The St. Mary banner., 1922-07-01
PROCEEDINGS OF
LA. LEGISLATURE
Sixth Week Of Legislature
Ends; Session to Close
On July 6.


still the dominant issue and strong
prospect that the bitter fight that has
been waged over the Butler anti-race
track measure will continue to the
end, July 6.
Only a few other issues have sur
yived the sensational storm that has
struck the state assembly over the
gambling esil as attacked by the bill OF
r. B. Butler of Houma.
Besides this measure, which is in
tended to suppress betting at licensed
race tracks, there is bill in the SEN
ate by D. r. Johnson to suppress the
transmission of racing dope: there
Is the bill of s.. o. Shattuck Of Lake
Charles, a counterpart OF the Butler
bill, which still rests in the house ways
and means committee; there is the
Claiborne racing commission bill. re-
ported from house committee Thurs
day with a favorable report, 8 to s,
and there is the anti-handbook bill OF
s. E. Tobin of Natchitoches, which
would make it a penitentiary offense
TO operate a handbook on races con-
Quoted outside of the state Of Louis
lana.
1t will be seen at a glance, there
fore, that the calendars of the two
houses are loaded down with anti-rac-
ing legislation, five bills in number.
with possibly others touching particu-
lar phases.
The Butler bill. about which chief
interest centers, after stormy career,
Is back in ways and means committee,
recommitted there Thursday after its
supporters had barely saved 1t from
indefinite postponement by vote of So
10 So.
The session is far advanced, with
little actual legislation adopted and it
may be several days before the ways
and means committee will lay aside
important revenue bills to again con-
slider horse racing.
In fact, Jules Dreyfus of New iberia,
chairman of the committee, in brief
statement, declared the general IL
cense bill and other fiscal measures
must have the right Of way in his COM
mittee now.
Otherwise big issues of this session
ire at a standstll All immediate tax
relief measures have been killed.
The 3 per cent severance tax on oil
! and gas, as provided in the bill of ].
Franklin Schell of St. Landry, is in
the house ready for final passage. A
companion measure by r. L. Prophit
TO make the severance tax lieu tax.
after the Oklahoma plan, is still in
committee. Both have opposition.
A group of salary reduction bills by
the Natchitoches delegation, in plan
to curtal expenses, rest in committee.
Removal of the state capital, which
blossomed forth at the opening Of the
session, is regarded as practically
dead. The bills rest in committee as
the session nears an end.
The fact appeared to develop that
New Orleans did not want the capital
and Alexandria did not seem overly
keen, SO why not let Baton Rouge keep
It.
One little bill of T. H. Mcclellan Of
the Fourth Ward, known as the fire
arms bill. to prevent the display of
the sale, has stirred the whole state,
particularly Western Louisiana par.
ishes.
Representatives " E. Mitchell Of
De Ridder, D. H. Turner of Leesville
and s. O. Shattuck of Lake Charles
were besieged with petitions, letters
and messages ito kill the Mcclellan
bill"
The Western parish representatives
conferred with the Orleans member
and he consented to withdraw the bill
from the files of the house, which he
did.
This ends the firearms scare.
On Friday, for the second time this
session, the senate sat alone. with the
house recessed until Monday night at
o'clock. This disjointed sitting sell
dom occurs in the Louisiana body. But
the house had labored under a power.
full strain. with one sensation on top
Of another all day Thursday and far
into the night. holding sessions morn.
Ing. noon and night on the Butler rae.
Ing bill. and when 10:30 pm. arrived,
In the midst of the consideration of
the general appropriations bill, H. w.
Womack of Pioneer moved that the
house adjourn until Friday at 10
o'clock
"As q substitute" shouted 'Parson''
Davis Of Patterson, Il move this house