Morris tribune., 1912-12-27

ative and referendum will figure
much in the proposed legislation
which will be acted upon at the com.
lng session of the legislature, Secre-
tary of State Schmahl has secured
copies of the law and samples of the
ballots of other states where this act
Is in force. Oregon has a ballot that
comes near being four sheet poster
in size. How any one can vote it in
telligently is puzzle to those who
have examined it. Half of the ballot
is given over to measures to be voted
upon under the initiative and refer
endum act and the type is SO small
that intelligent voting is almost i'm
possible. South Dakota is another
state with freak ballot. 1t is nearly
six feet long. The voting booths as
used in the cities would be useless if
such ballots were the case in Mime
sofa. There would not be space
enough. AS it is it is a task to prop
erly mark the present state ballot.
+ j. j.
OPOOhAA5 VI CAO OOAAOC 0AN pO00IUAC
efforts to change it so as to accom-
modate the initiative and referendum
the work of number of the members
in both houses will be directed at
shortening it. They say it is reform
that must come some time and now is
as good time as any. How this will
be done is puzzle, as each session
only adds to the list of Offices made
elective and the questions to be voted
upon. Some members have suggested
that way out of the difficulty would
be to have a special election in the
case of amendments and the refer
endum and leave the election of the
| constitutional Offices as they now are.
!. \ Is-
An important matter due to come up
at the coming session OF the legisla-
ture will be either an amendment to
the constitution or the passage of a
law making the lieutenant governor
| the acting executive during the alb
sence of the governor from the state.
| Representative Pfaender of New Ulm,
l am told, will probably back the pro-
; posed law. It is more than likely
| that he will receive little encourage
| ment from the present administration,
! which, it is said, will veto the meas
| ure should it get by. That section of
| the constitution relating to the Office
Of lieutenant governor and his right
| to act as executive during the ab-
| sence of the governor has long been
| in dispute. 1t has never been tested
| in the courts. Those interested in
! the matter say now is the time to cor
rect this uncertain feature and the bill
as proposed will have their endorse
| ment.
i. \ 4
r.. c. Dunn of Princeton did not
/ give much encouragement to the boom
started for him for speaker and the
movement has been dropped. Bob, it
| is said down here, only wants one
thing, and that is the head of the
committee on taxes and tax laws. He
| is opposed by Representative Frank
son, First district member, who
wants the job himself, but his geo.
! graphical location is against him This
Is one of the most important commit
| tees On the list and fairness to the
entire state compels a selection that
will be without sectional bias. 1t is
! hardly likely that the Northern dis
tTicts would stand for First district
| q fhn ah hot ~ &C.
tee and vice versa.
Z; + !. *
! If members of the two branches of
the legislature are agreeable a num-
Der of reforms will be made in the
rules for the guidance of the mem
bers. These reforms, it is said, have
been borrowed from the California
legislative manual and have to do
with debate during the taking of a
vote on any measure and the matter
Of junkets. Debate is now forbidden
during the taking of a vote, but it is
generally evaded by the member ask
ing permission to explain his vote. By
this method very effective speech
40 OAGCA IlSuuSuGlS III
fiuences the result. The proposed
rule even forbids this explanation. In
the case of junkets the plan in the
past has been for committees to go in
a body whenever an institution was
to be inspected or investigated. The
new rule will limit the number of Wis
iting members to three and permis-
sion to make the trip to come from
the committee on rules.
! !. = \
The rumor is persistent to the ef-
1 feet that Ralph W. Wheelock, private
secretary to Governor Eberhart, will
sever his connection with the office
shortly after the first of the year, but
4 both Mr.. Wheelock and Governor
Eberhart refused to confirm the story.
/ Wheelock, it is said, has been picked
to succeed P M. Ringdal of the board
4 of control, whose term of Office will