Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1931-02-06
By THE POLITICAL ANALYST

AUSTIN. FEB. g. Twenty-one
proposed constitutional amend
ments have been laid before the
legislature to be decided whether
they viii be submitted to a vote Of
the people.
Five deal directly with highway
financing and the gasoline tax.
These include the two BY Sen.
Walter +. Woodul for the state
highway bond issue and permission
for the state To refund To counties
money spent In building state high
ways, including payment OF out
standing bond issues.
Others are. One 10 divert one
fourth All occupation taxes TO high
ways; n to grant TO schools part
Of the gasoline tax revenues. and
another by Mr.. Young OF yelling
ton for the state TO assume the
county bond issues but without
issuance Of state bonds.
Other proposed constitutional
amendments. each resolution to
cause an election for Its decision,
II submitted. include:
BY Sen. Hornsby OF Travis coun-
ty. to call a constitutional con-
vention.
no allowed retired army and
naval officers and personnel tD
hold public office. This offered III
both houses.
BY Sen. Wcodul. to premit CON-
blning ci~ty-county governments OF
Harris. Bexar, Dallas and Tarrant
counties.
BY Sen. Hornsby, 70 combine Of
fices Of county tax collector and
assessor.
BY sen. Holbrook. to abolish Of
flee Of county treasurer.
BY Sen. Woodul. 10 create nine
member supreme court.
Three others by Sen. Woodul, to
raise salary OF the governor to
$4,000 IA year. that NJ the attor-
ney general to $4,000. and those
Of land commissioner. treasurer
and comptroller Cd $500.
BY Sen. Prul. 10 allow the state
to fix salaries OF all other officials
except those OF the state.
BY Rep. Donnell. 70 provide for
equalizing taxes.
By Mr.. Terrell OF Cherokee. 70
provide for direct tax for schools
BY Mr. Bryant. to exempt $1,000
homesteads from property taxes.
by MIR. Young. to let district
court appoint n0taries public.
By Mr. Bedford. 10 allow border
cities to vote Ca wall bonds.
BY MIR. Holder. authorizing state
taxes To be contributed ~ teacher
pension fund.
At present. notaries public are
appointed by the same procedure
with which the elective state Of
Tees would be filled for temporary
terms. and Just like such officials
as the secretary OF state and ad-
Jutant general are named. The
notary must be appointed by the
governor and confirmed BY the
senate. There is not on record any
rejection by the senate of any no
tary ever appointed: but the sys-
tenn involves lot az work and con-
fusion and seemingly needless ef-
fort.
When the legislature is not IN
session, no matter what the local
need, a notary public cannot be
commissioned. since there is no
provision for commissioning n in
this duty until he has been con-
firmed BY the senate.
The Petsch bill 10 modify state
Dean liquor law penalties to con-
form 70 the less stringest federal
Volstead act. Is the second meas
IRE toward this end. each offered
by It's author 10 strengthen. rather
than 10 weaken. state enforcement.
The late Sen. I. ID. Fairchild in
duced the legislature 10 cut down
the prison term Of those convicted
o. violating most the provisions or
the liquor law from a minimum OF
two years to one year. He insisted
JurieS were refusing to inflict two
year penalties for violations that
If the accused were lucky enough
to get the charge filed in federal
court would draw possibly fines or
jail sentences or one to three
months, without branding the &C