Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1911-01-12

VIC 1dSI JSdI dAu USCduSS VI Jul
abundant crops the people have as
sumed great obligations which under
present conditions compel them to
practice the most rigid economy.
Beginning at home, that is, right in
the legislature, I call your attention
to the fact that it has always been the
custom to print all the bills introduced
in the legislature, whether the same
have any merit or any prospects Of
ever becoming laws, and a large mum.
Der of clerks are daily employed mail
ing newspapers of the state such bills
and the legislative journals. This has
always seemed to me a useless waste
of public money. AS a remedy I rec
ommend that no bills be printed until
they are reported f%avorably from the
committees and that the mailing out
Of bills and journals be entirely dis.
pensed with.
ExTRAVAGANT IN MATTER
OF UNNECESSARY EMPLOYEES.
That the legislature is e~Xtravagant
in the matter of unnecessary employees
is common knowledge. 1t is this ex
travaganca that is responsible for the
law requiring the enrolling and en-.
crossing of the bills to be done by con.
tract, and which law failed in it's pur.
pose to diminish the number of clerks
until last year, when the senate, heed.
ing the gentle admonition in the gov.
ernor's message, had but siXty-five
employees as against eighty the pre-
ceding session, while the house had
se%venty-four employees as against six.
ty-five the proceeding session. There
is room for improvement in both
houses.
The constitution limits the session
to sixty days. This does not mean
that you must be in session sixty days.
It means that you cannot be in session
longer than sixty days and draw pay.
Thus far we never have had legisla.
ton of such pressing Importance as TIC
keep the legislature in session after
the time for drawing pay had expired;
but it has always been of sufficiently
pressing Importance to keep the leg
islature busy for the full sixty days.
With a sincere desire on the part OF
each member to shorten the term,
am sure that you can complete your
labors long before the expiration OF
the sixty days and prove to the people
of the state that you are really and
truly here in their interests.
SHOULD PROVIDE FOR
MINoT NORMAL SCHOOL.
I have already said that it is not my
intention to recommend the appropria.
ton of all the event provided by the
state. Indeed, I think this legislature
ought to appropriate only so much as
is absolutely necessary for the run
ming Of the state and the maintenance
Of our state institutions. AS regards
the state institutions their reports
will be upon your desks containing the
information of their growth and de.
velopment and their necessities
Where the institutions have buildings
in course of construction, there should
be, of course, appropriations for the
completion and equipment of such
buildings, but outside of this, in my
judgment, the legislature should be
very careful about appropriating mon.
ey for the construction of new build.
ings, except in case of the normal
school at Minot. The electors in the
recent election approved the amend.
ment to the constitution providing for
a normal school at the city of Minot,
and by so doing have decided that
such an institution is necessary al
that place. 1t is our duty to accept
their verdict and make a provision fol
such institution consistent with the
financial condition Of the state.
1t will be your duty to elect two
United States senator's, one to sue.
coed and fill the %unexpired term OF
the late Hon. M. N. Johnson, and one
to succeed Senator Porter j. McCum
Der.
The sentiment of the people in
reference to the election of United
States senators by direct vote of the
people is well known, and while sena
tors are elected under the provisions
of the Constitution Of the United
States, some of the states have adopt.
ed laws under which the legislature
elects senators who are elected by
the people. In view of the general
sentiment in this state in favor of the
election of United States senators by
direct vote I recommend such an
amendment to the election laws OF
the state.
cRlTIclsEs MINNESOTA
GRAIN INSPECTION
The last legislative assembly made
provisions for two state grain commits,
sioners to serve on the Minnesota
board of appeals and when the law
became operative II. O. Brown Of Ben.
son county and J. T. Clifford of Ward
county were duly appointed commits
sioners and have acted as such since
that time. BY virtue OF the law un