Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1921-10-29

Legislators Are
Hard at Work

Special 10 'hc Progress:
Baton Rouge. La, OF. -, Loui>i-
ana : tcn-dollar-a-day legislature gives
evidence this week of settling IItu the
harness and turning the legislative
mill in a way that should see some con-
crete results by the close OF the eighth
week. This evidence gives rise to t.
hope that the legislature viii finish its
work wituin the - dys' period and
70 home.
The encouraging sign j. fouu' ia The
rat thar the highway Legislation, >,y-
crancc tax and rcvrnuc raising and APP
preparation bills. will be 50 well ON
their way through the mil 10y ihc cn .
Of the eighth week. Once these meas
urrS are sent To the executive office for
vote and signature. the body can adj
jourm and leave the remainder of the
unfinished business die on the calendar
without serious loss to the State.
Both branches this week will take up
their big highway bills. The senate
subcommittee finally reported its high
way bill to the senate last Friday. In
the house the good roads bill prepared
passage and the revenue bills, laiSing
the highway fund will be far advanced
when adjournment comes this Friday.
These highway revenue bills include
gasoline tax bill: auto and track license
and regulatory road rules. These latter
bills were introduced this week by the
house committee.
The senate road bill differs from the
house bill i'll two essentials. The are;
first: the question of routing. The
senate bill does not describe routes Of
state roads. 1t defines a system which
must connect parish seats, CONNIE cial,
and shipping centors, scaports and IN
tcrstate roads. The house hill de-
Scribes more than % routes. The see
ond point of difference is in c matter
Of fixing valuations OH parish roads bv
which parishes will bc reimbursed FOR
highways already constructed and paid
for by bond issues. These parish roads
are defined as part Of tine highway svs-
TEN and will be taken over by the
state. The nous! bill provides tha:, ,
where there i q .ii~sIte between the
stat and parish governing authorities, (
the question Of final value must he sub
mt:"d t. a board Of arbitration. The
senate bill knocks oJt the arbitration
feat Ore and gives the state highway
commission the power to finally deter
mine the value. Both house and senate |
read bills agree that the basis of settle |
ment for parish roads shall be on the /
present value instead of the original |
cost.
1t is generally predicted that before
The highway bills are finally passed |
here will be conference committee |
ron Tie two Iiuasus nanie1 % fe-dfaff 4
ertain sections Of the bill. On other
ssentials the bills agree upon com.
Mission of three, 20 be named by the
GOVERNOR for two, four and six year
erms, and to be named from the state
I large.
Conference during the week between
GOVERNOR Parker, attorneys and legisla-
ors resulted in the severance tax bill
cling reported Out of the WAYS ana
leuns cnrmittCc, The administration
iii provides for ID per cent tax on
il and gas, instead of two per sat
AK. One NTH, or up to $20O,JJU goes
o the parish producing the oil and
as. There was e"me que ton as to
he passage of severance tax bill at
his Sessi l. because the word "licenseD
raS ci,,-.tel f. NJ tie constitution. The
onfercnce decided that the tax article
Tas il pure scvpra..cr tax provision and
he new bill will he pushed through.
Manufacturers must paw incense
AK or al income tax This decision
vas reached by the WAYS and means
during the week and notice
vas publicly given. 1t is proposed to
aise about 100000 through a nominal
ak on gross sales in tins state The
issued financial statement,
howing that without the tax there will
e deficit in the general fund of about
10000,
During the week the house passed
otal of % bills and the senate II. With
ut few exceptions none of these bills
we're vitality important. The Shattuck
i'll giving confederate veterans $50
icnth pension was passed The Err
elding bill, appropriating 100000 for
clief of Cameron Parish cotton plan
ers, quarantinpd on account If the
Ink boil worm, also passed. The smith
ond bill, permitting parishes to sell
onds, voted prior to July |, 1921, at
TX per cent and par or at 30 1T five ,
er cent, passed. In the senate the
,omengeau& absentee voting bill was
aSsed,
\ spirited attack on the Weipminn
ace track dope bill failed to kil tLat
lcasurc in the house and it is new IN
he calendar ready fer final pasSage.
he senate killer the Mouton miacral
lights bill. This mea ~ufe provide that
linCrnl rights could hC retained NV a
ind owner after the sale II the Iud.
The Jefferson parish probe continued
Trough the week witraut sensational.
evelopmeRt. \ resolution to dismiss
he committee and cut short tie probe,
Introduced in the house was withdrawn.
Not a single bill was finally passed
uring the week by both houses The
otal bills finally passed todate are
even. an average of bill "A week since ,
he Legislature convened in Srp.rmiev
til. However now that each house il
ually passing bills the results should
egin TO be apparent in rush Of work
4 the Offices of thegoverBor and sevrv-
AIRY Of state,
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