The Mena weekly star., 1921-04-14
Local Legislation Political
 Issue
(By Clio Harperl

Little Rock, April S.-The question of local legislation has at last been made definite political issue in Ar kansas. It is a subject that has at tracted much attention for many years and there have been sporad;c eHorts to overcome the evil, but never Delore mas the movement assumed the proportions which it now has.
 An analysis of the acts of the 43rd General Assembly yields strong argu- ment in favor of some action to put on
 ne breaks and bring about a different Legislative system from that which has developed in recent years. The system of local legislation has grown up during the last ten or twelve years, until now general legislation is lost sight of in the efforts to put thru bills affecting local conditions only. The regular session of 1919 broke all records, altho it has been almost equalled by the session which recently adjourned. It required four books to hold the acts of 1919, there having been 2,760 pages of road laws, 1 1.O53 pages of special laws and only 522 pages of general laws. 4 total of 500 acts of all kinds.
 The session of 1921 resulted in a 69O new acts of which only 8l are of a general nature affecting the entire state, exclusive of 115 appropriation bills, of which nearly one half were emergency bills, made necessary bv A decision of the Supreme court. In the recent session there was a fAfQi nf EkA htllc sx,kx IL
 House and 646 in the Senate, an ag- gregate of 1900 proposed acts, of which 324 House bills were approved by the governor and 366 Senate bills. There were 52 acts repeating 62 road districts and in addition to these ll5 acts amending, 1 modifying or curing defects in other special road act or relating to the building and maintenance of roads in the various counties.
 It is striking fact that only three new road districts were created by this Legislature, in comparison with nearly 400 that were created by the regular and two extra sessions of the 42nd General Assembly. The creation of new districts was not at all popu- lar legislative pastime, but it was an indolent law-maker who could not re- peal some of the road districts which had been organized in his country at the preceding session.
 Of the 609 other local and special cts there are 31 which deal with stock lregulations and the maintenance of fencing districts; twelve relate to fish and game regulations; 66 are con- lccrned with the change in school dis trict boundaries, the Of Of new districts and other laws affecting local school interests; there are 37 acts regulating the salaries of county officers. There are also numerous acts for the relief of individuals, to place names on the pension rolls, and Iother things in which the general pub lie is not concerned.
 Thirteen Senate bills were vetoed by the governor, also six House bills and one Senate Joint resolution propos- ling an amendment to the constitution.
 There are 99 House bills which died on the House calendar and 76 Senate bills which failed to pass to third reading in the House. The House de- feated 34 House bills and 39 Senate bills by tabling, indefinite postpone ment or by failing to give them ma jority of the vote cast.
 Four bills Iacame laws by expir- ation without the governors approval.
 Acts No. SSf and 4S2 are duplicates, one being carbon copy of the other, relating to a Johnson county road district.
 Senate bill No. 291 by Senator Woods passed both houses, but was then lost and never reached the gov ernor.
 Acts No. 34s and 469, both prohibit the operation of pool halls and bill Hard room in Craighead county, Ash lev and Clay being included in the first and Logan in the second.
 The general acts will make a mighty thin volume and will be one of the strongest arguments than can De' produced in support of the amendment which is being initiated to prohibit local legislation.