The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-05-25
FEAR EXPRESSED
CONVENTION MAY
CONTINUE LONGER
One Hundred and Five Days
Not Sufficient Time in
Which to Finish
SOME DELEGATES SAY
THEY'RE GOING HOME
Doubtful if Full Member
ship Will Remain With
Out Compensation

Doubt is expressed whether the con-
stitutional convention can finish its
work BY June Il, and viii be forced
to add longer to It's life. Originally
called to sit seventy-five days, it was
forescen early in the game that that
time would be insufficient in which to
draft a new constitution for the state,
and thirty days additional was add
ed to the conventions life and the
money borrowed with which to pay
the perdiem Of the delegates and other
expenses. The convention will have
cost the state at the expiration date
in June fully three numbered thousand
dollars.
The announcement that the body
will have to continue longer than
the one hundred and five days has
started considerable opposition among
certain cliQues Of delegates. A few
openly charge that the convention
has already taken up TOO much OF
time time and that it will be impossi-
BILE for them to serve longer than June
IA; that il further life is added to the
convention they viii be forced to
leave Baton Rouge and return home.
One of the strongest and most out
spoken of the delegates on this sub
5ect is Philip s. Gilbert of Assumption
who says he won't stand for it but
viii return home when the time is up
and if the convention resolves to con-
tinue longer it win do without him.
one Of the lady members, Mrs. Friend
OF New Orleans, is equally outspoken
on the subject, practically voicing the
same sentiments as expressed by Gil
bert.
1T is certain that if the convention's
life is again extended the delegates
win have to serve the added time
without pay. 1t is extremely doubt
Iful if all can afford to do so, for
there are many delegates who are not
financially able to bear the expense
Of living in Baton Rouge without earn
ing some kind of pay. Those dele
gates who are well fixed financially
would be able to get by Without re
ceiving per diem from the state, but
unfortunately this class is very small
and for them to agree to serve with
out nav would not necessarily meal
that they we're willing to do So except
from patriotic standpoint.
There isn't the least doubt but tina
the delegates in the main have frit
tered away a lot Of valuable time
There Is no gainsaying that the com
mittees have worked hard and faith
fnllv hut somehow there has been tor
mucb grist thrown into the hopes
for the committee to wrestle with
MANY ordinances bearing on the san'
: subiect matter were offered and o.
being referred to committees had 7
he considered. From this mass Q
ordinances one had to be involved o.
} the committee to fit the subject am
/ i reported to the convention. i ha
lbeen an altogether complicated sys
tenn. to say the least, and not condus
i've of the best results. Evidently tn
. convention started wrong and ha
! never been able to right itself. Ever
path has been successfully fought an
attempt to straighten the crooke
az days and weeks have passed tn
$ convention found itself in a hopeless
tangle and halpless to extricate
g SELF. A few members, Drawer tina
!, their fellows, recognizing the impen'
s ing danger moved that the conventio
s wipe the slate clean and start owe
3 again to write constitution Of funds
i mentals, leaving all irrelevant matter
J, for the legislature. The majorit'
+ however, could not see things accor'
n ing to this light and promptly vote
y down any attempt to make fres
e start. The present dilemma result
Il from this narrowmindness Eutu
, results can not be predicted with a
i curacy but disaster seems to har
o like a menacing shadow over the co
vention, and the people Of LouisiaI
IS had as well content themselves wi
r makeshift organic law which "
5. serve present purposes no better tn
g the present bulky Instrument, whit
has been a bugbear for years Al
which successive legislatures have