The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-01-05
It's a Good Suggestion.

N his message Governor Smith maze
a suggestion that, if it is needed,
will carry a curtailment of expenses
without the possibility of damage to the
public service.
One of the paragraphs in the message
reads: During this legislative assem-
bly, an apportionment bill, reapportion-
ing the state for senatorial and repre-
sentative districts, should be passed, I
trust that in such apportionment you
will reduce somewhat the membership
of the lower house of the assembly. In
my opinion 60 members is the outside
limit required at the present time.
These, with the "a senators required I'M
der our constitution, would give a MEM
bership of "a in the assembly. This re-
duction in the number would some
what curtailthe expenses of the legisla-
tive assembly, and at theasame time the
proposed membership would perform
just as efficiently all the duties imposed
upon the Legislature.
The constitution of Montana fixes the
composition of the state senate-it de-
crees that there shall be one senator for
each county. This is a wrong arrange
ment. 1T disturbs all right theories Of
representation. But the provision is in
the constitution and, as the new and
small counties increases in number, it
will be constantly more difficult to cor
rect the wrong.
Since statehood, the membership of
the lower house in the Montana legsla-
ture has slowly increased until ninety
odd members now compose the joint
session. There is no doubt that the
change suggested by the governor
would be benefit in many respects;
it would involve no possible HARM
Among the states there is no unity of
action in the matter of the makeup of
the legislatures.
The younger states have, almost with
out exception, acted on the theory that
a small, compact body is the better pol
icy. In New England the ponderous
lower houses are an absurdity. Maine,
for instance, polls about 117,O00 votes
and that state has 1872 members in it's
legislature. Colorado casts about $780,
600 votes and has legislature with a
membership of one hundred. New Jer-
sey's vote is about 10000; it's legisla-
ture has 81 members: but New Hamp-
shire, polling about $4,000 votes, has a
| legislature 3S1 members strong.
Vermont casts only a few thousand
votes more than Montana at a general
| election, it has only two members in
| the lower house of congress. But the
| Vermont legislature has 275 members
| the republican majority on joint ballot
was PAL last year. Iowa casts more than
| half a million votes, but there are only
| $50 members in that states legislature.
The Kentucky legislature has 1888 mem
bers, that of Kansas 1876. California has
six seats in the lower house at WASH
ington and is satisfied with a legislature
having l40 members.
1t is easy to overdo the business of
legislative membership. All experience
is that the unwieldly, cumbersome lower
houses that are a feature in the older
states, and especially in New England,
serve no useful purpose but that, on
the contrary, that policy helps to make
the work Of the legislature tardy,
dragging process. This state could cut
down to the figure suggested by Cover
nor Smith with good results.