The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1913-03-22
SATURDAY. MARCH %. 1913.

SATURDAY. MARCd 90, !Slo.
COMMISSION GOVERNMENT FOR
STATES.
An ordinary city council is a body
which, either as a whole Or through
it, committees. is on the job nearly
all the time. The Grand Forks city
council meets probably twenty-four
times a year, and its committees meet
much oftener. This is true Of most
such bodies. But we govern our
states by means Of state legislatures
composed Of bodies Of unwieldy size,
so constituted that it is generally cas-.
Ter to get mediocre men than those
above m%ediocrity, and these men.
strangers to each other, in many cases,
are expected to get together for sixty
days once in two years and consider
intellieently and act upon the hun.
dfeds or Thousands Of matters which
are to be acted on, and to fix every
thine up for another two years. The
governor Of Kansas . other views
az to the manner in which a state
should be governed. Concerning the
proposal which he made recently for
\ radical change in the method of
governing the state the Christian Sci
snce Monitor says:
considering its radical character.
even in an ultra progressive epoch,
the proposal made by Governor George
II. Hodges Of Kansas to the leeisla-
tur4 Of that state, that this constitu-
uonal body proceed to eliminate itself
by amending the constitution, has
been received everywhere with aston
ishint calmness. This. of course, is
not the first time q change in the
form Of IN American state govern
rnent has beer declared desirable.
Within the last few years. the idea Of
simplifying state governments has
been brought forward frequently; but
this is the first time a direct proposal
with that end in viaw has been made
BY the executive Of a sovereign state
to q coordinate branch Of the gov
government.
I'm his message to the legislature.
Governor Hodges assumes that this
body recognizes the need Of a change.
The instruinentalitles Of legislation
provided by the constitution he pro.
nounces antiquated. In a short ses.
sion OF fifty days. he says to the rep-
resentatives of the people Of Kansas.
you are required to study and pass
hundreds of measures. and the hurry
with which this must be done must
necessarily result in a number Of
crude and ill.digested laws, which Oft
en- puzzle learned jurists to interpret
This presentation OF the case. whether
applied to Kansas or to any Of her
sister states. is u%haasailable. The
Kankas legislature Is bound to admit
Its force. Taking for granted its
agreement with him in this respect,
Governor Hodges, therefore. proposes
that tho legislature proceed to bring
about its own abolition by submitting
the necessary amendment, this provid.
ing for the creation Of a substitute
body. consisting Of sixteen members
only. two from each congressional dis
teict, the members of which shall de-
vote their whole time. and all the year
round. to legislatins for the state.
"fde legislature Of Kansas is COM
ptAed of Z senate Of forty and 4 house
of 12S members. 30 that the change
pfoposed, II carried out. would per-
manently retire 1865 periodical ofice-
holders. 1t would, also, greatly re-
ducs the state clerical force. There
would be a very considerable annual
saying ia salaries alone But this
would be q small matter compared
with the benefits that would be made
possible by the substitution for the
traditional legislature, made up in
large part of men who arc mere anna.
teurs, of a compact body Of citizens
chosen with regard solely for their
knowledge and ability and experience
in dealing with public questions. OF
course, the requirements to success
full municipal government by commits
sion would apply here even with great
er force. Everything would, depend
upon the attitude Of public thought.
II the people OF Kansas were deter
mined to have good government, they
could get it much more easily through
the workings Of a small than of a
large body, but the very frst essential
would be their devotion, even their
conservation to the welfare of their
commonwealth. A small body might
stvs them worse government than q
largo one. and might be generally
more tnirhical to public interest, once
entrAuched. II the people themselves
we're careless regarding their Affairs.
Under the observation OF IN alert and
discriminating public. sixteen men
could legislate for Kansas better thar
1855. eight better than sixteen. In a
democracy. 1t is the people who must
eventually CONTROL"
APPROPRIATION vETOEs.