The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-10-20
THREE.

THREE.
IN the proposed Amendments TO the Consti-
tuition there should be appreciation Of Amend
ment number one. That simply proposes "
change the term War of the Rebellion as ap-
plied to the conflict of the sixties in the state
Constitutions, to "War Between the States
Amendment number two increases the pay OIL
members of the General Assembly from four
dollars a day to six dollars a day, and REDUCES
mileage from ten cents a mile to hVe cents d
mile. The actual expenses of members OF the
Legislature are SO much larger now than III
past years that the increase should be made.
These two Amendments have been discussed
in these columns heretofore, and we now pro
coed 10 the third of the proposed ten AmeRd-
ments.
The proposed third Amendment is to restrict
local. private and special legislation By the Gen
eral Assembly. It will prove a time saver, q
money saver, and will tend to bring such mat
tiers close to the people affected. By this
Amendment many matters now taking up the
time of the Legislature will be acted upon by
county boards Of commissioners and town coun-
ellis, and this will give the General Assembly
opportunity to give the proper attention to mat
ters of Statewide Importance. Indeed it is pos
sible that this may tend to lessen the length of
legislative sessions. 1t would increase its eff
cheney as a law-making body.
Have you ever attended a session Of the Gen
eral Assembly? Have you ever read the reports
of the proceedings as published in the news
papers,! Have you ever examined a copy OF the
laws passed and noted those not passed but de-
bated? II you have done any Of these things
you will have seen that the time of the Legisla-
ture Of North Carolina has been largely con-
su1ned IN looking after measures of little, if any,
State importance, that thousands Of little local
bills have gotten in the way Of the consideration
of measures of great importance. that valuable
time has been frtttered away upon bills about
sawdust In streams, dog taxes for townships,
chickens running at large and such like matters.
Such things as these can be attended to by
county and city authorities, while others can be
made the subject of uniform legislation. At
tention to these little matters keeps the mem
bers Of the Legislature In bondage, eats up
their time, and gives but a brief period to them
to study and act on matters Of real Importance
to the State. The adoption Of this Amendment
will give opportunity to members to attend to
matters Of interest to all the people, while mat
ters pertaining strictly to county, town and city
| affairs can be looked after in those places. This
| Amendment empowers the General Assembly to
! pass general laws regulating the matters set
out in the section Of the Constitution which re-
fers to local, special and private matters. Its
adoption will clear the way for the Legislature
to do real business with dispatch.
We speak from actual observation in saying
that valuable time is lost in every session Of the
General Assembly because there are thousands
of these little bills thrown into the legislative
hopper which absolutely waste the time Of the
Legislature. AS it stands there is now no wav
to get rid Of these things unless the people vote
to end such a waste Of time and money. The
people will be the gamer by the passage of this
Amendment. and every voter in North Carolina
should enter in his memory OF in his memoran-
dunn book: Il am certainly going to vote for
the adoption Of Amendment number three"
From day to day the other proposed Amend
ments and their value to the people will be dis
cussed in these columns. This paper, after the
most careful investigation and consideration
advises the people Of North Carolina that each
and all OF the proposed ten Amendments should