Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1910-12-17
RADICAL CHANGES
ARE RECOMMENDED.
Attorney General McDougaII Says
Idaho Laws Are
Defective.
METHODS FOR STATE LANDS
Go,crnor-l1lcct james II. llawlcy
Makes Early observation-disclosures
For Feeble Minded.
METHODS FOR STATE LANDS

tn oiSE. Dec li.-rhat radical
* changes are necessary in the
method of handling the states
land business ana that The direct
primary election law enacted by the
last session Of tho legislature Is defcc-
tive aud should be amended. are two
Important recommendations which
Ally. Gen. D. g. McDougall viii make
10 the Legislature, which viii convene
here the first of the year, in his bien.
MAJ report Both these matters are
OF general interest and win doubtless
be subjects OF much discussion in the
legislative nails during the eleventh
session
Speaking or land matters. the attor-
neI general says; Tho land business
Of The state is the greatest business In
which Tie state is engaged. 1t IS a ire
menduusly great institution. Tie cr-
feet Of mishandling this business will
rebound To the states detriment not
only ut present, but for generations to
come.
Under our constitution the land
business OF the state Is vested IN four
executive officers. the governor. nttor-
ncE general superintendent of public
instruction ana secretary OF state. I'm
dcI recent amendment submitted, the
state auditor has been added to this
li*t making five members of the board.
MI Of the business OF the state con
ccrnin" its lands, must be acted upon
directly by this board | believe that n
moments consideration will convince
anyone that this system OF handling
the states most Important business Is
inadequate and unbusnesslilte
Matters arise concerning the states
land business which should receive i'm
mediate attention, but they must be
deferred until such time as n majority
of the board can he gotten together. In
the meantime the members Of the board
are attending to thcr other official du-
ties ana may not be within reach No
important action can be taken without
q meeting OF this board. The
business of the office that should he
taken up day by day and disposed of is
delayed days ana weeks. through no
fault Of the members of the board who
are compelled to give attention to 9TH
or matters
II believe that steps should be taken
by the legislature to bring about ruch
needed changes in the method oi adj
mInistering the states land business
DEFECTS IN PRIMARY LAW.
Many minor changes in tho dircGt pr!-
mary law are urgently needed. says the
attorney general, and the following are
few of the recommendations lie sug-
gcSts:
ITS basic principles are right. but
some Of the details oC tho law should
be polished of unh changed so as to
bring about in fuller sense. that
which the law attempts To accomplish
] would recommend that the second
choice provision be abroGatod: that the
primary elections be held earlier In the
year; that u definite time should be
fixed in the law when the expenses of
candidates, for which! an accounting
must he made. should begin To run. and
that n longer period Of time than that
now allowed by the law should be given
candidates at the primaries in which to
file their expense accounts.
"'rhis law should he further amended
with regard to the matter OF selecting
the party organization Under the
present arrangements, the party or
ranZQtion Is selected by the candi
dates believe this results In per-
sonal friends of YariouS candidates be-
ing put forward on the organization.
without regard TO the needs Of the
party itself
II believe also that the purpose OF the
law would be better subscrved by plan
which would compel rartisans to vote
their party tickets at the primary"
AGAINST SANDER
Another recommendation offered BY
the attorney general IS of particular
interest, especially to the political
"spcllbndcrs," among whom it will
doubtless cause considerable furore He
says:
81 desire 10 call attention to the fact
that. under the laws of this state. SLAM
der is not n crime, | believe that this
oversight, should be rccticd by the
present legislature ana that men
should be made 10 understand that they
are crmnally responsible for ISLANDERS,
committed upon political stumps or
otherwise
such law as | suggest would have
q very Sautary effect and, | believe.
would purge our elections OF one of
their most hurtful practses-that OF
slandcring candidates without justin-
cation"
APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED
Somewhat contrary To the usual
custom in this state, but very lnu1-
able Notwithstanding, Govcrnor-elect
James II. llawloy has announced al
ready practically all the appointments
to state Offices over which he has
personal control; ana the few re-
naming appointments will be made
before the Legislature meets, or with
in the next two weeks The list thus
far stands as follows:
Commissioner Of immigration, labor
and statistics--Samuel j. Rich, Black
foot
Game Wardon--Ben +. Gray. Haley
chief Deputy Game Wurdeu--F. W.
Kendall, Twin Falls.
Bank Examincr-N. W. Pratt. Occur
d'Alcne City.
Adjutant Gcncrnl-Col. J. 4. Mccall
Occur, d'Alenc City.
Assistant Adjutnnt acknowledgement
Wooden Jeifrics. Wciscr,
WEAK MINDED CHILDREN
The feeble minded children in This
state ana the urgent need Of Il homo
for them, Is II subject which finds
serious consideration In the rccom-
mcndations by Miss S. Belle Cham
borlaiu superintendent of public In
structioa. in her biennial report, which
Is now being prepared for publications
She says that the state has made no
provision whatever Tor the care OF
these untprturatcH whom she csti-
mates humble" now 100 under
special care and training, she SAYS,