The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-02-18


sion is introduced or considered seri-
ously. Senator Heckle's bill is in line
with the veto message of the govern
or, made in 1913, when he attempted
to wipe out the appropriation made
for the tax commission. This was
afterwards overthrow by a decision
in the supreme court.
X i !
Suqgestions-While on the subject
Of reducing the expense of govern
ment by cutting down the number Of
salaried officers and offices it is plain
to be seen that the legislative mind
is working toward that end. We
have measures which propose the
creation of one man to handle the
board of control work, at a salary; to
abolish the position of secretary to
the board of railroad commissioners
and requiring one of the members to
act as secretary; to do away with
the state fire marshal; to wipe out
the game wardens and let the sheriffs
and deputies do the work. Such a
trimming up of the plum trees may
make it look heater, bat many stand
aghast at the short crop that would
result.
X \ \
Official Pig catcher-House bill II,
by c. w. Moses of Pembina county,
has furnished about as much fire.
works as any single bit of proposed
legislation. That is a measur to pro-
vide for the appointment by the gov.
ernor of an official to be known as
state enforcement commissioner and
appropriating $4,000 for maintenance.
AS is we'll known the sheriff, being an
elective officer and needing votes, is
not inclined to get a large number
of the voters indignant at him for
going out of his way" to catch illicit
liquor dealers, commonly known as
blind pigs. Therefore the piggers
flourish wherever popular sentiment
favors them. To meet that situation
citizens have contributed for many
years to the support of an enforce.
ment officer. They have grown weary
of it and now demand that the state
take up the burden of enforcing it's
own laws. Hence Mr.. Moses bill.
Hence also the prohibitionists and
the ants and the liberty league men
have been mingling, as it were, and
the lobbying has been strenuous. The
bill came out of the committee of the
whole in the house with a recommend
that it do pass" and there was Joy
in prohibitiondom.
+ = X
Congressional Districts-It appear
that the present division of the state
into three congressional districts by
two lines running north and south
does not suit everybody. Mr.. Harald
SOL has a measure which would leave
the Red River Valley district number
ed one, as it now is, but would change
the line dividing districts two an
three to run east and west. The eff
feet would be to throw Congressme,
Norton and Young in the same dis
trict-thus multiplying one or the other
of them, and giving an opening tc
some Barkis from the northwest cor
ner Of the state. The bill is not like
ly to pass. But with this Legislature
the most unlikely things happen.
Il X :. =
Stop Hanging-A bill is being Civ
en- serious Observation-Disclosures No
33-to make the penalty for murder
in the first degree life Imprisonment
instead Of hanging. The ~advantag,
of this is that under the old law there
was no chance for pardon after thu
rope had been stretched, whereas I'm
t der the proposed measure the pardon
Ing board could help a little. Com
PLANT has been general over thu
5 number of pardons granted by tn
board, and a number of bills hav,
been introduced by the subcommit
: tee of the judiciary and state affair.
: committees Of the senate restricting
: this power both as to ~pardons ant
paroles. If life Imprisonment mean
q life sentence, North Dakotans ar
not b~loodthirsty and would not de
mand hanging.
! + + !
: Oil lnspection-By some curiou
oversight the measure which proposed
q to ;cut> downrthe, scharge form
: spection of oils imported into tn,
state from rs cents to tx cents a bar
rel had also some other importan
changes worked into it, among thes
: being a nice raise in salary for all in
! spectors, provision for deputies at in
: creased salaries and an increase TO
the chief inspector, as well as certain
! changes in the tests required. It wen
through the senate that way unnotice.
= and might have gone further had no
! Hal Davies, a well known newspaper
man, Investigated and given the mai
ter publicity. The bill was Gale
back from the house and change
back to the original provisions of tn
present law and is once more in til
t house waiting for passage.
i !. !.
CURLING the J~udges-Staale Her
%drickson's proposed amendment t
the constitution, providing that tn