Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1901-01-15
Makina Laws in Many States.

annual or biennial problem of making
new laws and changing old ones. 1t
would be most interesting trip and a
source of much invaluable knowledge
of the science of law making to
journey from one capitol to another
and observe the work of these many
bodies of American law makers. Some
Of the contrasts would be striking, to
say the least, and a foreigner making
such a journey would doubtless marvel
greatly at the compleXity of our
political system. In size, for instance,
the bodies vary exceedingly. Little
Delaware has q Legislature composed
tative5. Our sister state. New Hamp
shire, has the largest Legislature. 1t
contains 400 members. one for each
1140 of population, n ratio over 10 times
as large as that in the state of New
York
The Kansas City Journal has COM
piled some very interesting statistics
regarding the various legislatures. the
pay of the members. the length of the
following facts. In the matter of pay.
some states have n per diem compen-
sa tion and some fixed salary with
per diem pay for an extra session.
Kansas, Michigan. Oregon. South
Dakota and Vermont pay SO day.
while California pays So Il day, and
Nevada. so. Maine pays $3.50, which
is the smallest fixed salary. Connect
cut pays $500 year; New York and
Pennsylvania, s15G0 year: Massachu
sets $3.50 a year; Ohio $500 a year;
Wisconsin, $500 q year; Illinois. $1,000 a
session; Iowa, $3.50 term; New Jersey,
$500 year; Nebraska, 5000 a year;
Missouri. S. q day. and all the rest of
the states from "a to sc a day. All of
the states except Delaware and New
Jersey pay mileage to their members,
and in most cases this exceeds the real
travelling expenses at a ratio of two to
one.
In all of the states, except Georgia,
New Jersey, New York,
Rhode Island and South Carolina,
where the legislatures meet annually.
sessions are held every two years.
Fifteen of the states have limit on the
duration of their sessions. Oregon.
South Carolina and Wyoming fix the
limit at 40 days, and others allow as
many as 80 days. In Kansas there is
neither constitutional nor statutory
limit but member cannot draw pay
for more than 50 days, and this prac-
tically fixes the limit of the session.
1t is estimated that the average num-
Der of laws adopted by each legisla-
ture during single session is $50. OF
course many of these are of a local |
rather than general nature. and the |
list includes the regular routine, such
as appropriation bills. But it is a fair
W say illit O. ~ VIZ
of every legislative session the citi
zen will find himself confronted with |
half a hundred statutes which make |
him do things differently from the |
manner of the year before.
on this subject of lawmaking the |
Evening Post recently had an |
article. its theme being the |
celebration, next month. of the APP |
pcintment of John Marshall to the |
and satire the article mas no little |
truth. Here is an extract:
But when Chief Justice Marshall !
drew order out of chaos and gave di- |
rection to the Jurisprudence of the new |
country, he could do nothing to dis
what after his death became |
a growing nuisance. 1t might not do |
to call the making of laws one of the |
weaknesses of free government very |
often it is a diversion which keeps |
would be statesmen out of mischief. In |
the multiplication of laws, however, |
the century has reached greater totals |
tIldH III any lIllllS elSe, tACtpl, |
the increase of officeseekers. |
Every year now we have more new |
laws than John Marshall considered |
during the entire thirty-fOur years that |
he was on the supreme bench. We |
have laws passed by Congress; laws |
passed by state legislatures: laws |
passed by city councils; and all sorts |
of minor regulations which mount up |
into the tens of thousands during the |
twelve months. And the variety of |
thse is as great as the number. There |
are laws regulating dogs and laws con
corning elephants; laws about the |
English sparrow and laws about the |
great American eagle. There are laws |
everything from microbes to |
from politics to love. If all |
the laws on the statute books today |
were enforced. the average citizen |
would either have to stay at home be- |
hind closed blinds or begin a journey |
to the lunatic asylum. A hundred |
would be unable to consider |
every one of them or to get from them |
much more than a fine case of nervous |
prostration or despair. OF course it |
would not do to blame all this on the
and the quality of the aver
age modern lawyer. for every citizen |
who is elected to Office fancies that he |
is just as much an authority for a new