Devils Lake inter-ocean and Devils Lake free press. (Devils Lake, Ramsey County, N.D.) 1905-1909, 1909-01-15
BuRlI
E(,lSLA'T
Governor " ; 5 !. Message Contains Il
Many Recommendations.
WOULD AMEND PRIMARY Law

! n1ent Necessary to Give Represen-
" satjon to New counties-Wouid
Give State Executive Power to Re-
move ofsoIats Who Fail In Per
scrnaanse ca Duties. ,>s .>.l S5g \, :;
;. Govsrnor Burke, In his message to
the legislature, said, in part: y: ~ -..:>s
II will be yoRr duty: to elect a Unit,
cd States senator and, II ours Is O.
government OF the people, you will, as
speedily as poasible, comply with the,
wishes; Of tho people as expressed at
the polls ut the last genaral election.
For several yesrs the two great poo
Atioal parties Of this state have advo.,
Gated the election OF United States!
senators BY direct vote of the people.
The people feel that, nf the senators
were elected by direct vote the same
Of their representatives. they would
be bstter and truer represents tixes Of
q. government of the people and II
was because OF this prevailing senti-:
,nent that the last legislative assem-
bly, made some advances toward the.
selection of the United States sem.
ators by direct vote of the people. nv
The present legislation upon the
subject, however, does not meet the
demands Of the people. 4 1t is only a
half way measure, 1t only enables
de different parties to select, their
party choice and does not permit the
helection of the popular Choice of the
%hole people. If the people really be.
Rove In the election of United States
senators by direct~vote then our pres
emit laws. should be amended so that
each party could nominate its candi-
Gate and the candidate receiving the
highest number of votes at the gen.
Oral election should be chosen SEN
asoE by. this body regardless Of poll
ifaes. g.. >: =. ~. s...st
s Eggs v -. New Counties. 49,. w.
81 Since The last session of the legis-
1atiYe assembly all the unorganized
territory In the state has been organ,
lied into new counties; and in conse-
quence there are the counties OF Het-
finger, Adams. Bowman and Dunn
without representation in either
branch of the Legislature 1t will be
necessary for you, therefore, to make
such reapportionment of the legisla-
tive districts of this state as will give
shese new counties representation. ~
l. =. Seed Wheat.
In some of the new counties the
settlers crops were destroyed with
hail In 1907 and in 1908; thus leaving
many Of them without means to Sc
cure seed wheat for the coming sea-
son. In 1901 the legislative assembly
passed a law under which counties
were authorized to issue bonds to pro-
cure seed grain Sfor settlers whose
crops had failed during the year 1900.
This was a wise law, for 1t enabled
counties to assist the worthy settlers
over the hardships and privations i'll.
eident to pioneer life; but, being linn,
tied to those who lost their crops in
the year 1900, it furnishes no relief
to those who lost their crops in 1907
and in 1908. / therefore recommend
the re-enactment Of chapter Al of the
laws of. 1901, with the limit to, the
year 1900 stricken out and such other,
eIdments and provisions as in your
Judgment may seem necessary. n
= sse,.S Good Roads. ~, ,,..s.-s,i l.:
Everybody is interested in the sub
ject of good roads and especially the:
man with the big granary and the big
grain wagon. The better the road the
cheaper is the transportation and tho
greater the profit; and yet in GU,
state we have as many different sys.$
TENS of building roads as we have.
different read districts. Our country
roads are under the supervision of q
road supervisor. II the county is or
ganized into townships there is d road
district in each township, under the
supervision of the road supervisor.
d Each individual in the district sub
sject to poll tax has an option Of pay
Ing the same or working one day. on
& the road The option Is usually ex-
tsrcised BY working, or, at least, BY
putting In the: time. The supervisor
%is usually honest and does the best
/ he knows how under the circum-
a stances; but he is not an engineer
I and sisl followed by q successor who is
4 NOT an engineer and who often un-
AoeE the work of his pred 49,
aeh better results have been ac-
comp ished by the payment OF all road
staxes IA cash and expendfng the same
under the supervision of a. civil en-
Y gineer, or the building Of all roads
3sand bridges to be let by contract to