Okolona messenger. (Okolona, Miss.) 1900-current, 1922-04-06
NEWS AND VIEWS FROM
THE STATE Capital
BY r. r. BIrdsaII

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April 8. Unless there is much speed
ing up, 1t may be hard to pass revenue
and appropriation bills which have not
yet been introduced, in some in
stances, by that date. The constitution
provides that no revenue or appropria-
ton bill shall be passed within five
days Of the adjournment Of the legis-
lature. Until these bills are passed
it is impossible for the ways and
means committee to know how much
money the state may expect to receive,
or how much money it will have to
pay out. And until this is definitely
settled, no bill fixing the state tax
levy can be prepared.
The effor. on the part Of about half
the members of the legislature to de-
stroy or abolish the office of state rev.
enue. agent seems to have delayed all
legislation, and the matter 10 not yet
finally settled. A motion to put the
revenue agent on a salary of $1,000,
with so fees, which went into the
general salary bill, has proven bone
of contention by both houses, resulting
in a conference committee, and the
matter is being banded back and forth
with all sorts of parliamentary mo-
tons, to reconsider, and the like, some
times one side having majority OF
| two or three, and the next timo the
other side having majority OF three
or four.
The Kinds County Gazette, owned
and edited by Edgar S. Wilson, is be-
ing handsomely compilmented by the
Mississippi press upon the celebration
Of its 18th birthday. 1t is the third
Oldest newspaper in Mississippi which
has never changed its name or domi-
cile, the Woodville Republican, 81, and
the Lexington Advertiser, "a, being
the other two. The Kinds County Ga
zette is the oldest business institution
in Kinds, the capital county of Missis-
sippi.
Perhaps never before in the history
Of the Mississippi legislature have the
state officers, their deputies, clerks
and stenographers, together with the
six supreme court judges, the II cir
cult judges, the IL chancellors, and the
II district attorneys, been without
salary up to April /. Not only has no
appropriation been made for the sala-
ries of these officials and employees,
but up to the beginning of the week
no bill had been passed fixing the SAL
aries of the same.
The bill approved by Governor Rus
sell inflicting q 80 to 90-day jail SEN
tence ON any person convicted Of hay
ing more than one quart, OF whiskey
or other intoxicating drinks in their
possession" and also imposing Jail
sentence of not less than 80 days, 10
causing much inquiry. Housewives are
asking if homemade wine, cordials,
brandy peaches and the like are in.
cluded in intoxicating drinks"
The tax delinquent list being pub
lished by the tax collectors of the va
rious counties of the state is being
commented upon by newspapers in diff.
ferent parts of the state as abnormally
large. In many counties, it is report
ed, on account of drouth conditions,
crops were very short, and the people
have had a hard time raising tax
money.
The bill providing for heavy fine
and jail penalty for issuing checks,
drafts or orders on banks or other in
stitutions, where there are not suffi-
cient funds to repay the same, lbs
been approved by Governor RusseM
The law seems to be SO drawn that
guilty parties are absolutely certain
of conviction.
The race for United States senator
is warming up. Miss Kearney and Mr..
Stephens are speaking in many places,
and Senator Vardaman expects to take
the stump in a few weeks. s. w. Null
Inns Of Holly Springs, chairman of the
Vardaman campaign committee, re-
Gently addressed the Vardaman club at
Jackson.
Gov. Russell asserts positively that
he will veto any bill which puts the
revenue agent on salary, or cripples
the effectiveness of that department,
which, 1t Is asserted, puts around $780,
900 in the state treasury annually, that
has escaped taxation, without single
cent Of cost to the honest taxpayers.
It seems certain now that the legis.
lative effort to reapportion the II. cir
cult court districts and reduce them to
il, has failed. This being true, candt-
dates for circuit Judge and chancellor
as well as district attorneys are an.
nouncing all over the state.
There seems to be very strong in
dication that Governor. Russell will
veto the bill providing for fees for the
county officers other than assessor,
whose compensation is contained in .
separate bill, for the 50 counties Of
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