New-York tribune., 1910-01-19
treated in the light of tn. experience Of

other states. e"' 'i 'ne eApe''''N "
First As to uniform laws.
There are subjects which under the
Constitution can be dealt with only by the
states, and where the diversities of state
M law are are not & &reaured by any proper, view
local. the. interests affected are not .ex-
clusivsly local The existing diversities
reject a difsrsnce in tradition but ,,tsr: not
/ an essenial difference in interest Ihey
/ have grown up through contrariety in
judicial opinion or in LEGISLATION They
dency which falls to regard the convent
ences of commercial intercourse. To Sc
| cure uniformity Of legislation, no sacrhce
| tice,
1t would not be possible for governors
/ In conference to undertake the drafting Of
UNIFORM laws. but their united considera-
ton of their Importance and of proposed
their appontment w iii brne fhese matters
into deserved prominence and supply for
the progress of uniform legislation
much needed impetus.
There will also be numerous cases in
which concurrent action of a group or
states may be of advantage. even though
the subject is not one affecting all the
states. II may be the question of a water
shed upon a boundary. or of the pollution
of waters, or of the development of water
ways or other improvements, of the
maintenance of special regulations over
| given extent of territory. These CONFER
/
! for the consideration both of matters per-
! tanning to all the states or those in which
groups of states may be specially inter
| ested
Second As to state comfy, where uni
! formity of laws cannot be had.
There are other subjects where there are
separate local interests which in large
measure make uniform legislation imprac-
ueable. Yet the effect of legislation con-
trived either in hostile spirit or without
proper regard to the general interest may
oe most prejudicial to our common pros
perity. There is field for state comfy
which does not extend to the point of
uniformity.
For example. in collecting revenues each
state necessarily must be the judge of its
own exigencies and of the methods and
subjects of taxation within its sphere of
action. But when a subject of taxation is
treated as such in many different states.
interchange OF views and a desire to MAIN
tain such relations as befit sister common
zens of the nation. should enable US to
bring about adjustments which will pro-
mote the interests of business without sac
rffcing the interests of the state.
We have our national instrumentalities,
but without completely making our
Constitution-an undesirable and unthinka-
Die protective cannot accomplish what is
necessary to facilitate our mutual inter
course save through the instrumentalities
or the states. The significance of this con
ference lies in our recognition of the fact
that to make system of government
answer its intended purposes we must en-
courage the development of state comfy
without loss of state prerogative.
Third-As TO interchange of state expe-
rience.
Conferences of governors also promise
large benefit with respect to matters pure
" OF local administration. Here are forty
six cou1monwealths dealing with SubStan
Tally the same problems of government,
constituting laboratory of experimental
ton In free institutions. With respect to
governmental machinery. the question is
not so much one of uniform laws as of
having the best state government possible.
There Is an extraordinary lack of knowl-
community
actual experience of others We must in
great measure depend either upon the cur
fecting the sensations or the anin1us Of
the moment, or upon the inquiries of stu
dents frequently without the practical ex
perlence to give the needed point to their
researches and observations, or upon par
tial and incomplete surveys prompted by
political exigencies. The helpful activities
OF the various associations dealing with
departments of administrat ation-such, for
example as charities education, prison
and Civil Service reform-Should not be
overlooked, and the advantages which are
derived from their annual meetings are
is 70 provide these means of voluntary
search and criticism, these agencies be-
come influential to the degree that respon-
sble officers OF the states take part in
their work or are brought into direct con-
tact with its results. There are also Co
operative & efforts on the part Of certain stsiIl
beneficial, a., for example. the Association
OF State Insurance Commissioners.
but greatly enhance them and gain others.
by the frequent consultation OF the chief
executives of the states with respect to
methods of state administration. There IS
department of state work in which this
correspondence would not be of obvious
value. and had we nothing 10 consider but
the possible increased efficiency of our own
state governments there would be abun-
dant reason for stated conferences.
Governor Hughes suggested that the next
meeting of the governors should be held at
| some state capital instead Of IN Washing
ton. and urged state cooperation on mat
ters affecting the states.
CIVIC FEDERATION REPORT.
Mr.. Low presented a report of the civic
Federation on the drafting of uniform laws.
urging uniformity as 10 negotiable instru
ments, warehouse receipts, bills of sale,
| bills of lading and divorce. II also called
| for speedy cooperative action looking to
| suppression of the white slave'f evil. so
| that no state should be a harbor of refuge
for white slaves" from another state.
The report recommended modelling pure
food and drugs legislation after the ma
tionaI law. protested against legislatures
| making such amendments to legislation
intended to be uniform, stamped the
warehouse receipt act as the law of the
| Anglo-Saxon orld. enacted by seventeen
states. including New YORK where it had
been most opposed, and said thirty eight
states had enacted a uniform negotiable in
struments law, and declared that the uni
! form divorce legislation through the pro-
cedure it prescribed was designed to put an
end 10 migratory and fraudulent divorce.
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