ARKANSAS (ahr'kan-saw), popularly known as the "wonder state," is one of the south-central states of the United States of America. It is situated between 33° and 36° 3o' N. lat. and 89° 4o' and 94° 42' W., and its boundaries are north Missouri, east the Mississippi river, separating it from Tennessee and Mississippi, south Louisiana, and west Texas and Oklahoma. Its area is 53,335sq.m., of which 810 are water surface. Arkansas was given the name "wonder state" by an act of the general assembly in 1923, because of its remarkable natural resources.
The surface of Arkansas is more diversified than that of any other state in the central Mississippi valley. It rises, sloping wards towards the north-west, from an average elevation of less than 3ooft. in the south-east to heights of 2,000f t. and more in the north-west. There are four physiographic regions : two of highlands, a region of river valley plain separating the two land areas, and a region of hills, lowlands and prairie. This fourth region covers the eastern half of the state and is part of the gulf or coastal plain of the United States. If a line were drawn from the point where the Red river cuts the western boundary to where the Black cuts the northern, east of it would be the gulf plain and west of it the highlands (over Soof t.) and the mineral regions of the state. They are divided by the valley of the Arkansas river into two regions, which are structurally different. South of the river are the Ouachita mountains, and north of it are the Boston mountains. The Ouachita mountains are ized by close folding and faulting. Their southern edge is covered with cretaceous deposits, and their eastern edge is covered as well with the tertiary deposits of the gulf plains. The Arkansas valley is marked by wide and open folding. The Boston mountains are substantially a continuation of the Ozark dome of Missouri. Their northern border is marked by an escarpment 500 to 7oof t. in height. The trend is from east to west between Batesville (Ark.) and Wagoner (Okla.) . The entire region is very much dissected by streams, and the topography is of a terrace and escarpment type. In the highlands north of the Arkansas the country is irreg ularly broken; south of the river the hills lie, less capriciously, in short, high ranges, with low, fertile valleys between them. The Ouachitas extend aoom., from within Oklahoma (near Atoka) to central Arkansas (near Little Rock). They are characterized by long, low ridges bearing generally west to east with wide, flat valleys. Near the western boundary of the state . they attain a maximum altitude of 2,80of t. above the sea and 2,000f t. above the valleys of the Arkansas and Red rivers, falling in elevation east ward (as westward) to 500-7oof t. Five peaks rise above 2,000 feet. Magazine and Blue mountains, each of 2,800ft. altitude, are the highest points in the state. The streams are swift, and in their lower courses flow in gorges 500 to deep, almost deserving the name of canyons. The main streams are tortuous, and their tributaries have cut the region into ridges. Along the upper course of the White river in the Bostons, and in the country about Hot Springs is the most beautiful scenery.
The climate of the state is "southern," owing to the influence of the Gulf of Mexico. The mean temperatures for the different seasons are normally about 41.6°, 61.1°, 78.8° and 61.9° for winter, spring, summer and autumn respectively. The normal mean precipitations are about 11.7, 14.5, 10.5 and i o• tin. for the same seasons. The extreme range of the monthly isotherms cross ing the state is from about 35° in winter to about 81° in summer, and the range of annual isotherms from about 54 to about 6o degrees. The variation of mean annual temperatures for different parts of the state is, then, only six degrees. Precipitation varies from 34 to 64in. according to locality. Winter cold is seldom severe, and there is no summer drought. Sheltered valleys in the interior produce spring crops three or four weeks earlier than is usual in this latitude. The climate is generally healthy.
The state possesses a rich fauna and flora. The forest lands of the state include one-fourth of its area, with most of it actually covered by standing timber. Valuable trees are of great variety; cotton-wood, poplar, catalpa, red cedar, sweet gum, sassafras, persimmon, ash, elm, sycamore, maple, a variety of pines, pecan, locust, dogwood, hickory, various oaks, beech, walnut and cypress are all abundant. There are 129 native species of trees. The yellow pine, the white oak and the cypress are the most valuable growths. The northern woods are mainly hard, the yellow pine is most characteristic of the heavy woods of the south-central counties, and magnificent cypress abounds in the north-east. Hard woods grow even on the alluvial lands. "The hard-wood forests of the state are hardly surpassed in variety and richness, and contain inestimable bodies of the finest oak, walnut, hickory and ash timber" (U.S. census). The growth on the alluvial bot toms and the lower uplands in the east is extraordinarily vigorous. There are two Federal forest reserves (963,287 acres).
The soils of Arkansas are of peculiar variety. That of the highlands is mostly but a thin covering, and the larger portion is poorly fitted for agriculture. The uplands are generally fertile. The poor soils are distinctively sandy ; the soils of the lowlands, clayey; but sand and clay are found combined in rich loams characterized by the predominance of one or the other constituent. The alluvial bottoms are of wonderful richness.
The legislature is bicameral. Senators, 35 in number, hold office for four years; representatives, 10o in number, for two years. The length of the regular biennial session is limited to 6o days, but by a vote of two-thirds of the members elected to each house the length of any session may be extended 15 days. Special sessions may be called by the governor. A majority of the members elected to each of the two houses suffices to propose a constitutional amendment, which the people may then accept by a mere majority of all votes cast on the measure. Amendments may also be made by the use of the initiative and referendum. The supreme court has seven members elected by the people for eight years; they are eligible for re-election. The state is divided into 18 judicial or circuit court districts and 13 chancery districts. The population of the state entitles it to seven representatives in the national House of Representatives, and to nine votes in the electoral college.
An unusual provision of the constitution is that no law shall "be enacted whereby the right to vote at any election shall be made to depend upon any previous registration of the elector's name." An amendment of 1893 requires evidence of the payment of a poll-tax by every voter except those "who make satisfactory proof that they have attained the age of 21 years since the time of assessing taxes next preceding" the election. There is nothing in the constitution or laws of Arkansas with any apparent tendency to disfranchise the negroes, though few vote. There are statutory provisions (1866-67) against intermarriage of the races and con stitutional and statutory (1886-87) provisions for separate schools; a "Jim Crow" law (1891) requires railways to provide separate cars for negroes, and a law (1893) requires separate railway waiting-rooms. The constitution provides that no county shall consist of less than 600sq.m. of territory and 5,000 inhabi tants, Lafayette, Pope and Johnson counties being excepted. New counties may be formed by the general assembly, provided the majority of the voters of the affected territory consent to the change. The county is divided into political townships, road dis tricts, school districts and other groupings for administrative pur poses. A homestead belonging to the head of a family and con taining 8o to i6oac. (according to value) if in the country, or one fourth to one ac. (according to value) if in town, village or city, is exempt from liability for debts, excepting liens for purchase money, improvements or taxes.
In 1935 there were 18o state and private banks and trust com panies and 5o national banks, with resources amounting to $169, 250,950.
Education.—The legal beginnings of a public school system date from 1843; in 1867 the first tax was imposed for its support. Only white children were regarded by the law before reconstruc tion days. Separate schools are maintained for coloured children. Of the current expense of the common schools, about three-fourths is borne by the localities; the state distributes its contribution annually among the counties. There is also a permanent school fund derived wholly from land grants from the national govern ment. Before 1909 hardly half the school population attended; and in general the rural conditions of the state, the shortness of the school terms and the dependence of the schools primarily upon local funds made the schools inadequate and of varying excellence. In June 1906 there were 1,102 school-houses in the state valued at $zoo or less. Amendments adopted in 1906, 1912 and 1926 have made possible large increases in local taxation for schools, and education has made rapid progress during recent years. The percentage of total school population enrolled in 1932 was 79.7 in 190o, 71. Of the total number enrolled, 392,240 were in kinder garten and elementary schools, and 53,911 were in secondary schools. The average number of days attended per year per pupil enrolled had increased from 48.1 in 1900 td 104.7 in 1932. This gave the state the rank of for average number of days attended. Expenditures for public elementary and secondary schools increased from $1,369,000 in 1900 to $11,656,000 in 1932; a per capita (for ages 5 to 17) of $2.93 and $20.83 re spectively.
The University of Arkansas was opened at Fayetteville in 1872. Four colleges, two schools and the experiment station are situated at Fayetteville, the medical school at Little Rock. A branch normal school, established in 1873 at Pine Bluff, provides courses for coloured students in literary subjects, agriculture, some of the mechanic arts and in teacher training. The university and the normal school are supported by state appropriations and the Morrill fund (see MORRILL, JUSTIN SMITH), the normal school getting three-elevenths of this fund. The agricultural experiment station, supported by the Hatch, Adams and Purnell funds, dates from 1887. In 1907 the legislature made an appropriation for the establishment of a normal school for white teachers ; it was situated at Conway. Four agricultural high schools were provided for in 1911 and they were situated at Jonesboro, Russellville, Mag nolia and Monticello. In 1925 the legislature raised these schools and the normal school to the rank of colleges. A school for the deaf and one for the blind are maintained at Little Rock, where free board and tuition are given for ten years. Besides the state schools there are about a score of denominational colleges and academies, of which half a dozen are for coloured students. Among the larger of these colleges are Ouachita college, Arkadel phia; Hendrix-Henderson college, Conway; Henderson's State Teachers college, Arkadelphia ; Arkansas college, Batesville ; Lit tle Rock college, Little Rock; College of the Ozarks, Galloway college for Women, Searcy; and Arkansas Baptist col lege (coloured), Little Rock.
The Civil War wrought a havoc from which full recovery was hardly reached by 189o. The economic evolution of the state since reconstruction, has been in the main that common to all of the old slave states developing from the plantation system, but somewhat diversified and complicated by the special features of a young and border community. The division of the old planta tions to meet the new social order greatly increased the number of farms, but brought about a corresponding decrease in their size. This decrease has continued since 1900; in that year the average farm was 93• Iac. ; in 1930 it was 66.2 acres. The value of farm property had increased from $135,182,170 in 190o to 828,250 in 1930. In 1930 the number of farms worked by ten ants (152,691) exceeded the number worked by owners (89, 009). The percentage of farms worked by tenants' increased from 5o in 1910 to 63 in 1930.
The share system of tenantry is in most common use. In actual numbers the white farmers heav ily predominate ; in 1930 white farmers operated 162,755 farms with a total acreage of 200 and coloured farmers oper ated 79,579 farms, or 2,487,762 acres. In the cotton counties, which have the densest coloured population, the negro farmer is the least independent.
The cotton production for 1935 was 890,00o bales, valued at $50,062,000; for 1925, 1,603,000 bales, valued at $123,165,000. Cotton and cotton products account for over half the total value of agricultural crops. The total acreage given to cereals is hardly equal to that devoted to cotton culture. In 1935 the Indian corn crop produced from 2,00o,000ac. was 26,00o,000bu., valued at $19,500,000. The only other cereals of great value are oats, which amounted to 2,244,000bu., valued at $1,010,000; and rice, with a production of 6,348,000bu., valued at $4,126,000. The rice industry has developed rapidly in Arkansas since its introduction in 1904. In 1935 the state ranked next to Louisiana in total pro duction and was surpassed in yield per acre by California only. Potatoes and sweet potatoes had a farm value in 1935 of $3,881, 000; 58o,000 tons of meadow hay were valued at $6,496,000. Arkansas ranks high as a fruit-growing state. Peaches, apples, pears, plums and grapes are cultivated extensively in the western and northwestern parts of the state. In the production of peaches the state was exceeded in 1935 only by California and Georgia. In 1920 it ranked fourth in the acreage devoted to vineyards, which since that time has been increased. More and more at tention is being given to raising pure-bred livestock. The dairy industry, also, is developing.
Participants in the cooperative marketing movement sold prod ucts valued at $3,153,892 in 1929 and purchased farm supplies valued at $358,232.
In 1929 there were in opera tion 1,731 manufacturing estab lishments giving employment to 44,205 wage-earners and paying an annual wage of $39,503,121.
The gross value of the manufactured products was $210,903,228. Lumber and timber products still held first place, with a gross production of about $7o,000,000. Other leading industries in the order of their importance were : car and general construction and repair in steam railway shops ; cotton-seed products ; planing-mill products; printing and publishing; furniture; and smelting and refining. Cotton-seed products had previously held second place.
Petroleum, first discovered in paying quantities in 1921. con tinued in 1935 to be the leading mineral industry. The industry centres around El Dorado and Smackover. The production in 1925 amounted to 74,749,00obbl., giving Arkansas fourth place among the States, and was valued at $70,000,000. The first strong well of natural gas was opened in Crawford county in 1915; a well near El Dorado was opened in 1921. In 1935 wells were in operation in Crawford, Sebastian, Nevada, Ouachita and Union counties, but their production for the previous year had declined to I I,139,000bbl. The output of coal rose rapidly until 1913; since then there has been a decline, due in part to labour troubles. The bauxite industry reached its zenith in 1918 with a production of 532,00o tons. In 1934 the output was 145,674 tons. The state ranks first in the production of whetstones and antimony ore.
The clay found in Saline county is used for the making of pottery of an artistic type, called Niloak. Building stone and granite are found near Batesville. The only known diamond-field in North America is in Arkansas.
The rivers afford for light boats (of not over aft. draught) about 3,000m. of navigable waters, a river system unequalled in extent by that of any other state. The U.S. Government extended and very greatly improved this system, materially lessening the frequency and havoc of floods along the rich bottom lands through which the rivers plough a tortuous way in the eastern and southern parts of the state. As a result of these improvements land and timber values rose markedly ; but the unprecedented flood in the spring of 1927 destroyed many miles of the levees and left the region a desolate waste. River boats were formerly a means of transport for much of the state's production of cotton, lumber, coal, stone, hay and miscellaneous freight, but are now little used.
On Dec. 31, 1926, there were 74,866m. of roads of all types, of which 731m. were paved, 3,416m. had gravel or other surfacing, and 2,543m. were improved graded. Most of the roads were built by improvement districts, but many districts went beyond their means, and in 1923 the state took them over and has adopted a state highway system including 8,843m. improved or to be im proved. The legislature of 1927 authorized a large bond issue and appropriated over $50.000,000 to be used in taking up the bonds of the improvement districts, to maintain the roads already built, and to build new ones. The revenue is derived from the motor licenses, and gasolene and oil tax, $7,273,839 being so raised in 1933. The Federal subvention amounts to about $1,250, 000. Motor vehicle registration fees amounted to $1,972,000 in Arkansas is well supplied with railway facilities. In there were 4.741m. of main line trackage in operation, a de cline from the 5.407m. in operation in 1915. The principal trunk lines operating in the state are: the Missouri Pacific, the Rock Island, the Cotton Belt, the St. Louis and San Fran cisco, and the Kansas City Southern. Little Rock is the rail way centre of the state. Transportation rates and rail way operations within the state are regulated by a state railroad commission.
History.—The Spanish explorer Hernando de Soto and his companions, in 1541, were the first Europeans to see and explore the region now known as the State of Arkansas. After quitting the villages of the Chickasaw Indians on the eastern bank of the Mississippi, de Soto and his party constructed rafts and crossed the river into Arkansas. They spent several months within the limits of the state, remaining there through the winter. Af ter the death of de Soto the following spring, his companions built rude boats and departed for the Spanish colonies in Mexico. The region was not again visited by Europeans until 131 years later, when the Jesuit missionary Jacques Marquette and the fur trader Louis Joliet reached the country of the "Arkansea" Indians in June 1673. Nine years later La Salle with a few other adventurers visited the same region while they were on their way to the mouth of the Mississippi river. The first settlement grew out of a grant of land La Salle gave his trusted lieutenant Henri de Tonti in 1682. In the spring of 1686 de Tonti received orders to meet La Salle at the mouth of the Mississippi ; but when after a long wait and careful searching he found no trace of him he returned to the Illinois country. On the return trip de Tonti explored his grant on the Arkansas river, and some of his companions became so impressed with the region that they asked permission to remain to open trade with the Indians. This event marked the beginning of Arkansas Post, the first settlement by Europeans in Arkansas. In 1718 an extensive grant on the Arkansas was made to John Law, and within the same year a colony was established. More colonists and some negro slaves arrived in 1719; but when the colonists learned of Law's failure (172o), they abandoned the settlement and went down the Mississippi. Their intention was to return to Europe, but many were persuaded to settle in Louisiana.
Early in the 18th century Bernard de la Harpe, acting under orders from the duke of Orleans, improved the stockade and placed a regular garrison at Arkansas Post. The post was main tained as a trading centre and Jesuit mission, even surviving an unexpected attack by the Chickasaw Indians in 1748. In 1762 the territory passed to Spain ; in 1800, back to France ; and in 1803, to the United States as a part of the Louisiana purchase. In the last decade of Spanish authority large numbers of Ameri cans crossed the Mississippi and established claims in the region about Arkansas Post, and its importance as a trading station increased. After the United States took formal possession of the territory in 1804, emigration from the states east of the Mississippi continued; and when the territory was organized in 1819, the English-speaking inhabitants were in the majority. Arkansas Post, the former residence of the French and Spanish governors, was the first territorial capital, 1819-2o.
From 1804 to what is now Arkansas was part of the district (and then the territory) of Louisiana, and from 1812 to 1819 part of the territory of Missouri. Its earliest county organizations date from this time. It was erected successively into a territory of the first and second class by acts of Congress of March 1, 1819 and April 21, 182o. By act of June 15, 1836 it was admitted into the Union as a slave state.
In Feb. 1861 the people of Arkansas voted to hold a convention to consider the state of public affairs. It assembled on March 4. Secession resolutions were defeated, and it was voted to submit to the people the question-whether there should be "co-operation" with the other southern states or "secession." The plan of holding a convention of the border slave states at Frankfort, Kentucky, May 27, to discuss a common policy was endorsed and delegates were elected, but the convention never met. Then came the fall of Ft. Sumter and President Lincoln's call for troops to put down rebellion. The governor of Arkansas curtly refused its quota. A quick surge of ill-feeling chilled loyalty to the Union. The con vention reassembled on the call of its chairman, and on May 6, with only one dissenting vote, passed an ordinance of secession. It then repealed its former vote submitting the question of secession to the people. On May 16 Arkansas became one of the Confederate states of America.
In the years of war that followed a large proportion of the able-bodied men of the State served in the armies of the Con federacy ; several regiments, four of coloured troops, served the Union. Union sentiment was strongest in the northern part of the state. In 1862 and 1863 various victories threw more than half the state, mainly the north and east, under the Federal arms. Accordingly, under a proclamation of the President, citizens within the conquered districts were invited to renew allegiance to the Union, and a special election was ordered for March 1864 to reorganize the state government. Meanwhile a convention of delegates, chosen mainly at polls, opened at the army posts, assembled in Jan. 1864, abolished slavery, repudiated secession and the secession war debt, and revised in minor details the constitution of 1836, but restricted the suffrage to whites. This new fundamental law was promptly adopted by the people ; i.e., by its friends, who alone voted. But the representatives of Arkansas under this constitution were never admitted to Congress.
During 1864 and the early part of 1865 the Federal and Con federate forces controlled different parts of the state, and for almost the whole period there were two rival governments; the Confederate capital was at Washington, in Hempstead county, while the Union capital was established at Little Rock. Chaotic conditions followed the war. The 15th legislature (April 1864 to Nov. 1866) ratified the 13th amendment and passed laws against "bush-whacking," a term used in the Civil War for guerilla warfare, especially as carried on by pretended neutrals. Local militia, protecting none who refused to join in the common de fence, and all serving "not as soldiers but as farmers mutually pledged to protect each other from the depredations of outlaws who infest the state," strove to secure such public order as was necessary to the gathering of crops, so as "to prevent the starva tion of the citizens" (governor's circular, 1865) . The governor in these years (1864-68) was Isaac Murphy, a republican, the delegate who cast the single Union vote in the convention of 1861; but the 16th legislature (1866-67) was largely democratic. It passed a law defining the rights of persons of African descent, which led to a few conflicts between the state authorities and officials of the Freedman's Bureau. The first reconstruction act having declared that "no legal state government or adequate pro tection for life or property" existed in the "rebel states," Arkansas was included in one of the military districts established by Con gress. A registration of voters, predominantly whites, was at once carried through, and delegates were chosen for another constitu tional convention which met at Little Rock in Jan. 1868. The secessionist element was decidedly in the minority. This conven tion framed the third constitution of the state, which was adopted in March i868 by a small majority at a popular election marred by various irregularities. By its provisions negroes secured full political rights, and all whites who had been excluded from regis tration for the election of delegates to the convention were now practically stripped of political privileges. The constitution of Arkansas being now acceptable to Congress, a bill admitting the state to the Union was passed over President Johnson's veto, and on June 22, 1868 the admission was consummated.
Arkansas was under the control of the republicans for several years and suffered considerably from the rule of the "carpet baggers." The debt of the state was increased about $9,375,000 from 1868 to 1874, largely for railway and levee schemes; much of the money was misappropriated, and in a case involving the pay ment of railway aid bonds the action of the legislature in pledging the credit of the state was held nugatory by the state supreme court in 1877 on the ground that, contrary to the constitution, the bond issue had never been legally referred to popular vote. An amendment to the constitution approved by a popular vote in 1884 provided that the general assembly should "have no power to levy any tax, or make any appropriation, to pay" any of the bonds issued by legislative action in 1868, 1869 and 1871. The so-called "Halford" bonds, issued in connection with the state bank and the real estate bank (law of 1836), some of which had been sold in violation of the law, were also covered by this amendment. The current expenses of the state in the years of reconstruction were also enormously increased. The climax of the reconstruction period was the so-called Brooks-Baxter war.
Elisha Baxter (1827-99) was the regular republican candidate for governor in 1872. He was opposed by a disaffected republican faction led by Joseph Brooks (1821-77) and supported by the democrats. Brooks probably received a majority of the votes, but the republican legislature, which passed on returns for gov ernor, declared Baxter elected. He soon showed a willingness to rule as a non-partisan, securing the re-enfranchisement of the whites and opposing corruption. After Baxter had been a year in office, Brooks obtained a writ of ouster against him from a circuit judge and got possession of the public buildings (April 1874). As a result of special elections to fill vacancies the democrats now controlled the legislature and they rallied to the support of Baxter, while the Brooks party assumed the name of "regulars" and received the support of the "carpet-bag" and negro elements. Both had armed forces, an ex-Confederate commanding for each. Both appealed to President Grant, but he, although favouring Brooks, directed the Federal troops to prevent fighting while the legislature was being reassembled. As this body was democratic it reaffirmed Baxter's election and then called a constitutional con vention.
This convention, safely democratic, drew up (July to Oct. the present constitution. It provided a broad suffrage, forbade the passage of registration laws, reduced the patronage of the governor, shortened his term to two years, and allowed only the legislature to suspend the writ of habeas corpus—all this in an effort to guard against the evils of the reconstruction regime. The constitution was ratified by an overwhelming vote Oct. 13.
While this was going on a congressional committee was investi gating the claims of Brooks and Baxter. After taking testimony in Washington and in Arkansas they reported (March 1875), with one dissenting vote, in favour of Baxter. There was considerable discussion, but Congress finally adopted the report by a large majority and President Grant acquiesced. Meantime a new gov ernor, A. H. Garland, had been serving several months under the new constitution.
Levee construction and drainage operations were undertaken seriously after 1879, when the Arkansas legislature provided for the formation of levee districts. Through the co-operation of directors of the levee districts and the Mississippi river com mission, large tracts of overflowed land were brought under cul tivation.
The state has continued under the control of the democratic party since 1874. A new constitution was drafted in 1918 but was rejected in the election of that year by a vote of 23,782 for and 38,897 against. The 59th (woman suffrage) amendment to the Federal constitution was ratified by the state legislature in 1919. Down to 1924 only ten out of 39 proposed amendments to the constitution of 1874 had been declared adopted. This was due largely to a ruling of the supreme court that, even after the adoption of the new initiative and referendum measure in 1910, a majority of the total vote was necessary for adoption. In 1920 a new initiative and referendum measure, providing that only a majority of the votes cast on a measure was necessary for its adoption, forbidding all local acts by the legislature, and providing for the initiative and referendum in counties and municipalities, received a majority of the votes cast on it, but not a majority of the total vote. Submitted again in 1922, it failed to receive a majority of the votes cast.
In 1924 three amendments received a majority of the votes cast, but not a majority of the total vote. A writ of mandamus was sought against the speaker to compel him to declare one of these adopted. As all the amendments were in the same class, the supreme court judges declared themselves disquali fied because one of the measures affected their salaries. The governor accordingly appointed a special supreme court, which reversed the earlier decision and declared that only a majority of the votes cast on a measure was necessary for its adoption.
'This decision was made retroactive and brought to life the new initiative and referendum measure which had been declared not adopted in 1920.
An attempt of the Arkansas legislature in 1933 to convert certain highway and toll-bridge bonds, bearing from 41 to 6 per cent interest, into 25-year bonds bearing only 3 per cent interest was fought by the bondholders and Investment Bankers' Asso ciation. As a result of the proceedings instituted by Pennsyl vania, Gov. Futrell called a special legislative session which appropriated $6o,000 for the payment of interest on the particular bonds held by other states. The United States Supreme Court also ordered Arkansas to increase its gasoline, oil and motor vehicle taxes sufficiently to raise the $7,500,000 a year required to meet payments on these bonds. In accordance with the re funding act passed in 1934 $91,220,000 of highway and toll-bridge bonds were to have a ten-year maturity extension and were to bear interest at 31 per cent for the first three years, 4 per cent for the next two and at the rate in the contract until maturity.
Important legislation of recent years has included provision for a state farm for convicts, industrial schools for delinquent women and children, a compulsory education law, and measures giving women the right to hold office, legalizing cooperative marketing associations, and creating a warehouse and marketing bureau. In 1933 Arkansas voted repeal of national prohibition and in 1935