Washington telegraph., 1921-03-18
H'HAE'S PROGRAM
PARTLY ACHIEVED
TWO CONSTITUTIONAL AMEND
MENT5 ARE PASSED IN
CLOSING HOURS.
REVENUE SYSTEM CHANGED
Repeated Efforts to Abolish Two
Boards FAIL Although Board of Con-
troi Is Badly Crippled-High-
way Department Remains.

Little Rock, Ark-Adjournment of
the Legislature saw the accomplish.
ment Of less than half Of Governor
McRae's abolition program.
Embodied in the governors inaug-
ural message and in the platform of
the Democratic party, were specific
requests for the abolition of the High.
way Commission, the Board of Con
troll, the Corporation Commission and
the Penitentiary Commission, and the
substitution of q honorary boards to
take over their functions. OF this
program, only the last-named was
completely successful The Peniten-
tiary Commission has been abolished
and an honorary board now is func-
tioning in charge of the prison sys-
TEN. The Corporation Commission
also was abolished, but the substitute
Railroad Commission was created,
with the consent OF the governor.
Board Is Badly Crippled.
Repeated efforts to abolish the
other two boards have failed. The
Board of Control, however, is badly
crippled Although the House twice
has passed abolition bills, they have
been defeated in the Senate. The last
attempt at abolition was made when
the Johnson House bill was talked to
death" Senator Deisch moved in
definite pOstponement of the bill, and
Senators Johnson and Wilson Of
Union both opposed the measure.
They declared that the direction of
the charitable institutions, and espe-
cially the State Hospital for Nervous
Diseases, requires direct supervision
Of a central control board located in
Little Rock, and not a board with
members scattered about the State
such as an honorary board would be-
Senator Collins gained the floor in
opposition to the bill and talked
against it until the Senate business
ended This left the bill on the Sen
ate calendar without action How
ever, a counter move was mada4> the
House I'm the defeat of the boards ap-
preparation bill. As the board now
stands it Is without appropriation for
salary and maintenance, ar1 is lack
ing one member who can be appointed
only by the governor. The vacancy
left by the resignation of u. NJ. McCar-
roll several weeks ago has not been
filled, and the two remaining members
are W. II. Hall and B, J. Reaves. Since
the board is not abolished, the mem
bers may continue in office until the
expiration of their terms, and def
cheney bill may be turned in to the
Legislature two years hence.
Highway Department Remains.
Machinery of the Highway Depart
ment is unchanged, although measures
were introduced in both houses to
take away the automobile tax, the de-
partment's principal source of rev.
enue, and to attach the duties OF the
department to the Agricultural De-
par'ment. The latter measure was
defeated, and out of the various auto
tax bills introduced a joint compro-
mise measure was introduced and
passed under which the counties will
receive 70 per cent of the auto license
collected within their boundaries. and
the department the remaining 30 per
cent License fees are based on a
sliding gale governed by the weight
and horsepower of the car, and it was
said that the 30 per cent which viii
go to the Highway Department will
yield almost as much as the present
100 per cent under the SO flat rate.
No Salary for Inspector.
The salary Of the State mine in
spector is held up under the action
of the House in killing the appropri-
alton bill, but the office itself is con
| tinued. Several efforts to- abolish the
office of inheritance tax attorney also
| have failed, and the appropriation bill
was passed by both houses. The SEN
/ ate confirmed the appointment of
John Carter inheritance tax attorney,
who had been appointed by former
/ Governor Brough. The confirmation
was made in informal executive ses-
sion, as were the appointments Of A.
L. Hutchins and L. s. Dunaway as
members of the State Normal Board
/ of Directors.
New Revenue System in 1923.
Probably the most important meas
ure enacted by the Legislature is the
Vaughan revenue bill. which revises
the entire taxing system Of the State
The bill requires the assessment Of all
property at full 10 per cent valuation
with the rate Of taxation based on the