Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1895-03-21
WORK OF THE SOI.ON s
COMPREHENSIVE II VIEW OF rHl
WORK OF THE LEGISLAT.R RE.

COMPREHENSIVE II VIEW OF THE
WORK OF THE LEGISL.AT. RE.
A Total OF 40 Bills Passed In DOtA
Houses. 20 Senate b. 8 and q: In
the HOusc-Liat Of Those WhtcS
Have Rccn Approved and Are
Awaiting Ac.ion.
bismarck, Special Corrcspondence-Nonr
years ago the legislature appo.n.el a com.
mission for the compilation of the laws OF
North Dakota. This commission spent two
years in the Wort: at an expense OF over
2O.OOO reporting to the SESSION two yeas
to carry on the work. The renewed COM
mission was given authority 10 revise as
well as to codify. compile and classify, ana
which ssili has just just adjourned. they repor e !.
by bills In the form of seven codes, viz.
Civil code, code of civil procedure, penal
code, code Of criminal procedure, probate
these several codes the laws OF the past
thirty years have first been complied AMI
classified and then revised. The rcvisio IS
but much. very much, new legislation, the
result of much thought and experience.
The best lawyers in the state have been
consulted, and suggestions have come from
Judges and practical citizens Of every class.
The work Is free from partisanshi,,, fir e
from crankism: rises above monopo!iss:c
the codes Of even some Of the older states.
The Dakota codes were originally based on
the Field codes, prepared for New York hut
first adopted in Dakota territory and atcr
In California. some Improvements have
been made on these even. The law Of con-
tempt. for instance, is fully set forth with
limitations as to punishment made desra-
BILE by the experience OF the last sumner
While all public and private interests are
given the full protection they require, cause
of alarm on the part OF labor is removed
ny definite restrictions and limitations Of
power.
Perhaps the most marked legislation is in
regard to railroad matters. Much in that
line has been attempted during the past
rev years, but has been siuetrackc1 or
caused to fail in some manner through the
influence Of the lobby. The bills have been
changed from their purpose or made in
engrossmeGt. They have Teen lost or
i houses ihe or cr+ have failed through shift
certificate BY the presiding officer of one
house or the other. All Of the attempted
legislation of the past ten years, so well
reported and passed I'm in both houses ea has has
been carried into the codes They include
kinter's platforms, divers open markets,
M9Cannas daily trains Joh f coal
regulating railroads through the railroad
commissioners and the courts including
essary i'll order to protect the people from
injustice. The thought of the people was
concentrated. on railroad legislation and it
is possible the legislature has gone to the
extreme in some things for there are sew
eral bills in addition to the codes. Among
these is Guian's requiring roads to charge
no more ire On % branch Fan lines h on f main
silerracks where business is transacted
amounting to $4,000 and buildings at all
sp1snfs where in the of
ests require such buildings.
While there was Il manifest disposition
to do all that the people demanded and
expected there was also, disposition to
defeat all measures introduced for the -pur.
pose of cjnching railroads In order to force
them to feed the lobby. House bill No; 70,
though Introduced by him from the best Of
motives 1t was the Iowa law pure and
simple, covered already in the codes so
far as practicable and yet its auth" or, IVES Is
was finally abandoned by Lindstrom in DIS
gust and was indefinitely postponed; Han
cocks bill declaring the Fargo distributing
the house with a whoop and a hurrah,
tage gained to the state BY the concession on
iqst if a hill sb.nld pass which would make
ID impossible to build up a distributing
point in the state. The horizontal reduc..
TIN Of ten per cent on all urnms
opt was received with great favor ana pass
Ell the house without dissenting. voice
but in the senate 1t aPpesred that t, 'n ney
who devoted a moment to thought could sec
that Interstate commerce could not be con con
trol!ed by state legislation. These TWO
ties. A radical measure was passed reSl-
lating coal rates, reducing them even ne
low the code rates but the rallroa1 People
declare that thy LACK tn tne reason can not
be enforced.
The next question Of all absorbing , inter ter
est was the subject 4 cross earn
ings tax, which was in force at the t1m s
the constitution was adopted and Tor sys,,
tenn Of taxation when the ,es state end 9o the
provision granting this power suspends ~, ~
during all Of the time tax on gross earn arm
ings shall he in force eo6 SotsitnStanGli s
Tor that style OF taxation. giving the roads
tue option as to which form they wouln
choose. The Northern Pacihc cnse ,,r 1ss
earnings plan. 1t is now claimed that the
Northern Pacific plan was yo:d from INC
beginning as that section or the colis.i .s
ton could not be oper;at,SSe M VINO force The
people demanded the repeal OF rne Si ths
earning system and the enforcement Q: , Tue
other system. $50 the Oue was
and the void law was re-enacted III me
codes but as the codes do not take eilect
until July ard the repeal takes enect a.
once for the time Intervening there IS ~. no
law for the taxation of railroads. II me
roads take advantage OF it ana pay III
taxes in the mean time ,ney WI omiy ro rcs
the mari IF selfish humanity hut may Inree
the state to relaliate by \ greatly lnci .a,s
ei assessment when the law aces 'aAe
effect. ,,os+,,n Is
regular w,!i eNct standing appropriations They hey
for n deficiency of $l30,O00 now eSis'1as ~.
besides some past due warrants an n,,,4ol
count Of improvements made on tie ca eum m,n
Ave wears AGO now amounting 10 I!u,u, ;
which must be provided Tor. re aep, NM ai'
has becn reached and the highest taX ,.a a.
lowed by the constitution has teen leV! .,,,,
and II the bills passed ar, aP p inc Inc
state will be more than SiUu ~ ua IN wv in
hole. even counting on $lGOUei increase IN
ths revenues. Under these circumstances .t,
M, q vernon Will make some radlral GUS
in the appropriation bills. 1t is conceae'i
that the Insane, the penitrntiary, the SOL
Giers' home and the school Tor me nei,
must be taken care Of. With these PROVIDED
for there will be precious little left Tor me
two normal schools ami the university anu
none need be surprised II the bills for the
lnh