The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-26

Inc bill pending before the legiSIa-
ture for the act which shall take the
place of the present military code is a,
very extensive one, but by several of
the leading military spirits is deemed
defective in many points. There can
be no doubt of the bill being amended
ere it reaches a final passage.
For instance: Section 8 provides the
governor shall be the commandments
chief Of the militia of the state. This
should read Gin times of peace"
When in the service of the United
States the governor is not the COM
mander in chief, that power being
vested in the president. This condi-
ton, however, may be implied and the
change may not be absolutely neces-
sary.
Section u is one which will be
scanned closely. 1t provides that
when the guard shall be in active ser
vice, its commissioned officers shall be
paid the same as the officers OF like
grade in the regular army of the
United States, first sergeants and non
missioned staff officers $3.50 per day,
sergeants, 50; corporals, $1,75, and pri-
Yates and musicians S1.50."
This section should be changed, in
the opinion of many, as in the event
of a call into the service of the United
States the guard would be paid by the
general government and in addition
might come back on the state for extra
compensation.
The powers of the Acknowledgement
and his duties ought to be curtailed, it
is claimed, in the opinion of many who
have interested themselves. He is made
an active executive officer by the pro-
visions of the bill, when in fact he is
not They say the position is merely
a clerical one. The power and au-
thority given him to inspect compan
les, troops and batteries once every
year; placing him in charge of the ord
nance and arsenal and the performing,
in times of peace, of the duties of quar-
termaster-general and commissary-
general, when these officers are provid-
ed for is simply depriving those Off
GERS of their rights and renders their
positions those of mere fgureheads
Section 20. providing for discharges,
ought to have another section added to
it. to the effect that where an officer
or soldier is dishonorably discharged,
he shall be disqualified from holding
any civil Office under the common
wealth for a term of two or three years.
This provision has been tested in other
states and found to work we'll.
There are too many medical officers
in the regimental formations. Two are
ample.
The fines for non-attendance at drills
without reasonable excuse are too
small.
The division of the state into three
military districts is a farce. The regi-
mental and brigade organiza tons would
be ruptured by any such proceeding.
especially in time of encampments as
this section appears to have been made
to cover. With only three regiments
Of infantry, three troops of cavalry and
two batteries of artillery, the encamp-
ment should be by brigade, in order to
obtain the best results.
In other essentials the bill is a fairly
good one.
So it will be seen that the legislature
has before it plenty of work and if dis
cussions on all bills consume. as. much
time as has been taken UP with the fire
and police law. the two houses will
nave no more time than is necessary.
Of course this is not probable; still
there are measures which win he
warmly discussed ere they pass.
AGRICULTURAL LEGISLATION.
A legislative committee of seven
was chosen at the last meeting of the
State Agricultural society. This com
mlttee was instructed to ask the far
mefS through the press to send In if
any matter bearing on legislation of
interest TO farmers. The committee
was further instructed to put these
matters in proper form and Law them
before the legislature and work IN oct
laws beneficial TO agriculture in all
Its branches passed by the law-making
BODY
In accordance with these instructions
we heartily invite the farm public to
work with us and send such sugges-
tons as to the individuals OF. societies
may seem best. Though any matter
may be sent it was particularly desired
that the farmers express themselves
IN regard to the solution of the school
iand question and to irrigation laws.
The school lands. if settled before
survey as shown in the letter sent out
on the subject, are subject to home
stead and this is the only safe way
to get title to such lands. Several
letters have been received in which
men claim that by error they located
on a school section: that these errors
were caused through incorrect SURVEYS.
incorrect plattings and otherwise. 1t
is my opinion that if the error occurred
by fault of the government agents
that the settler may homestead, while
II the error occurred from other
causes the homestead would not hold
good. In any case the settler will find
that by establishing a bona f1de resi-
dence of ten, twenty, thirty or even
forty years the department will con-
strue everything possible in his favor.
The only way to test the case is TO
apply to the land Office for a home
stead.
AS to the disposition of the school
lands by the legislature, the farmers
are especially requested to express
their opinions. In doing this let reason
rule. and remember that these lands
of rent or taxes and that the schools
must be kept up by direct taxation
aside from the funds furnished by the
interest on the money from the sale of
the school lands.
Irrigation, after nearly fifty years of
peaceful development is now one of
the foremost topics for proposed legis-
latior The cause of this violent shak-
ing up is the presence Of so many
water corporations" who will hold
and operate the canal. but will neither
own nor cultivate the land.
In the governors message occurs the
following in regard to laws on irri-
cation: For the filing and recording
of rights already acquired through ap-
preparation and the use of water
All agree that this would be a very
desirable matter to bring about We're
it possible. This was attempted years
ago, and after costing the territory
and the farmers thousands of dollars
it was found that the filings were
worthless and it was stated at cur
meeting that in the Salt Lake county
Office there were great number of
certificates that were never even
called for after they were made out
by the recorder.
The proposition was discussed at