The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1905-05-27
MANY USELESS
LAWS ENACTED
SPECIAL ACTS sUPERsEDE PRO
VISIONS OF CODE.
Latter Are Rendered Migratory and the
Annotator Has Asked the Attorney
General if He Can Omit Them-If
Not, Much Dead Matter Will Have
I to Be Published.

Because Of the rush with which the
statute revision was pushed thru the
Legislature, it may be necessary to pub
fish several hundred pages of dead mat
ter.
This condition results from the pas
sage of number Of lengthy laws by
the legislature which take precedence
code relating to the same subjects.
For instance, much time was spent in
the session in revising the drainage laws
for the code, chapter 800. The legis-
lature then also passed a special drain
age law which kills the code chapter on
the same subject. The game and fish
laws as found in the code, lengthy and
carefully compiled, are entirely ssper;,
e the same sabect P TSas
every bill enacted by the legislature
be taken up and a section or more in
the code be picked out which accord
| ingly becomes inactive; for there is a
provision in the code which asserts that
nothing in the revision shall supersede
any other law on like subject enacted
at the same legislative session.
annotate and edit the revision, intends
to consult with the attorney general and
see if he cannot be empowered to cut
out of the revision such sections as
other now laws have made absolutely
void. The cost of publishing the re-
vision would thus be considerably
cheapened, and the value Of the work
enhanced for practical use and refer
ence. Mr.. Dunnell believes that the
laws of the last session should all be
Inserted in their proper place in the
new revision where they supersede re-
spective code sections. The question
is whether Mr.. Dunneu can do this
without further legislative authority.
Big Job for Annotator.
The editing and annotating Of the
er work than the legislature figured it
would be. With steady work, and the
employing Of much assistance, Mr.. Dun
nell hopes to get the revision publisheo
by the time it goes into effect, March
} l next. It should be in the hands OF
the bar and state officials at least three
; months before this time, that those
who use the work may be acquainted
} with it when it goes into effect. Blu
, Mr.. Dunnell would not even be in a pc
sition to get it out by March l If i
were not that for a year and hal
: past he has been engaged on order o:
, the state supreme court in preparing
| digest of Minnesota reports, authorlze(
! by the Legislative session of 1908. Thi
WOrR mas IurnlSneu ulHl Will l1l *
amount Of matter Of great value in an
notating the new revision Of the laws
, It is hard to realize without knowl
! edge of the details the magnitude O
the work Of annotating: There are be
tween 10000 and $4,000 supreme cour
decisions to be annotated. One de
cision sometimes refers to a dozen dit
, ferent statutes. Surprising the averag
4 were five different sections referred t
nv one decision. on the basis of bu
10000 decisions, this means 100000 an
! notations. ".
l Mr.. Dunnell is doing his work a
l Owatonna, where he is less disturbed
J. than he would be working IN an offic
= in the twin cities. :Es ..-. I'll