The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-11-02
DUPRE CONDEMNS
LOAFNG In HOUSE
OF REPRESE ESEITATIVES
Resolution to Speed Up
Work Adopted After
Peppery Speech

/
Baton Rouge. La, Oct. 27:-Mem-
bers Of the house who are disposed
to loaf kill time and gum the leg
islative machinery by dilatory tactics
were condemned BY Gilbert L. Dupre
Of st. Landry Thursday. He had in.
troduced resolution ito speed up
| the work Of the house by providing
for at least two sessions per day on
three days Of the week during the
remainder OF the term. The resolution
met with some opposition which drew
from Mr.. Dupre a pepery speech.
''It does seem to me" he said, ''as
liz It was hardly necessary to speak
in behalf Of this resolution It speaks
for Itself and It ought to be unani-
mously adopted. But inasmuch as a
number Of the members of the house
do not hear what is going on, and
the other half do not read the jour
nal, it may be amiss for me to say
few words in its behalf When it
is considered that we have been here
nearly two months and have provided
for the raccoOns, o'possums, shrimp
and teal ducks, and such other en-
ergency measures as would enlarge
the suffrgettes' sphere Of action, and
have almost secured the making Of
wine from California grapes, the peo-
pie are fortunate indeed, We have
lspeeded legislation to the point
where we are ready to adjourn and go
home.
eBut to be serious, II you win per.
NIT me to do so, it is, high time for
us to get to work. In my opinion we
have been wasting our time other
than In the direction Of collecting
our per diem every twenty days. We
are not insufficiently paid, thanks 70
the Constitutional Convention that
gave away almost everything in sight.
Examine the appropriation bill on
your desks which was placed there a
4t,lay- or t,rc- ego ard .yeu rsatiiiy.
observe that the officehoIding class
became the legatees OF the convention
Anw now the officers under statute
are endeavoring to initiate the far
mers Of the organic law, in this, that
they want the, remainder of the tax
money to educate their children at the
peoples expense,
i "A few days ago most Of US voted
for the relief Of the Confederate vet
erans, those heroes in gray WITH
hearts of gold nd thereafter it
came to pass that We had voted as
well for the blooming widows who
had survived their husbands and
we're ready to again embark upon the
Eenturous sea OF matrimony. Marry
| ing an aged Confederate soldier and
succeeding his pension. while yet in
love with life and raptured with the
future, Isn't a bad bargain but it's
death to the taxpayers who hve to
foot the bills.
Il repeat we must get down to
work. We must work early and late,
lif we are to accomplish anything
lThe road bill, the severance tax, the
appropriation bin should. be disposed
OF, after which we should go home,
amer sixty days OF work what
have we to show? An empty purse
land q good time at the peoples ex
lpense. Insofar as / am concerned
| am having a bully good time and
would be willing to remain here al
ways at $40 a day. But our constitu.
| ents never inteded we should come
down here and have bully good
time at their expense. They mean
that we should work, and unless my
IresoIution is adopted. and we live VI
to its Requirements, many Of us viii
have devil Of time in explaining
to our people what we accomplished
during the extraordinary session un
which we we're paid $40 per dAJ
land mileage for trips to our respec
tive homes.
Il move the ad0ptionf Of the resolu
tion with the hope that we may yeI
retrieve our Incidence and inactior
(which has characterized this House
since the opening day Of the session
Mr.. Dupre's resolution was adoted
yeas57, nays 2S.