Washington telegraph., 1923-03-09
Senate And House Engage In
Slaughter OF Bills.

The Dreach tnat haQ Deen growing
between the House and Senate for
several weeks cracked the latter part
OF last week and bills we're slain
right and left by both houses.
The Senate was moving along in a
peaceable mood when word came
from the northern wing Of the car
itol the House was engaged in max
ing hash of Senate bills and that the
table" was groaning under the
weight Of Senate menu.
As soon as the word was passed
from member to member the Senate
retired TO the dining room and before
their wrath subsidized a twenty course
lunch was served leaving the wreck
of twenty bills, mostly labelled
House bills" lying helpless upon the
table.
Among those in the house Of most
importance to go the table route was
the appropriation for the Highway
Department for expenses for the next
two years.
The Senate by way of retaliation for
this move to cripple one Of the state
departments reached into one OF its
pigeon holds and grabbing the appro-
priation bill to defray the expenses Of
the Commissioner OF Mines, Manu-
facture and Agriculture. where it had
been sleeping peacefully for two
weeks, slung it ruthlesly upon the ta-
BILE.
But after all this kind Of an armis-
tice was had and both houses took
their tables to a cleaning.
The first step in the heralded truce
between the Senate and House over
the highway and agricultural depart
ments appropriation bills, came
about when the House, by vote of
6S to is, passed the highway depart
ments bill, introduced by Speaker
Reed and Representative Johnson.
Passage of the bill came about
after a lengthy tilt among the war
ring factions in the House. The fight
against passage was led by Mr.. Nc
Cullough of Lawrence county. Mr.
Mccullough charged that Herbert
Wilson, state highway commissioner,
was attempting to control the ac-
tions of the legislature, even in its
last moments.
Speaker Reed, however, in advocat-
ing passage said that the measure
was merely the effort of the pro.
ponents Of a compromise and was but
the first of conciliatory steps that
would have to be taken before the af.
fected departments could be financed.
That the House was determined,
however, that the Senate should do
its share to complete the compro-
mise was indicated when the body re-
fused to forward the bill as passed
until the upper house had passed the
appropriation for the department OF
mines, manufactures and agriculture.
Not only We're they outspoken in this,
but they went even further and ap-
pointed custodian" of the bill. Mr..
Ward of Clay, whose instructions
were that the bill should not leave
his possession until the Senate had
kicked in"
Following passage of the bill, 1t
was rumored that the Senate had
passed the agricultural appropria-
tion. Jake Wilson, president of the
Senate, held a conference with Speak.
er Reed and it was said that Wilson
told the speaker that the Senate was
prepared to swap" This rumor
proved unfounded, however.
1t also was said that President vii.
son had delivered the bill to Speaker
Reed, and Immediately several mem.
bers We're on their feet, insisting on
the regular order of business. Had
the bill really been there, this in
sistence would have meant that the
House could not have acted upon the
measure until Tuesday, which is SEN
ate day for the body.
Governor McRae has approved the
following general bills:
Act No. 247.-To prevent corpora
tion stock watering and fraudulent
practices, and to regulate the secur-
ing and capitalization of stock cor
porations by providing for the issue
of stock having no par value or face
value.
Act No. 254.-To provide compen-
sation to county clerks for extending
improvement district assessments on
the tax books.
Act No. 246.-To provide for addi-
tional dormitory space at the Confed-
crate Home and the maintenance Of
inmates.
Act No. 262-To amend Section
No of Act No. 164 the Acts of 1917,
entitled. "An Act establishing and fix
ing the salaries and fees OF county
officers in all counties OF this state,
having two iudiciaui districts and