The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1911-01-12
spetisl to Daily Leader.

Special 10 Daily Leader
8Oklahoma City, Okla, Jan IL
Members of the Oklahoma legisla-
ture arc expecting a revival Of the
old contest over adoption OF a code
of laws, aud II the question assumes
too much Importance, II may go over
until special session. II one Is held
20 rcdistrici the state. Members 0l
the so-caIed code commission, who
have been working since the iltst
1919 special session ended, made a
report to the governor setting out
in detail what had hccn accomplish
Cd and the fact that one OF the vol
umes had been printed and bound.
The legislature viii be asked to adopt
tho code and make appropriations TO
pay the printing bills and for salar-
les and expenses OF the commissions
ers since January, 1910.
Effort TO Get Code.
The state has expended thousands
0f slolars IN an attempt TO get an
acceptable code Of laws, and this Is
the fourth set to lba presented. In
final effort to reduce the statutes
TO acceptable shape. the legislature
f1g09) created code commission
OF five members three Democrats and
two Republicans, AT the end of the
time allowed by the law, two of the
commissioners, J. II Day Of Meal
ester ard Sam Harris OF Oklahoma
CITY. presente da minority code, the
majority members, Judge Thomas or
Muskogee, Judge Brownlee OF King
fisher and Judge Hays OF Hobart, max
ing no report other than they had mol
been alowel sufficient time to com
plete the work. An effort was made
to have the legislature in It's first
1910 session to adopt the Harris-Day
code as the law Of the state. but this
failed after a stormy fight In both
house and senate, and with apparent
disgust. the legislature repealed by
concurrent resolution its former act
creating the commission, Previous
", however. snyder's code prepared
at the states expense while in no
way acceptable to the legislature or
bay OF the state was adopted as the
''presumtlye Law but that was kill
cd,
Majority Keeps Working
(, Harris and Day severed their con-
necti IN With ~ cole rCsnmision
upon making their joint report but
the other three mebers continued the
labors of compiling The laws, with
the belief that the legislature would
make necessary appropriations, and
accept their work. In October It was
completed, and upon the governors
authority the state board of affairs
awarded contract for having the
books published. In subsequent
communication to the board the gov
ernur said that the printers would
have to look to the legislature for
pay.
AZ present. writing the legislature
is little disposed to give recognition
To the new code. In addition, 1t Will
be asked to adopt the Snyder code
and Harris and DaY, who have their
compilation brought ~ TO date, in
cludirg all laws Of the first 1910
special session viii ursc the elgls'a-
ture TO accept thu work,
II IL indicated that the committees
Of the house aud senate will consider
The onostirns luintly. and from cx-
pressions any attempt to make appro-
pr,auuna TO pay for the printing OF
the NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. code will
BE vigorously resisted, The senti-
mcnt Is particularly true in the SEN
ate.
Our position" said Senator Stew
art, chairman of tho senate's code
committee. that the commission as
constituted under act of the second
1ssilaturc has leun discharged by
concurrent resolution of the bodies
and the fact that some one wanted to
keep working NTH the hope Of lcgis-
lativc appropriation, does not appeal
to us,
Views OF the Legislators.
Othcr monbers OF the legislature
WV the contest between the two fac
tions OF the commission as being large
~ one Of personal difference between
the mombers over what work should
be done, aud they are little disposed