In Texas

Governess Miriam A. Ferguson's prospects of escaping impeachment (TIME, Nov. 30, Dec. 7) brightened last week. To be sure one additional charge was leveled at her. The State Textbook Commission, of which she is chairman and of which her husband at her instigation was appointed clerk, recently made a contract for supplying all the spellers used in state schools for the next six years. The contract involves the greater part of $1,000,000. With four companies bidding, the contract was awarded to the highest bidder but against the advice of the Attorney General, who declared the contract was illegal.

But the Fergusons stuck to their guns. Governess Ferguson announced positively that she would not call a special session of the legislature:

"Let them assemble if they want to. Let them start something. I'll be here at the finish.

"Now, about this special session they want me to call. They tried to camouflage it as an inquiry into the foot and mouth disease and tick eradication.

"They must think I'm a bird. It's my feet, my mouth, and my eradi- cation they want. Some of them call me a dumbbell. They will soon find out how dumb I am."

As to the prospect of the Speaker of the Legislature summoning an impeachment session, even that project was damped. By a legal anomaly, such a session would not have power to appropriate money for its own expenses. Speaker Lee Satterwhite announced that he has promises of private citizens to contribute $300,000 for the expenses of the session, and Jim Ferguson turned on him with the cry of "Slush fund!" In addition it was realized that, even if the state House of Representatives impeached the Governess, Jim Ferguson has probably sufficient strength in the Senate to prevent her being removed from office. Then two new Road Commissioners were appointed--men of high character--to replace the two who resigned under fire for wasting state funds. That seemed to lessen the need for removing the Governess. Then the Attorney General made public an opinion declaring it would be "contrary to public policy" to have the expenses for an impeachment session of the legislature paid out of private pockets.

So, while it did not seem that the attacks on the Fergusons would cease, last week's developments indicated that there would be no impeachment proceedings against the Governess.