Mountain advocate. (Barbourville, Ky.) 1904-1935, 1913-11-21
SUGGESTIONS
Looking to a .Iime-Saving
and Effective Legislative
Program.

Except the long session Of 1928,
mainly occupied in adapting the
statute laws to the present constitu-
ton. the coming session of the Gen
eral Assembly, on ACCOUNT of the EN-.
barrassed condition of the State
Treasury and the revision of our
Fiscal system to meet this and fu-
ture conditions, and to adapt it's
methods to the recently adopted
amendment to the constitution, and
other pressing matters, will likely he
the most important one held in a
generation. With all this work in
view, with the limitations of a sixty
day session in mind, and in the light
of many years of careful observa-
tion of legislative methods at our
own and other state capitols and at
Washington, the following outline
of procedure is respectfully suggest
ed for the consideration of members.
l. That a caucus of the members
OF the House be called by the proper
authorities to meet in Frankfort,
not later than the middle of Deem
Der, for the purpose of nominating
all of the officers of that body AS
such nominations would be equiva.
lent to an election, this would en-
able the speaker, after such consid-
GRAFTON of the membership as may
be possible, to frame and announce
the committees and for the organiza-
ton to be completed and ready for
work on the first day of the session.
This caucus in advance would in
volve little extra trouble or expense
to members, as most of them will
go to Frankfort within the next few
weeks to select their seats or on
other business, and they can easily
make one trip answer for all OF these
purposes. No such advanced caucus
would be necessary for the Senate,
as the presiding officer of that body
has all eady been selected and the
announcement of the committees
and completion of the organization
could he easily effected in one day
2. Such a change in the rules as
will substitute for the tedious and
time. consuming bill days." WHICH
have heretofore taken up a large
part of two days of each week, the
provision that bills NAV he intro
duced at any time when the House
is in session by simply dropping
them in a locked receptacle ut the
Speakers desk, as is done in Com
gress and in many other States.
This would enable that officer to
take the bills to his room for such
consideration of their subject matter
as may be necessary for their proper
reference.
3. That all bills shall be referred
to the committees having charge OF
the matters to which they relate,
without suggestion from their au-
thors or other members from the
floor or otherwise. Without dis
cussing the greatest and most OBJ
vious evil in permitting the author
OF bill to select the committee to
which it shall go, this change of the
rules will go long way in protect
ing the Speaker from personal inn
portunity or the appearance OF dis
courtesy on this point, and prevent
the reference TO and consideration OF
two or more bills on the same sub
iect by different committees, with |
the confusion, loss of time and pub
lie danger inseparable from a custom
which should have been long since
abandoned, and which has been
abandoned almost everywhere else
4. That the House shall meet an
hour or more earlier than in the
past. the time thus gained and the
early days OF the session, so tar as
may be, to be devoted TO the refer
ence and first reading of bills. Few /
committee meetings are held in the
morning, aud. especially since the
increase Of the per diem TO $1,000,