The true Democrat. [volume] (Bayou Sara [La.]) 1892-1928, 1914-06-06
WASTING TIME AND MONEY.


Senator G. w. Smith has given
notice that he will introduce a consti.
tutional amendment next week abol-
ishing the state legislature and sub
stituting a board of state managers
therefor 1t is not surprising that such
a measure should be proposed, nor
would it be at all impossible that an
amendment to that effect should be
adopted. The people of the state are
becoming disguised at the inefficiency
displayed by the legislature and the
manner in which it wastes time on
trifles.
Last week, for instance, was the
third week of nine weeks session
when the serious work of the term
ought to be well advanced. The chief
topics of interest in Baton Rouge were,
not the serious measures discussed in
advance by the people of the state,
the needs of the state institutions and
the various plans for increasing the
revenue, but the capitol-removing bill
which the people of the state never
heard of until after the session opened,
the Davey anti-photo bill, aimed to
head off needed police regulation in
New Orleans, which should have been
promptly kicked out of the legislature
as soon as it was offered, and the
Reinhardt race-gambling measure,
doomed to defeat from the minute it
was thought of.
During the coming week, the House
will indulge in mid-week junket to
Alexandria to inspect" the free site
offered for the state house in case the
state capital should be moved there.
This will have as much significance as
cheap excursion to Alexandria, since
all the legislators represent will be
their own votes. The people of Louisi-
ana will say whether or not the state
capital shall be moved; all the legisla.
ture has to do with it is to decide
whether there is sufficient demand for
its removal to warrant the submission
of the question to them, and everybody
knows that there is no such demand
and that the state is not in a financial
position to undertake the removal
even If it were desirable. Yet the leg.
islature will probably waste this week
the fourth of the session-upon this
useless junket.
The Davey anti-photo bill is another
fool proposition that the country mem.
bers are failing for under a mistaken
idea that they are playing some kind
of politics. 1t is never good politics to
oppose something merely because you
have political dislike for It's propos.
ers. The New Orleans police regula.
ton requiring that photos of persons
to whom chauffeur's licenses are is.
sued shall be kept on file is a good
measure, so far as we can Judge. Al
any rate, it is matter for that city to
settle. Why should the state NEEDLE
with it? Why should every city in the
state be forbidden to require chauf
feurs to keep their photos on file with
the police merely because some of the
New Orleans people do not want such
a measure? If some Lake Charles
people should rush to the legislature
and ask that body to pass a general
law forbidding cities to narrow the
paved portion of streets under any cir
Icumstances, just because some Broad
Istreet property owners objected to q
neutral ground, 1t would be parable
case.
| Up to Thursday 317 bills had beer
introduced and were on the calendar
|One-third of the session had passed
and yet bills of the following kline
were still being introduced:
| BY Mr.. Mills-Prohibiting dogs over
six months old from running at large
without muZzles.
| By Mr.. Lattier-To prohibit Sunday
hunting and fishing by police juries.
| By Mr.. Generelly-To regulate is
|suance of dog license, to require photo
graph of dogs before any municipality
Jean issue same.
/ BY Mr. Earhart-To require munic
Iipalities to exact payment of 25-cent
license for dances and fish.frys.
i No wonder Senator Smith proposes
a state board of managers to take the
iplace of this aimlessness and inef
Efficiency