The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1922-01-25
MEASURES TO COME
BEFORE LEGISLATURE


jackson, Miss. Jan. 23.--The legisla-
ture entered the fourth week of its ses-
sion this morning with good prospect
for some Of the more important meas
ures to be taken up and started on their
way through the two houses.
What has been accomplished thus far
in the waysof actual legislation is rep
resented chiefly by the minus sign.
None of the more notable bills have
passed in either body. and thus far
Governor Russell has not attached his
signature or given a veto to a single
piece Of important legislation.
This should not be taken to mean,
however, that the lawmakers have been
idle. Despite the weekend adjourn
ments, and the lack Of signed bills to
show for the three weeks Of work,
goodly amount of labor has been dis
posed of. chiefly in the way of slaugh-
tering legislation in the committees. In
this regard the standing committees
have been almost merciless, and they
have their calendars in fairly good
shape. AS laws are made in Mississippi
ain unfavorable committee report al
most invariably means dead bill.
APPROPRIATIONS TO THE FORE.
During the next fortnight the matter
of making appropriations is going to
hold the center of the stage and until
these measures are out of the way there
viii be very little done in the way of
general legislation
Chairman Bailey of the House appro-
priations committee, this morning plac-
aA he 1A
appropriation bills, and this afternoon
at ? o'clock his committee holds its
first session to discuss the details Of
these measures. 1t will then be seen
whether the economy advocates are suf-
ficiently strong in numbers to make
ruthless slashing of the financial bud
get.
The batch Of bills introduced this
morning includes the common school
appropriation, on the per capita basis
of four dollars per annum for each ed
ucable child, and the Confederate PEN
sion fund of $SOO,000 per annum These
two measures are unchanged, as COM
pared with two years ago. and it is
not expected that the economy advo-
Gates will make a fight on either.
The economists, according to current
report will center their attacks on the
salaries of state officers and members
Of the judiciary, which total only a.
bout $750.000 for the biennial period,
and the budgests of the various col
-leges.
TRIMMING EXPECTED
1t is conceded, however, that there
will be some trimming, and about the
only question in doubt is whether it |
will be large enough to seriously Grip
pie any of the state institutions or
departments of government. The House
leaders have thus far presented solid
front against ruthless slaughter, and
Will fight bitterly to that end, but at
the same time they concede that a re-
duction of anywhere from $1.0O0,000 to |
$1,5OO,O0O can be made without serious
Impairment The budget for the bien-
NAL period two years ago was approx
ftnately $20.O0O,0O0 not including the
bond issue of $4.750.O0O for repairs and
permanent improvements at state in |
stitutions.
balanced against the prospective cut
of d million or SO Is the tnexpendeds
PORTION of the state bond issue, amount- |
Ing to practically a million dollars. The
work completed or now under contract
recording to the report of the State
Bond and Improvement Commissioner,
submitted in both houses this morning, |
is about s3,S5O.0O0.
The House appropriations committee
will hardly get the right of way on
the floor before Thursday At least it
is not likely that the body will have a
sufficient number of bills in readiness
to toss into the grist before that time |
FUSSING ALMOST OVER.
There appears to be good reason to
believe that most of the fuss and fury
on two of the most troublesome sub
jects of the session is almost over -
cattle tick eradication and salaries for
county officers.
These two topics have held the CEN
ter of the stage ever since the lawmak-
ers convened, provoking a yeritabIe
avalanche of words especially in the
House. and. while they are no nearer
solution now than at the beginning, in
sofar as action is concerned, the point
has at least been reached where their
finish can be visualized, even through |
there be many members who are filled
to overhowing with oratory, and are
awaiting opportunity to spill 1t on these |
two pet topics.
WAR ON THE TICKS.
There will be no cessation of the
war on cattle ticks. This has been
made plain by the attitude Of both the
house and senate committees on agri-
culture Neither body will recommend
a repeal Of the statewide compulsory
dipping laws as they have been ear
nestly urged to do. nor is 1t likely |
that the compromise plan, proposed
earlier in the session allowing counties
to vote themselves out from under the
law, with the proviso that they be
quarantined against the rest Of the
state. viii be adopted.
While practically all Of the anti-dip-
ping sentiment has been expressed by
South Mississippi members, not all of
the lawmakers from that section want
the law repealed or modified. and North
Mississippi is almost solid against Ell
ther repeal or modification.
The sentiment Of the northern coun-
ties was tersely expressed the other day
by Mr. Mitchell Of Lee, when in de-
bate with Mr.. Collins of Jones he re-
marked IF you people Of South Mis-
sissippi will dip your cattle as you
ought to- you viii soon get rid of your
ticks"
There Is a likelihood. however that
there will be considerable trimming
Of the appropriation for the Live stock
Sanitary Board which is in charge of
the work. in cooperation with the Fed
eral government IJp to this time fha