The courier-index., October 05, 1917, Image 5

About The courier-index. (Marianna, Ark.) 1917-current

Image provided by: Arkansas State Archives

                
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0 LITTLE ROCK LETTER o
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(By Clio Harper)
Little Rock Oct. 1—The Constitu
tional Convention of 1917 is rapidly
approaching. Seven weeks from to
day noon it will be called to order in
the hall of the House of Representa
tives by Secretary of State T. J.
Terral.
But there is no preliminary discus
sion about its work. The newspapers
are not indulging in any consideration
of the things it should and should not
do. The delegates are withholding
li.eir views for expression in the con
vention itself, rather than discussing
their views with the people. And
the people appear to be apathetic or
at least indifferent.
Under normal conditions, when a
Texas lynching was given as big
headlines as the destruction of a
'German division, all public forums
would have been overrun with sug
gestions, and debates, and propa
ganda for the approaching conven
tion. But now it appears that weight
ier matters are engaging the pubilc
attention. The war and its effect
upon the future, and its immediate
effect upon the people are of most
vital interest—and yet the making of
a constitution by which the state
shall be governed for generations—
the present one has been in active
use for 48 years—is surely a matter
of equal importance to the people of
Arkansas.
There are many things to consider,
and discussion may come when the
convention actually gets down to
work The agitation of last summer
tor the postponing of the convention
did not make much progress, and
now very little is heard on the suh
ject There was undoubtedly some
sentiment, and is yet. for a postpone
ment, but it is not by any means
general. The prevalent opinion ap
pears to be that this is just as op
portune a time as next May or next
August, and that nothing would be
gained by delay. With the exception
of a few who are committed to a
policy of delay, the delegates are
coming with the intention of entering
upon the task for which they have
been chosen with a determination to
(to their utmost to write an intru
ment that will be a model, and that
will enable the state to make great
er strides in the things worth while.
A survey of the personnel of the
convention convinces a person that
the fads and impracticable fancies of
idealists and radicals will have very
little standirg among the members.
The new constitution must not be
made a patch work of freak legisla
tion. neither must . contain revolu
tionary provisions, or it will not be
ratified by the people. The Okla
homa constitution is an illustration
—it is too extremely socialistic to be
a strong and forceful document upon
which material, permanent growth
may be based.
There are two propositions that
are certain to attract a great deal of
attention, and that will doubtless be
the subject of bitter forensic debate.
These are equal suffrage and prohi
bition. That both will be written in
to lue constitution is almost a cer
tainty. Partial suffrage for women
has been practically applied in Ark
ansas, and the women will have their
first opportunity to exercise the cher
ished preroative in the ensuing mu-'
nicipal primaries. But even this par
tial suffrage has thoroughly establish
ed the principle, and it is not prob
able that the convention will take a
backward step in the face of the in
evitable. Suffrage for all citizens,
men and women, is essential to the
perpetuity of our tree institutions
and the making of the world safe for
democracy.
Another certainty is that there will
oe written into the constitution that
which has been attained by statute—
the state wide prohibition of the sale
of intoxicants. This, too has been so
thoroughly demonstrated as an econ
omic necessity, to say nothing of its
moral aspects, that the supporters of
the whiskey regime are oeing rapidly
outdistanced. The people do not want
liquor traffic brought back into the
state. There will be a small and
noisy element insisting that the con
vention shall not adopt a state wide
plank, but It requires no prophet to
see that they cannot expect to win
their contention. The business inter
ests of the state have joined with the
church workers in demanding the
clinching heir hard-won victory.
Then there is the taxation problem
—the revenue question for the state
and municipality, the encouragement
of capital, and many other things—
enough to keep them busy and to
call out their best.
* * * *
It has been announced that com
mon negro labor will be advanced
January 1 from 25 cents to 40 cents
an hour. They are getting organized
and high wages paid by the govern
ment—much higher than they have
been accustomed to, has induced
them to demand more pay. It is in
keeping, however, with the advance
in everything else. Even the staple
food products of the negro’s table,
fat meat, corn bread and sorghum
molasses, cost him ItJ per cent more
than they used to. The citites of
Little Rock and Argenta were forced
recently to recognize this in accept
ing the justified demands of the po
lice and fire departments for an in
crease in their salaries. It amount
ed to about $17,000 a year in Little
Rock, without, however, any increase
in the revenue with which to meet it.
A road tax system of $6 a year for
male citizens between the ages of 18
and forty-five, is being worked out.
and early in the year the occupation
tax ordinance will be resubmitted
with a better prospect of its adop
tion.
Speaking of advances in prices, it
has struck even the circuses. Pop
corn, peanuts, ice cream cones (half
grown), and red lemonade, without
which no circus is complete, now
cost ten cents instead of the accus
tomed jitney. Even the tickets for
the after show, which are sold by the
ushers who will now pass among
you," have advanced from 10 to 15
cents, and • it is said by those who
admit that they stayed to see the
“wonderful aggregation of talent,’’
that the show is no worse than it
ever was.
* * * *
The fish in McDonald’s lake. Lin
coln county, have been dying rapidly
without apparent cause, and residents
of the vicinity conjured up visions
of Teutonic frightfulness, and sur
mised that all of them were due to
destruction by the poison route. So
they took up the question with the
state commissioner of agriculture,
and he sought the advice and wisdom
of the government fisheries bureau
at Washington. Now it is all settled.
After devoting two type-written pages
to scientific hypotheses and expla
nation. the communication concludes
with the statement that the “Bureau”
would be glad to receive further in
formation in the event that later de
velopments reveal the cause If the
unusual mortality of the fish.
As an evidence of sapient infor
mation. however, thoroughly eluci
dating all the points at issue, the fol
lowing paragraphs are cited:
‘'The strict environmental condi
tions necessary for the maintenance
and development of fishes in small
lakes are sometimes, altered by the
action of an outside or hitherto for
eign agency, which disturbs the
whole balance in such a manner that
fish are either poisoned or deprived
of an element essential to their life.
A heavy rain might wash impurities
into the lake which would be toxic
to the fish or the substances might
be of such a nature that hey would
oxidize in the water at the expense
of |ts dissolved oxygen, resulting in
suffocation of the fish. Inappropriate
amounts of gases into the water, aris
ing from putrefaction of organic mat
ter on the bottom, or from the ex
cessive decomposition of dead aquat
ic vegetation, are prooably the cause
of the lisli mortalities in small lakes
in the spring.
'Many of the minute aquatic in
| sects which serve as food for most
j of the fishes rely upon the water
vegetation for their food and protec
tion. The aquatic plants are valu
able, furthermore, as oxegenerators
ot the water. The lake might ac
cordingly be deficient in food for the
fish and also low in oxygen as the
result of plant growth. Such a con
dition alone would hardly account
for the death of so many fish in a
short u time as you indicate, but (he
vitality of the fish might become
lowered to such a degree that they
would be an easy prey to other un
m iiiiiurm rn.
So there you are. Now you know
as much about it as anyone.
* * * *
Cotton has been cut short at least
one half in Pulaski county this year,
by the boll weevil, the boll worm and
other plant pests. Only about 500
bales have been ginned in the counn
ty so far, and not more than half the
gins are in operation.
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0 -O-0-0-0-o-o-o
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0 CHURCHES o
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ST. ANDREW’S CHURCH
The Rev. C. C. Burke, Rector.
SUNDAY
Hoi. Communion .7.00 a.m.
Sunday School. 9:30 a.m.
Bible Class .10:00 a.m.
Morning Prayer .11:00 a.m.
Evening Prayer.7:45 p. m.
WEDNESDAY
Litany .10:00 a.m.
THURSDAY
Holv Comunion .7:00 a.m.
FRIDAY
Litany. Prayer for the Pearo
of the World.7:30 p. m.
METHODIST CHURCH
Sunday the Methodist church will
be one full of interest to every
member. It is our regular “Go to
Church and Supday School Rally,”
1 and the program, beginning at 9:45,
i promises to he one of unusual in
Ip
Don’t Kick on
High Prices
; Just begin trading at Ver- !
lion's and see how quickly ]
you will begin saving money. j
!; Hear this very important ;
;! matter in mind—WE SELL
FOR LESS. A penny or two
; shaved from the price of ev.
; ery article means dollars to
; you in the long run. We
! j operate our business on lit
\ tie expense. We don’t lose !;
! any money on bad accounts.
'! We give our customers the !
; benefit of every possible
saving. Our groceries are ;!
/ always fresh, pure and of
;! standard varieties. Our de- ;
; livery service is always res. ;
ponsive to your demands.
Seriously, earnestly, won't ’
! you give this jnodern gro
; cerv store a trial order and
let us have an opportunity
to convince you of our sin- ;
!; cerity? !
VERNON’S
}. Phone 93w ;!
OIL
THE MIRACLE WORKER
The development of the OKLA*
HOMA, KANSAS and MEXICO
OIL FIELDS
Offers the man of small means
an opportunity to invest a small
amount and
TO REAP
THOUSANDS
Write us today and let us tell you what others have made.
A lc postal will bring you photos and full particulars.
PACIFIC OIL & REFINING CO.
411 Mercantile Building
|_OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLA.
terest. Whether you have been en
rolled during the past year or not,
come on and join a class next Sun
day and begin the year right. This
invitation is for grown up people as
well as children.
The sermon by the pastor Sunday j
, morning will be one in the interest j
, of the public school of our town. '
‘‘Dilligence” in this ns well as in all
other forms of human activity for
the human family should be the
keynote.
At seven o'clock in the evening
the young people will meet to re
organize their work, and to this
meeting every young person in the
I church should come. We are going
to look for you at that hour.
The preaching service at night
will begin promptly at 7:30.
JOHN A. WOMACK. Pastor.
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FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Sunday school 9:45 a. m. J. H.
Grove, Supt., Walter Read, Asst. Supt. |
The mid week prayer service every
Wedensday evening 7:30.
The Willing Workers society meets
next Monday afternoon. Every mem
ber wanted.
The Woman’s Bible Cl*ass hold
their opening service Monday after- ,
noon at 3 o’clock. An outline of the
fall and winter bible study course,
class enrollment and organization.
'I his class is interdenominational and
therefore, open to al’ who love bible
I study and feel the need of a better
acquaintance with tne word of God. j
Other pastors and churches, and
Christians in general, are most cor
dially invited to be with us when you
can and lend encouragement to this
much needed work in all our;
churches. A more systematic and de-,
votional study of the bible. Consider
its importance and slarl at this
opening service next Monday after-'
noon at 3 o’clock at the Presbyterian
church.
i Preaching 11 a. m. and 7:30 p. m \
; Morning theme, ‘The public school,
a factor in community uplift.” A
sermon in the interest of school and
education. Good Music. Evening
theme, ‘‘The book, and books.” The
place of the bible in community life.
Gospel songs and a line fellowship, j
i Strangers an<> visitors In the city !
have a most cordial invitation to be |
with us in all our services. If you
j are a Presbyterian an* have reventlv j
moved into these parts, put your
1 letter into the church and come along !
with us and we will try to do you I
good. ]
i Walter K. Pohnston, Minister. |
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FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH
Sunday morning at the eleven
o’clock hour we will have a special
service in honor of the public schools, j
All teachers, pupils and their parents j
are cordially invited to be present, j
Special music, and a special sermon j
by the pastor for this occasion. j
Sunday evening at 7:45 the pastor j
will preach on the subject: "What
the Bible Says About the Devil."
Sunday school at 9:45 a. in. B. Y.
P. U. at 6:30 p. m.
We will give you a hearty welcom*
at any and all of our services.
W. C. BOONE, Pastor.
Figures showing that the dead
letter division of the postoffice d*>
partment is self-supporting, are given
In the Outlook. Last year this di
vision handled 10,839,890 letters and
parcels, which contained more than
two and one quarter million dollar!
in checks, money orders and money.
Though most of this amount was re.
turned to the owners, the content!
of undelivered letters amounted to
$53,665, which, added to the $11,000
derived from the Collectfon of one
cent on advertised letters, made a
total revenue of $64,665.
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WARNING ORDER
In the Lee Chancery Court
James Brown, Plaintiff,
vs.
Hattie Brown, Defendant
The defendant. HHttie Brown, (■
warned to appear in this court within
thirty days and answer the complaint
of the plaintiff filed herein.
R. G. APPLE, Clerk.
By Ben B. Bonner, D. C.
Attorney. R. I). Smith. 76
J. W. FIELDER
Contractor
Concrete Con
struction
Sewers, Water
Works
Street Paving
See my work at R. O. Smith’!
residence. Office with John
ston & Hope, Marianna Hotel
Building.
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