The Springdale news., 1919-03-21
STATE NEWS ITEMS
By lio Harper

opinion of State Superintendent J. L. Rond. the session of the Legislature inst closed has been one of the most impressive and constructive in the educational legislation enacted. in a message sent to the two Houses in the closing hours and spread on the journals. he said:
 You have placed on the statute books some educational measures that vii mean much to the schools and inc school work of the state in the re-,irp wears. Some one has well and truly called the present General Assembly Good Schools and Gooa Roads Convention You have been qr earnest. faithful and hardworkinE Saav of men and yeu deserve much credit fer the good work done On behalf If the educational interests Of the state and in the name of the school boys and girls of Arkansas, and aS head of the State Department of Education. desire to express to your honorable body my very earnest and sincere appreciation and thanks for what you have done for the cause of education. This Legislature will go down in the history of the state as a real educational Legislature. l confidently believe that your work will help to make possible the dawn of q new educational day in Arkan- sas."
 Gov. Brough has been equally fel- ieitous in his praise of the of work done by the Legislature, and that a harder working body of men never assembled in Arkansas. He voices the sentiment that has been express ed by many that the sixtyday ses- sion has been proven great mistake, and that the Legislators would be put on a salary and held until the necessary business is transacted. There is much interest in the an- nouncement made by Gov. Brough that he is seriously considering the calling of an extra session sometime in July or August for the purpose of considering several important unfin- ished matters. Many of the mem bers have already expressed them selves as favorable to the plan, agree ing with him that the financial con dition of the state demands that something be done to relieve the strain, to keep the state on a perma- nently cash basis. and provide ade- quate revenues for the increasing re- quirements of growing common wealth.
 Among the things to be considered are the following:
 To devise a financial program and provide other sources of revenue that wiI not be burdensome on the people
 To re-submit the proposed eoast.- t9tlon of l9ls, which had decisive majority in both the House and Se- nate. and roul8 nave been submitted this tme if the= =fiIibusterz of the mi a ha not prevented l. Ii Has not defeated on its merits 5ut through the parliamentary maaeuyer- mez af lts opponents. wbo= succeeded by diEIt9ry tactics a forein@ thef sill on the majority
 Curative road acts Will be needed to assist in the consummation of the good roads program libefally provided by the Legislature ia the passage of lG5 highway improvement district bills The call may also include the subject of a state highway system. such as that proposed in the Hester bill. which died on the House calen- dar
 After several years of effort the citizens ~ho advanced money to as sist in making the Arkansas exhibit at the San Francisco Exposition in 1915, succeeded in passing the second time the bill to refund the $23, 3,384 B advanced by them. As in 1917, how ever t was not passed by two-thirds majority of the members elect. or CT although 1t was declared by the speaker to have been passed because 1t received two thirds majority of those voting. The state Auditors re- fused to issue the warrabus, and a mandamus suit has been instituted to force him to do so. Now enters another element that defeated the 1917 appropriation in the person of J. C. Belote, former representative of Hot Springs, who secured a reversal in the Supreme Court, and who is now active in raising fund to carry it to the Supreme court again, de- claring that he will continue to fight it so long as there is any doubt of the authority of the state to pay it.
 Now that the Legislature is over, the political bees are buzzing more numerously. Although the primary has been advanced to August, the lineup is already assuming definite