Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1922-12-28
some RESULTS
Of CON-CON
DELIBERATION

1Err Lh9ON III4, Dec. Z7.-
When the Constitutional Convention
recessed on December l, after seven
months of session, it had considered
and passed eight out of fourteen COM
mittee reports dealing intimately
with the old constitution.
Outstanding features in the pro-
gram of economy are provisions for
budget system limiting state ex-
penses by reducing the number of de-
partments and boards and cutting
down the general expense of the
legislature. Nothing in the draft so
far considered contains any hint of
increased taxation.
Of the 329 proposals before the
committees not more than one-tenth
have found place in the reports to
the convention. Many had merit but
were legislative, and thus had no
place IN fundamental law. Others
were too radical. There has been a
disposition on the par! of the maj
ority of the members to make as few
changes as possible in the old constit-
ution. The new features will be i'm
portant, however, and it is believed
will appeal to the people.
No change was made by the conven-
tion in the preamble and boundaries
and but few in the bill of rights. One
new section provides that "the right
of citizens of Missouri to vote or hold
office shall not be denied or abridged
on account of race, coler, or SEX"
In the draft of the Committee on
Legislation adopted by the convention
the time of the biennial session of
the general assembly is limited to
sixty days and the pay Of members
increased to $40 per day for sixty
days with 81 per day for additional
days. The clerical expense is, how
ever, cut to $4O0 per day in the house
and $500 in the senate. This would
represent, in the opinion of the COM
mittee, saving of from $4,000 to
100000 session.
The initiative referendum has
been amended slightly to meet OBJ
jections to the measure which makes
it so easy to secure the referring Of
laws. The percentage for referring
laws. is raised to 40 per cent and
while the percentage for initiating
laws remains at 8 per cent it will re-
quire 12 per cent for initiating a.
mendments to the constitution, if the
section is finally approved.
According to the report of the
Committee on Counties, Cities and
Villages which has passed the COM
n1ittee as whole, but has not been
voted on by the convention, limited
home rule is extended to all cities Of
the state, where st. Louis alone was
mentioned in the old constitution.
While the cities are allowed to ap-
point commissioners, one of whom is
to be the executive head of the city,
the governor is to have the power of
removal and can appoint to fill vac
ancy, pending the action of the city.
Cities are divided into four classes,
those having $4,000 or over constitI-
ting the first class; 5000 to 25,000,
second class; 500 to 5000, third class,
and those under 500 to be classed as
villages. In cities of the first or
second class it is provided that spec
ial charters may be adopted and the
manner of calling elections and the
other machinery is also prescribed. j
Under the provisions Of the report
cities may extend their boundaries be-
yond their corporate limits, either
within the county in which they are
situated, or So as to take in contig-
uous territory in adjoing counties.
The city Of st. Louis will be allowed
to extend its boundaries to the extent
of seventy-seven square miles. A
mother provision will allow the city
by vote Of he people to return to the
county so that it will occupy the same
position as now enjoyed by Kansas
City, st. Joseph and other cities.
The right Of the state to control
the services, and practices and rates
of public utilities, all elections, the
right to control taxation, the limit Of
Indebtedness and the supervision over
accounts has been expressly retained
Reading the Bible in the public
schools is provided by the section on
religious or sectarian schools by the
statement that "this section shall
not be construed to prohibit the read
ing Of any version Of the Holy Scrip
lures in the public schools of the
state
Miss M. ". Harrison of Sedalis