The courier-index., 1921-02-11

Walls Senate bill to abolish the pres ent corporation commission and sub etitute a state railroad commission with reduced powers was passed by She Senate this afternoon by vote of 27 to '. Senators voting in op- nosition were Caldwell, Collins, Johnson, Scott, Stewart, Wood and Cazort.
 The vote was taken within an hour after the Senate had recon yened for the afternoon session.
 A bill which would prohibit the operation of pool halls in all but 24 counties in Arkansas was passed this morning by the lower house. Little Rock and Fort Smith would he affected by the bill, but Hot Springs. Pine Bluff and Texarkana would be exempt. The bill goes to the Senate.
 Senator Caldwell wound up the argument for the opponents of the Emory-Walls bill. He called at tention to the advancement of the states which have thrown down the bars and invited capital to come in without restrictions. He said these states did not compare with Arkansas, yet they have advanced far beyond us. He also said that putting the utilities of cities back under the municipalities placed them in the hands of an unfriendly jury, the city council always be- ing unfavorable, and was also in a position to reduce rates and require an additional outlay of capital for Hall complimented Gov McRae's ap- pointments of the penitentiary board, and expressed the belief that other appointments would be equal ly satisfactory.
 Says l. C. C. Totters
 The closing argument was made by Senator Wall He declared that ine Interstate Commerce ComTis- sion, to which several speakers had alluded was tottering before the power of public opinion. He charg- ed this body with increasing rates to a point where they would be retrogressive as the people would cease to patronize the railroads.
 You can't stand up forever and say the public be damned" said Senator Walls. ''The talk about driving investors from the state IS all tommy rot If the people of Arkansas thought we were not go ing to pass this bill we would not have filled galleries, we would have the entire capitol grounds filled with indignant and protesting voters and property owners. This bill protects the utilities as we'll as the people If not why did not the opponents take it section by section and estab- fish this claim?"
 Following the passage of the bill the Senate took up the McFerrin proposed amendment to the constl- tuition, permitting counties to form districts for road building and levy an annual tax of 10 mills on all property. both personal and real, Tn the county. After some discussion in which members favoring the sub mission of an amendment to assist the supreme court did some effect i've blocking, the resolution was placed back on second reading and referred to the judiciary committee.
 Then came a perfect flood of new bills, Senator Townsend first pre- senting one to take from speclai funds all their moneys and placing them with the general revenue fund. This is an administration measure and puts an end to the practice of lowing taxes, the receipts from which go into special tund'
 Other important general oiiis were: Vaughn, to set the democrat ic primary election for the fourth Wednesday in July, give the county central committee the power to hoid county primaries at separate elec- ton and provide for the election or delegates to the democratic natlon- al convention by mass meetings; Collins to prohibit trained nurses and physicians divulging information given them by patients; Collins to exempt live stock auctioneers from general statutes regulating auctions; Stewart, to increase from 70 to oO cents filing fees on mortgages; Cazort, for promotion of vocation al training; Vaughn, to permit cltles to collect automobile tax of Slo per annum and $15 on trucks.
 Local bills introduced included: Deiseh. to give Helena three-fourths of road taxes collected there, and to give relief to West Helena and Marvell road district; Bogle, to pro hibit seining in Essies Bayou, Ar kansas county; Montgomery. allow ing the Eighth Judicial Circut deputy prosecuting attorney; Wli- son, putting the officers of Calhoun county on salary; Goof, prohibiting seining or taking fish from waters of Big Lake with a net; Goof, to permit the St. Francis Levee Dls- trict to issue S1,500,000 bonds at 6 per cent interest.
 Wood Laughs at Colleagues
 Representative Wood of Lee county had the laugh on the House today. He is known as an anti administration man and when he introduced an anti-nepotism bill re- ferring to the executive department the House imagined that it detected a joker and they proceeded to table