The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1912-09-13
HINTS FOR LEGISLATURE
Suggestions Offered by Capt
E. c. Davis.
EXPENSES SHOULD Be LESS
And Fewer and Better Laws Should
Be Enacted.

Organization accomplished. the
legislature should 6rst take up the
matter of appropriations, since with
this question disposed OF adjourn
ment could come at any time with
out detriment to the public service.
instead of one general appropriation
~ for all the state departments and
Institutions. as has been the case
heretofore, there should be at least
nree, one covering the needs Of the
iecutiye departments, one the judi
leal department, and the other the
ttate educational, charitable, reform
dtory and penal institutions. Other
appropriations can be taken care Of
o the particular bills providing
herefor and need not be included 10
| general appropriation bill. More
tver all appropriations should be
,temized with reasonable accuracy as
10 the particular purposes to which
hey shall apply. Now the needs OF
State departments and. institutions
are known as we'll when the legisla-
ture meets as at any time later
and the appropriation committee
should begin work at once. There is
no reason why the appropriation bill
for the executive departments and
for the judicial department should
not be reported to the house within
bhe first 10 days OF the session. The
| pill for the state institutions should
De reported within the first 20 days
md all general appropriation bills
lhould be passed within the first 25
ays. The remaining time can we'll
,e given to matters OF general legis-
alton or of special or local concern.
The people should never have to wait
! Until after the legislature has ad-
burned to see the appropriation bills,
ind the governor should never, as
vas the case at the last regular
session, be confronted with the alter.
,ative of calling the legislature 10
,pecal session for the purpose OF re-
considering appropriations or OF as.
.unlng the very questionable right OF
reducing the appropriations to suit
bis own ideas.
In the matter Of legislative
expenses, / am convinced that The
cost OF every regular session is from
$4,000 to $50, 900 greater than neces-
, sary. This is serious condition ant
should be remedied. Unnecessar!
employees are placed on the payroll
, at much higher wages than the.
, could expect for the same work else
/, where, but Ia addition to this the
are allowed pay at the regular rate
Tor any and all overtime. Printin
bills are far ia excess Of what the
: Ihould be and this is caused by th
y act that many oils are improperl
! prepared aud have to be reprinted
Ind by the further fact that man
= bills are introduced and printe
which are later found to be unnece.
. lsary for the. reason that what the
propose is already the law, or that !
proposing the amendment uf ce
taio section of the code the fact
overlooked that the section has a
ready been amended by a previo,
legislature.
The legislature should not htsita
to make complete overhauling
the executive departments. Nut
greater economy of administratit
than is at present practiced can east
be secured. In my Judgment 4
state land department offers ferti
field for systematizaton and cons
nuent reduction Of expenses. II
office of commissioner of immigratit
should be abolished entirely or co
soljdated with one of the other Z
partments, and careful Investigate
will perhaps show that other conso
dation OF office establishments can
effected without any loss OF efficien
but with advar tage to the pub
service. The legislature should ca
:, fully inquire into the location Al
!, condition OF our state institute
with view to determining whetl