The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-01-13
MONDAY, JANUARY 10. 1918
yJRGINIA's voLUMINOUS STAT
UTE BOOK.

OF the Legislatures that meet biennial
~. the General Assembly OF Virginia is
second in the quantity of laws pro-
6uced. If our legislative session nad
been extended to ninety days. the Ola
Dominion would have led the list in
volurninosity of biennial statute manu-
fscture. but, as it is. though Virginia
has the shortest session of all, only
MARYLAND enacts more legislation. Viz
cjnle. with a sixty-day session. in 1912
wrote 7s7 pages of laws. but Maryland
outstripped US with l.7e2 pages turned
of in ninety days. In the contest Tor
quantity OF legislation, Virginia FAR
outdid Connecticut, Iowa. Missouri.
Ohio and Illinois. the other states OF
the biennial classification.
Connecticut Legislature was In SEES
sion from January to September
26. but only 3i2 pages OF laws resulted
Iowa's lawmakers were at work from
January to April y, but they
wrote only an pages of laws. Missours's
solons in seventy days could grind out
hut 4s- pages. Ohio's General Assembly,
in session from January TO May TO-
passed 495 pages of statutes ILLINOIS
legislators produced $40 pages from
January to June /.
Virginia enacts more law than Con-
necticut, Iowa. Missouri, Ohio and
Illinois. and yet. with the exception of
Connecticut. all of these States nave
II far greater population than Virginia
For its SOS, ssi people. Illinois in i've
months writes less law than Virginia IN
three months does for her 2,06l,6l2 peo-
pie. Ohio, with a population of 4,7s7 .l2i.
in a little more than four months writes
272 pages less than the Old Dominion.
Notice also that Connecticut, Illinois,
Ohio and Missouri have more varied
population and more complex problems
that Virginia they have 20 legisiate Tor
vastly larger cities and vastly more
classes of people.
The comparison is OF constructive
value. The most obvious deduction
from the figures is that legislation In
the other biennial Assemblies is more
carefully considered at greater length
so that the laws which finally pass
have been more keenly scrutinized and
framed. Such a legislative course
tends to cause laws to be so well con-
structed that succeeding Legislatures
do not have 10 perfect them with
amendments. Il is better 10 devote
much time TO the framing of law that
will fully serve the purpose for which
lii h<.d
statute that will have to be patched up
by later legislation The most con-
siderable factor making for volumi-
Mostly in our statutes is. however, that
our General Asse mbly has 10 deal with
much special, private and local legis-
Iation that ought 10 be delegated to
other authorities. The present Con-
stitution removed many of the sub
jects Of such legislation from the cal
endar, but there Is still room for sub
stant;al reform. The General Assem-
oily of Virginia ought not to have to
legisIate on special and local subjects
for municipalities AS IL is, the work
ofthe Legislature is unnecessarily loaded
down. and the progress OF towns and
cities Is Orstructed because legislative
sanction is required for municipal
action in many cases. Virginia should
initiate the wisdom OF Ohio and add a
municipal home rule amendment to
the State Constitution. SO tina. the
Legislature may devote its labor 20 the
framing OF fewer laws and better laws
tor the State as unit.
OF the making of laws it is true. as
70 is of other things. that quality, and
not quantity Is the end 10 be sought.