The Harrison times., 1920-02-07
NEWS. FROM THE
STATE CAPITOL
BY CLIO HARPER

tAlId StSSlOu VI lut lOllg -StGOuu Gtu-
eral Assembly will adjourn sine die
at noon Friday February g. 1t may
be stated definitely. finally and with
out possibility of contradiction, that
there will be no more extra sessions
held this year Whatever may be
the outcome Of the present legislation,
it is certain that anything of a rene
dial measure must await the regular
session next January.
While there is no doubt of the gen.
eral demand for curative road laws
at the present time, it is also as GER,
tain that not only the lawmakers
themselves, much opposition in the
legislature, especially the House, to-.
ward the present session, although the
progressive majority has insisted that
4 the work for which they were called
together should be completed Var.
iOus efforts were made during the week
for an earlier adjournment, but those
were defeated in the interest of coun-
ties that are demanding remedial acts.
A greater volume of law is being
enacted at this session than at the
second extra session and it Will almost
equal that of the regular session. Not
only are many curative acts being
passed, but a great many new dis
position which had been expected, fail
| ed to develop on the floor, except in
! a few rare instances. 1t is known,
! however, that some of the proposed
! districts were abandoned as the result
of negotiations outside the legislature
| As a rule, each representative has
! been considered responsible to his
own people for his acts and the repre-
| sentatives of other counties, having
troubles of their own. have been will
| ing for others to share their own re-
sponsibilities. The passage of laws,
therefore, became very much of per
functory routine, and hundreds of rolls
were called and entered on record
where the members gave no attention
whatever to the calling of their names
This, however, is perfectly valid and
legitimate, since the courts have held
that the records are presumed to speak
the truth and that even the courts are
not authorized to go back of the re.
cords.
If each bill were read in full three
times and each roll-cal were called
/ in full it would be physically impossi-
BILE to Il ..nsact the business coming
before the session in less than sixty
days, whereas it is being dispatched in
less than eleven working days.
While the entire state is interested
more than ever in the construction Of
permanent highways, and the people
are more or less willing to pay the
necessary taxes to provide them, it
cannot be denied that there is a grow.
ing sentiment that the high water
mark has been reached for at least a
few years, and that the various coun.
ties should complete the projects al
ready provided for before providing
for others.
1t is stated officially that there is
now more than eight thousand miles
Of highway construction included in
bills already passed or pending, re.
presenting an aggregated bonded in.
debtedness Of approximately one hun
dred and ten million dollars There
is scarcely county that has not one
to ten districts, probably every one
of which is needed for it cannot be
denied that good roads, more than any
other factor, make for the prosperity
of any community. There are numer.
Gus instances, however, Of districts
that over-lapped and in such cases, the
burden frequently falls heavily on
some of the tax payers.
! It is also believed that there is
certain to come about revulsion Of
sentiment toward the system OF local
legislation, which has developed in
Arkansas during the last few years
Not later than two regular sessions
ago, when the creation Of road dis.
tricts by special act was inaugurated
the author OF such an act was fire..
quently severely condemned by a
large element Of his constituents and
he must needs brave this public con.
demnaton in order to secure the en-
tactment of such laws. ....... .... .
The same however is true OF the
courageous pioneers in practical poll
tics, who ten years ago dared men
ton statewide prohibition or those
braver, statesmen who, as late as Ave
| yo... ,,,n aarad uuuuauf that ppn.half