Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1909-02-18
BISMARCK CORRESPONDENCE.
February ls, 1903

| February l6. 1909.
The legislative session has entered
its third and last period and will come
| to a close on the fifth OF March.
The session has been very quiet
one. There has been an enormous
mass OF bills introduced in both
houses. In the house $50 bills have
been introduced-twenty- six more
than at the session two years ago
and almost a third Of the session yet
remains. Fortunately, the constitu.
ton does not allow bill for the ap-
preparation Of money to be introduced
after the fortieth day; 80 there will
be no more bills Of this character
at this session. Already bills for
new nstltutions-such as fish hatch
cries, subordinate experiment sta
tons, normal schools, etc.-have been
introduced which. with the regular
appropriations to run the state insti.
tutions and the machinery Of govern
ment, amount to about million dol
lars more than the estimated rev.
enues Of the state for the next two
years. This total will either have to
be scaled by the appropriation com
mittees OF the senate and house or
the governor will have to do 1. by
veto.
There is a growing complaint from
all over the state against the intro
duction at each session Of such .
vast volume OF unnecessary bills.
There is hardly . conceivable sub
ject on which bill has not been in
troduced at this session. Men ambi-
tious to have their constituents be-
lieve that they are active members
send to other states and obtain bills
which are all right in those states.
but which are wholly unnecessary and
inapphcable to the conditions exist
ing in North Dakota ard other Sec
lions Of the New Northwest. The
other day nine bills which had been
introduced by certain house men,
Der we're reported By the judiciary
committee. eight OF them being re-
ported for indefinite postponement,
and the action recommended was in
dorsed by the house. But, next day.
the same member introduced batch
Of I'VE more bills, not one OF which
possesses any merit, and not one Of
which will be passed. Outside Of the
bills for the regular appropriation.
there are not more than hundred
bills In both houses that would tend
10 improve conditions. by their pass.
lge. and not one in four of all the
bills introduced will pass both houses
md become laws; for, should such
hills pass one house. they will be|
killed in the other. In fact, measures
sometimes pass one house with the
Delief Of members Of that house that
hey will be killed in the other body.
This Is the great evil Of legislation
hat will have to be tackled and cor.
'ected In some way before many
Years pass. As it is at present, al
legislative session in its closing days
becomes practically swamped with
bills. and in the rush and turmoil Of
he wind.up bills sometimes get
through that would have stood mol
'how had there been sufficient time
or properconsidera'ion. However,
here 10 always body Of men In
either house who devote their chief
attention to fighting useless or dan
gerous bills in committee and on
he door.
Among the evil bills defeated in the
house was one that would have prac-
Etcally put out Of commission the
telephone lines Of the state.
md one that would have punished q
man having an elevator or other bust-
ness In more than one locality from
paying . larger sum for wheat, cream
Or other products-even eggs-than
he paid In the other town or towns
where he was doing business.
At every session some member who
thinks he will make himself solid with
The farming community introduces !
bill for the repeal Of the lumber. lien
law. These bills are alwsys defeated.
principally by the votes of the farm
er members. who know that, II sure
security Is not given to the seller, he
will not sell. and the man who needs
The credit cannot obtain IT, With
The lumber lien done away with, the
new settler who has little or no mon
ey or security could not obtain al
DOT Of lumber.
There is considerable contention
over q bill prepared by Prof. Bolley,
u the agricultural college, intended
o correct the evils found In the pur-
'nase OF foul seed. A strong opposi.
Ion to this bill has developed on the
'art Of the great seed-houses Of the
country. and as at first drawn it had
opposition ny some of the farmer
MEMBERS. who feared that it would pre-
'ent the selling of seed by one farm.
'r TO another. But the objec-
ions to the bill have been eliminat-
"a by Prof. Bollcy. and the farmer
members are now favorable to the
measure. Its requirements are along
ne lines of the pure-food and pure
rugs law. requiring all but pure seed
o be labeled Impure Seed.' so that
ne buyer may know just what he 10
'etting. Heretofore the man buying
eed did not know until the seed ar