ustxtxb_obs_1963_05_02_50_00012-00000_000.pdf

prevent trespassing hunters from shooting their livestock by giving game wardens the arrest powers. And the Senate has passed several “funeral bills.” One requires 90% of the money for pre-need funeral sales to be kept in a trust fund. The funeral directors support this bill, as they do not sell much pre-need insurance and want to hamper those who do. The Senate has also moved to tighten the licensing law for funeral directors, which of course makes it harder to become a funeral director and therefore profits presently practicing morticians. Border tile and brick interests are backing a bill to prohibit the use of brick or tile which would not withstand 2,500 pounds of pressure a square inch. This measure is aimed at Mexican brick and tile. It is opposed by contractors who use the Mexican materials. Insurance companies have sponsored an increase in the minimum automobile liability insurance requirements of state law. The House passed, 100-47, a measure doubling these requirements. Rep. Cotten charged that day that the bill would cause an increase of $14 million in Texas insurance premiums. “This is a special interest bill for the insurance companies,” Cotten said. Robert Fairchild, Center, denied this. “I can go back home and tell my people that I voted to stiffen the motor vehicle safety responsibility act,” he said. As usual, truck and railroad interests are fighting over bills. The chief wrangle is occasioned by the bill sponsored by Rep. Dick Cory, Victoria, to 12 The Texas Observer North Dallas Democratic Women’s Club presents “POLITICAL PARANOIA” \(a Comedy from the capitol to the courthouse Thursday night, May 16, 8:15 P.M Park Cities YMCA 6000 Preston Road Democrats $ 1.25 Republicans $10.00 For tickets: CH 7-1589 EM 8-7021 extend the legal length of auto-hauling trucks from 50 to 60 feet. Reps. Townsend and Fairchild propose to tighten restrictions on trucks exempt from certain regulation. Rep. Crews and Sen. Spears propose a new office in the railroad commission to license specialized hot-shot truck service to carry film and other express goods. Cosmetologists want hairdressers to be required to be able to read and write English. This provision appears to be aimed, not mainly at LatinAmerican hairdressers, but at a group of hairdressers. in Houston who have been brought from Europe. State law requires hairdressers to go to school 1,000 hours to get their license. The bill pending, by Rep. Ben Jarvis, Ty OBBYISTS are not limited, in their work, to the legislature ; often they exert influence through the state agencies. A vivid example is afforded by the Texas education agency’s report on private trade and correspondence schools. Such schools are not now regulated by the state. Abuses have been reported in some instances. In 1961 the legislature ordered the education agency to study the schools “to determine what abuses exist and how to provide effective regulation of such schools and their solicitors” and “to report its findings and recommendations” this year. Under the supervision of Howard A. Bergquist, the agency inventoried 2,454 private schools operating in MARTIN ELFANT Sun Life of Canada Houston, Texas CA 4-0686 ler, would increase this to 1,500 hours. The state real estate bill of the current session tends to make real estate dealing more nearly a closed shop by requiring that a real estate salesman, to qualify for his license, work for a real estate broker for one year or get thirty semester hours’ college credit in real estate. “We have left the principle of regulation to protect the public, and it’s snowballed into legislation to protect the interest being regulated,” Spears says. “Senator Parkhouse introduced a bill regulating banks and said all the banks are for it. This is supposed to be the reason we should vote for it. But this is the antithesis of the reason we ought to be for it.” Texas and 174 correspondence schools headquartered in other states. The Texas assn. of commercial colleges went on record with the agency in opposition to state regulation of such schools. Behind the scenes, within the T.E.A., the battle over the report was joined. Bergquist prepared a fact-packed 148-page report, complete with findings and conclusions. These latter included statements that some of the schools are unstable and impermanent ; some of their advertising practices are deceptive and unfair competitively; half the schools have no requirements or standards for owners who run them; misuse of such words as “approved” and “accredited” is widespread over the state ; there are indications that in some of the schools, educational purposes “are subservient to the profit motive.” Salesmen for enrollment in these schoolsconcluded the draft report high pressure prospects while passing themselves off as counselors or the like. Sometimes students do not know what they are getting into. Many of the schools meet highest standards, the report showed. When the T.E.A. finally, in February, sent its report to the legislature, the draft’s 148 pages had been cut down to 25 pages, and the findings and recommendations had been ripped