Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-03-14
DRAWING TO A CLOSE
LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMES TO
AN END SHORTLY.

LEGISLATIVE SESSION COMES TO
AN END SHORTLY.
Few Measures of Importance Disposed
Of, Many of the Reform Bills Pro-
posed Still Awaiting Final Action
Of Lawmakers.
Bismarck, March Alive more
working days and the tenth legislative
assembly will have completed its rec
ord and it may properly be asked,
Eve now, what has been accom-
plished? Of the two branches the
house was full of so-called reformers
and the senate was strongly impreg-
mated, but there is this to be said, the
upper house has been more unified,
there has been more of the spirit of
working together for the common
good. In the senate there have not
been SO many personal measures in
troduced as in the house. This as
sembly will have the distinction of
being one, that is as far as the house
Is concerned, that was particularly
antagonistic to the newspapers of the
state. There were a score or more
house members who just gloated when
ever the opportunity presented itself
to take a poke at the printers and
was elected in spite of the opposition
of this and that paper"
Reform Measures S]lumbering.
Take a glance at the situation today
and note the ultra reform measures
which are comfortably reclining in the
incubator and there seems to be no
one to turn them over or remove
them. The primary bill; the 2-cent
rate bill; the anti-pass bill; that ne
plus ultra of reform measures, the in
itiative and referendum, have been
slumbering along. All have passed
both houses and no attempt has been
made towards a conference Then
there is the reapportionment bill. That
seems to be in the position that one
house won't take any more action and
the other is afraid. Lastly the re
formers are pledged to regulate the
board of railroad commissioners, but
every move has fallen fiat and the
house in this connection is in a ludic.
rous position.
What is known as the printers bill
caused a lot Of talk in the house.
Finally the bill giving state printers
the best of 1t to the extent of Is per
cent and hedging the work around to
prevent combines was recommended
for passage by the committee of the
whole.
Resubrission Given Quietus.
In the face Of the fact that 80 many
moves have been made to strengthen
different phases of the prohibition
law and so many bills have been
passed which will tend to strike terror
in the minds Of ~violators Mr.. Streetel
had the temerity to introduce his bi
ennial concurrent resolution to amend
the constitution. in other words, pro
yiding for the resubmission of the
prohibition matter to the people. A
natural supposition was that the bill
would come from the committee or
temperance, to which 1t was referred
of course, with a report that it be in
definitely postponed, but instead il
was allowed a free course to a com
mittee of the whole so as to admit OF
open discussion, but little was sale
beyond what the author of the bill
had to say and his contention was tina
the law was not enforced and coulC
not be. The failure Of the prohibitory
law in Iowa was strongly emphasized
by Mr.. Mockler of Burleigh county
who some years ago was a prosecutor
in the Hawkeye state. The bill finally
reached the stage of roll call on thire
reading and final passage and was de
feated by d vote of 80 ayes and g.
nays, a gain of three for the affirma
tive over two years ago. The resub
missionists say look out for squalls
two years hence if the proposed APP
portionment plan is adopted.
Appropriations Agreed On.
The senate committee on appropria
lions has practically completed it.
work. The committee has been a
work for several weeks, holding ses
sions some times day and night, ani
after all OF the appropriations hao
been practically agreed upon wen.
over all of the reports and approved
them. The total of appropriations, ii
Guiding those made by the committee
those agreed upon by the house com
mittee and those already standing up
on the statute books in the way o
fixed and unlimited appropriations, i:
a little more than .s2,0Oo,0 900 for the
biennial period. 1t is believed tina
this amount may be safely appropri