Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1909-03-18
in newspapers without the "advertis.
ing" label.

). :. :.
Primary election legislation was moi
touched by the assembly. There were
a half dozen new primary bills pre-.
sented, but of all these none got
through except a bill to permit non
partisan election of Judges of the SUI
preme and district courts. The house
was the scene OF most of the primary
election fighting and the members oil
the election committee could not
agree upon what kind of legislation
was best. Some of the members want,
ed a convention for state and judicial
of1lcers, with a referendum, and q
number Of the members insisted upor
the retention of the present statewide
primary. A bill was finally passed by
the house making some changes in the
primary law, abolishing the senatorial
pledge and otherwise amending the
law, but it came to the senate on the
day before the close of the session
and that body refused to receive it.
= =. !.
Initiative and referendum also died
and it will be at least six years before
any constitutional amendment can he
adopted that will give the people di.
rect reference and proposal of laws.
The prohibitionists refused to allow
the LELAND bill, passed at the last ses.
sion, to go through again on the
ground that it would permit resub.
mission of the prohibition law and
n anti-prohibitionists would not SUD.
port any bill that did not include con,
stltutlonal amendments. so that both
bills died.
= >. :.
In the way of public health and
safety legislation bills were passed
providing a new inspection law and
giving the hotel Inspector increased
powers. A new Oil inspection bill was
passed designed to permit the entry
into the state of gasoline from the
Western fields. A model food inspec-
tlon bill was passed and q bill to pro-
vide for the inspection of liquors sold
IN the state by the State Agricultural
college. A bill proposing to enable a
state liquor Inspector to stop oil trains
at the edge Of the state and inspect
conslgnmants of liquor was killed.
= = X
y new military code was passed to
take the place of the present militia
law, which is not in keeping with
modern militia requirements. This
bill was the longest Of the session
n wa prepared by q committee CT
the state militia. 1t gives the officers
4 voice in the choice OF the adjutant
general, provides for the building of
armories and is DESIGNED to keep the
state militia up to the standard re-
quired by the Dick bin.
:. = :.
All Of the bank guaranty bills were
lost. A "dinky' caboose bill was
passed requiring the use of standard
cahcoses on freight trains in the state.
n prohibitionists of the state were
deeply interested throughout the SEES
j in the new drug permit bill and
a bill by Macarthur abclishing permits
altogether was passed by the senate
but lost in the house. The prohibi-
tionists then rallied their forces in
support of the McCrea bill, which pro-
vldes that drug permits shall come
under the jurisdiction of the district
court. This bill was killed in the SEN
ate but afterward reconsidered and
passed. 1t a no emergency clause
and does not take effect until July l..
1t is reported the bill will be followed
by the taking out of many new per-
mits in the state, but the prohibitions
lists claim it will result in the better
enforcement of the law permitting the
sale of liquor by druggists. The anti
prohibitionists say it is merely a
means by which the prohibition law
can be violated and it will take ex-
perience to demonstrate the real eff
~fectiveuess of the law.
A board of osteopaths has been Gre
ated to regulate the practice of osteo-
pathy in the state, the bill getting
through both houses after some hard
Shedding. The old school physicians
IT the state opposed the first bill as
comforting too much authority on os-
teopaths and the bill was finally
amended SO that the practice of osteo-
pathy was better defined. Labor day
was made a legal holiday. Noxious
weed commissioners were authorized
to be appointed in various townships
Of the state. An amendment was
passed tc the mechanics lien law re-
quiring lumbermen and others claim
ing a lien to keep an itemiZed account
of all materials for which a lien is
claimed and limiting the size of the
lien to the amount of the original con-
tract. The appropriation fer immi-
grafton in the state was renewed.
Schoo)houses of two stories were re-
quired to have fire escapes. A legis-
lative drafting bureau was created.
The assembly refused to make any
change in the present alternate loca-
ton of the state fair at Fargo and
Grand Forks. A pure seed bill re-
quires all seedsmen to label packets
of seeds unclean if they contain weeds
of any kind. Sales of fake mining