The Bienville Democrat. [volume] (Arcadia, Bienville Parish, La.) 1912-1980, 1921-12-01
PROCEEDINGS OF
LA. LEGISLATURE
Program Laid Down By New
Constitution Is Carried
Out.

Baton Rouge Lathe eXtraordi
nary session Of the Louisiana legisla
t,,re adjourned sine die at | O'Clock
Saturday morning, November 10, con
Stunning the seventy-five days fixed in
the call issued by the constitution.
The closing scenes were along the
usual lines. When the lawmakers fin
ished their serious business, the two
houses faced long period. The two
bodies had to wait on the enrolment
room in the enrolling of bills and on
the governor signing of measures. To
put in the time members of the house
INDUCED in fun making. Speaker Wax
ker surrendered the chair to Represen
tatives Parent, Pitcher, Prophit and
others and the members romped and
pulled off burlesQue stunts on each
other.
After closing their calendars of Fri.
days business both houses adjourned
until 1905 a. m. Saturday for the
purpose of making legislative day.
This was done to comply with consti.
tutional requirements. The organic
law requires appropriation bills to be
In the hands Of the governor five days
before final adjournment, and it was
to protect these money measures
against the possibility of attack that !
2 Saturday session was held
Lieutenant Governor Bouanchaud,
acting governor in the absence of Gov
ernor Parker, who is attending the
arms conference in Washington, re-
manned in the executive offices until |
the close of the session for the pur.
pose of signing bills as fast as they
were enrolled and presented to him
for his signature.
Secretary of State James J. Bailey
also kept his office open, and number
ed the acts OF the legislature after
they had been approved by the gov.
ernor.
When the session closed, 118 acts Of |
the legislature had been given their
proper numbers by the secretary.
Eight bills remained in the governors
office for further consideration These
made a total of 1875 laws enacted dur.
Ing the extraordinary session.
The most important work of the ex-
ira session was the passage of bills
carrying into effect the "pay.asyou.
60 road-building program laid down
In the new constitution. Six bills deal
ing with this subject were passed,
these being:
!. The creating of state highway
commission, composed of three men,
appointive by the governor from the
state at large, with overlapping terms.
z. Levying of license taxes on motor
vehicles, with a minimum of SIS and
graduated upward, based on horse.
power and carrying capacity.
Imposition of tax on gasoline
md motor fuels.
4. Authorizing the highway depart.
nent to accept federal aid in road con. ,
5. Designating the secretary of state Q
IS collector Of motor vehicle license
axes.
b. Authorizing the formation of road {
llstricts and sub.road districts. q
Next to road legislation, from con. b
tructive standpoint, was the enact t
nent OF comprehensive drainage T
nd land reclamation law. The drain. C
ge statutes of the state had been il
hanged and amended so often that
ney had got into chaotic condition,
ne Dymond bill, passed at this SEES.
Ion. III effect codifies all of the drain.
&c and reclamation laws and Is in. G.
ended to simplify that class of work IL
this state. d
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