The Breckenridge news. (Cloverport, Ky.) 1876-1955, 1918-01-16
Session opens with Optimism.

Session Opens With Optimism.
| The 1918 session of the Kentucky
General Assembly opened with Gus.
tomary optimism, and to the observer
indications were that the session
should be unusually free from ele.
ments that retard progressive legis-
lation. -
In other days, when the choice for
United States Senator or Prison Com.
missioners was the issue in every leg.
islative election, these two factors
made for schisms In the Assembly
and overshadowed measures of public
welfare BY the time they we're laid
aside prohibition became the domi-
nant question, and for the last several
sessions efforts to push or retard 1t
have taken up much time in the Ken
lucky House and Senate.
With both sides now pledged to
submission of the question to the peo.
pie the hope is borne that the resolu.
ton will be adopted speedily and this
great obstacle removed early in the
session. This does not entirely dis
pose OF the prohibition issue, how
ever, as there is the nationwide
amendment submitted by the National
Congress to the State Legislatures.
Indications are that these questions
will be disposed of one way or the
other with no more delay than is neces
sary.
While the major impediments grad
ually have been eliminated from the
floor and committee rooms, another
gratifying improvement has been noted
of late in the Assembly, and that is a
diminution in the number of and zeal
for local bills, indicating broadening
horizon both on the part of the legis-
lators and their constituents.
By common consent the biggest
question before the approaching ses-
sion is the budget system. The. State
Tax Commission in its first report
sounded the call for this reform, when
1t declared now that the new tax law
insures adequate revenues, it is i'm
portant that legislative attention be
directed to the spending end of the |
state treasury if it is desirable to !
make the two ends meet.
The State Board of Control and the |
Prison Commission will lay their finan |
cial needs fairly before the General AS |
sembly after consultations with Gov
ernor Stanley. The prison board also |
desires to convert the old executive |
mansion into a woman's department al !,
the Reformatory and to fireproof the
cell houses to avert another disaster |
like the one which visited the negro |
dollhouse at the Reformatory.
The department of agriculture will
have a measure, in all probability,
looking to a REIMBURSEMENT of the
State Board of Agriculture. Adjutant |
General j. Tandy Ellis will present a
measure to create state militia, as
the National Guard is all in Federal |
service and there is no military force
in Kentucky subject to the Governors
orders for occasional emergencies.
The department of education will
present a vocational education bill to
meet dollar for dollar the fund appro
priated by the national government for
agricultural and trades schools and the
traipinU Of vocational alSn |
several measures designed to strength
Ell the system.
State Inspector and Examiner Ma.
B. Sewell has in mind several meas
ures intended to clarity relations be-
tween county and state Offices with
reference to the collection of money
for the state.