The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-10-07
GOVERNORS DISCUSSED BIG PROBLEMS

tana, who lamented the condition
that makes a state governor little
more than a figurehead, and declared
that the people could not get all de-
sired legislation or proper enforce
ment of existing laws until a real ex-
ecutive power was vested in the first
officer of the state. Governor Norris
also urged that the governor should
be allowed to present bills to the
legislature, and if they were not en-
acted to call for referendum and
submit the measures to a vote of the
people One governor, Kitchin of
North Carolina, said that he was
governor in name only, not having
the power of veto or that of appoint
ment Indeed, he added, in some in
stances he did not see a bill until It
was printed in the newspapers. That
represented condition which
seemed to call for a change. The
general feeling of the governors as
disclosed by the discussion seemed
to be against the application of the
recall to judicial officers.
Legislation regarding employers
liability and workmen's compensation
formed the subject of a discussion on
the second day. Governor Foss of
Massachusetts began the debate with
an explanation of the law of his state
on the subject, and he was followed
by a number of other executives,
including Governors Hay of Washing
ton, Hadley of Missouri, Harmon of
Ohio, Stubs of Kansas and McGov-
ern of Wisconsin, each of whom
touched upon the leading features of
the law in his own state Governor
Wilson declared that the difficulty in
the way of securing compulsory en-
ployers' liability lay in the constitu-
lions of the states. He expressed the
hope that there would soon be a
permanent commission to regulate
the subject in New Jersey. Governor
Hadley expressed the belief that the
conferences of governors had aided
materially the enactment of compen-
sation laws in an increased number
of states. On Thursday the govern
ors listened to a presentation of the
claims of women to the right of suf-
frage. The most important action of
that day, and indeed of the entire
proceedings of the conference CEN
tered about the question of the right
of the states to regulate transporta-
ton in interstate commerce by rail-
roads engaged in interstate COM
merce. This subject was discussed
at the morning session by Governors
Aldrich of Nebraska and Hadley of
Missouri, who criticised with vigor
the decision of Judge Sanborn in the
! Minnesota rate case. The subject
was brought up again in the after
noon by Governor O'Neal of Alabama,
who after some remarks upon the
subject, introduced q resolution pro-
viding for the appointment of COM
mittee to employ counsel to represent
the states jointly before the Supreme
Court upon the hearing of the APP
peals in the rate cases, of which a
number are to be heard by that
tribunal at the coming October term.
This, motion after some debate was
amended and p substitute proposed
by Governor Stubbs of Kansas, was
finally adopted, naming Governors
Harmon of Ohio, Hadley of Missouri
and Aldrich of Nebraska as a commit
tee to represent the governors con-
ference in the cases and to file briefs
with the Supreme Court as a protest
against Judge Sanborns decision,
which, it was declared, unduly linn
tied the rights of the states in the
regulation of traffic The action of
the conference, itself without prece-
dent, may take on a new significance
in view of the selection of Governor
Harmon, who has been much talked
of as a presidential candidate, as the
chairman of the committee.