer, !
of Bollinger County, and kunkel, OF
Holt County, were in favor of passing !
the bill.
Three other members of the Swamp |
and Drainage Committee, represent
ing counties that were not affected by |
the bill, also voted against favorable |
report. These were Representatives
Hopkins, of Atchison County; Olsen, |
of Howard County, and WEIGH, of Dent |
County. The remaining three men,
bers were not present when the vote /
was taken. They were Representa-
tives Houston, Lincoln County; Full
bright, Ripley County, and Chambers,
Cedar County. They were said to be
against the bill.
The bill was drafted by Judge Ed
ward D. Hays and Prosecuting Attor-
ney J. Henry Caruthers. They were
in Jefferson City early this week and
made arguments in behalf Of the meas
ure. Scott County was represented
by Attorney Bailey, who had been au-
thorized by the County Court of Scott
County to attempt to offset the oppo-
sition of Representative Bowman of
that county.
The measure contained several
amendments to the old law which now {
gives drainage companies the right to Z
cut county roads and forces the peo- I
pie to erect bridges over the bitches.
The members of the Swamps and {
Drainage Committee informed Capt. !
Bridges yesterday morning that they i
would again vote against the second
measure, if petition of the constitu- f
ents of the representatives of the I
counties of Southeast Missouri was not q
presented to the committee, urging the t
passage of the bill. An effort will be n
made to have these petitions drawn v
and submitted to the committee. =