Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-01-13
first: move IN HOUSE IS
FIGHT ON RULES REPORT.
Only Those Bills Reported Favorably
Will be Printed
Members Have Privilege of Asking
Separate Bills Printed

Rules doing away with the printing
of bills introduced with the exception
of those reported back favorably by
the committee were adopted by the
lower branch of the assembly yester.
day afternoon after spirited debate
as to the ACCESSIBILITY OF such action.
The fight came up on the question
of adopting the rules which. were re-
ported by the temporary rules COM
mittee of which Geo. Homness of Dr.
vide was chairman. The only change
in the rules from those in effect two
years ago was in the bill priting feat
ure, and the rule on this provides
that no bill shall be printed till it is
favorably reported by committee,
or by resolution voted upon favorably
by the house.
Mr.. Homness explained the purpose
of the rule and stated that the rec
ommendation was made with view
to economy.
D. R. Streeter of Emmons county
led the fight against the rule and de-
clared that in his belief the abolish.
ment of the practice of printing bills
was directly contrary to the theory
of publicity which had proved so
valuable, and he said that in sending
out the bills to newspapers of the
state, allowing free discussion, the
best ideas were gained. He be-
loved, too, that the people had a
right to know what kind of legisla-
ton they were getting, and did not
believe in the dictatory power that
would be given a committee in the
matter of printing the bills.
Mr.. Sorlie explained that the OBJ
ject of the rule was to do away with
the expense incident to the printing
of bills that are useless, and he
pointed to the fact that there were
800 bills introduced two years ago
with only 200 of them passing. He
also declared that a bill printed after
it was amended by the committee
would be more valuable to the men,
hers of the house that it would be in
the form that it is first introduced
in.
Doyle of Foster favored the rule as
business proposition and said that
Minnesota had been very successful
with it.
Mr.. Price of Cass stated that men,
bers of the committees to which the
bills would be introduced would be
supplied with typewriter copies and
IS the number of stenographers was
lutte large. he felt that there would
be no difficulty getting as many cop
les of bills as might be desired.
At this point Mr.. Streeter wanted
to know how much money had been
paid to members of the house dur
ing the recess which he termed as
"unearned money"
Mr.. Ployhar spoke of the fact that
the printing of bills that were prac'
tically duplicates of each other would
he done away with.
H. H. France also favored the rule
for that reason.
Mr.. Default wanted to amend the
rule to prove that a committee could
not act on a bill for ten days after
it was introduced, but his amendment
vas voted down.
Mr.. Doyle declared that in his be-
lief the rule would not prove detri-
mental.
Mr.. Streeter, speaking the second
time, said that the talk of economy
came with bad grace from the mem
bers of the house after the recess
had just been closed, contending that
the adjournment was twice as long
as it should have been. He spoke
If healthy newspaper comments on
bills introduced, and did not believe
that it was advisable to cover up any
If the bills that might be introduced
by not publishing them, but that the
people should be given every oppor-
unity to learn what is being done.
Mr.. Price quoted figures declaring
that it would cost the state about
s13, 900 to $4,000 to print all bills
at this session.
Mr.. Sorlie took exception to the
of Mr.. Streeter and said
hat he did not believe that there
was any news in many of the bills
that were published, many possessing
no virtue at all, and he felt that the
people would rather read a printed
bill that had been reported favorably
and therefore had some chance of
passage.
Mr.. Stern of Fargo looked at the
proposition from business point of
view and contended that the rule was
\ good one.
Mr.. Strseter wanted to know who
was to judge whether bill was good
Or bad. Men come here with great
Inference of opinion, and what ap-
noarod To ono &C heinQ mite worthy