The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-02-25
Legislators Very Busy as End
Of Session Draws Near.
BIG MEASURES DISPOSED OF
Some Are Given Approval of Law
makers, but Many Are Thrown
Into the Discard.

ming of the end is in sight. The six
tieth and final day of the Fourteenth
legislative session falls upon Friday
March 5. Tuesday, Feb. %, ended the
time in which committees may report
on bills. Bills not reported out on
that date, unless excepted by some
special act of grace, died in their
pigeonholes. On that day the house
turned to a consideration of the SEN
ate bills which the senate had passed
and on the same day the senate turn
ed to a consideration of the house
bills which the house has passed.
This left each body ten days for the
consideration of each others bills. 1t
will also prevent that last moment
scramble and rush that has been the
occasion of so much adverse com
ment. The house and senate at pres.
ent are each grinding out between fiji
teen and twenty bills each day-tha
is, giving them third reading and finai
passage. 1t is done methodically and
carefully and if the present pace is
maintained the last night will be one
of peace on earth and good will to
men for the Legislature. In 1913 the
house had sol bills introduced and
the senate 3SS; this session the house
has 476 and the senate 315.
!. X 4
Women Win-Bronson's concurrent
resolution calling for the amendment
of the constitution so as to omit the
word male from the section pre-.
scribing the qualifications Of electors
passed the senate by the surprisingly
large vote of SO to IA. 1t then went
to the house and the best guessers
refuse to venture an opinion as to
what will happen there. If it should
pass the house the question will be
submitted to the voters in 1916, the
same resolution having passed the
legislature in 1913. Later the senate
recalled the bill for further consid.
eration."
Will Investigate-The senate has
%concurred in the house resolution
asking for an investigation of the
charges made in the book. T.egaliZed
Bank Robbery" published by Gran,
S. Youmans of Minot. This is tho
Haraldson resolution and a commit
tee has been appointed and is making
preparation for beginning on it.
work. The f'reitag resolution callins
for an investigation OF the railroad
commissioners has been killed.
The jamestown Muddle-The legis
lative Investigating committee has re
turned from its trip to jamestown
where evidence was taken upon the
charges against the board Of contro
and the management Of the asylum
for the insane. The committee is still
holding sessions and the date for the
filing of its findings does not seem tt
be near. Both sides are nervous a:
to the outcome and it is evident tina
some conditions have been uncovered
that will not prove popular if ordi
nary publicity is given them. Thi'
is particularly true with reference tt
extravaganza, not only in the con
struction of the buildings but in tn
employment of help and in the vast
and misrepresentation of the goods o
the state. This is aside from tn
main question Of the right of tn
board to use the money for purposes
other than those fixed by Legislative
enactment. The latest feature o
what now promises to be a "caus'
celebre" is the filing of an affidavit
Of a former matron of the institution
which contains charges that are sen
s%ational. To this has been added tn
taking of the whole matter into tn
courts, a restraining order having
been granted by Judge Coffey of tn
Fifth district forbidding the paymen
Of any bills or the auditing of an.
accounts for the work done, contrar.
to the legislative enactment, at tn
asylum for the insane at Jamestown
+ + X
Warfare Over Courts-Hendricl
sons bill for an amendment to tn
constitution requiring a unanimous dc
cision of the supreme court befor
any law may be declared %unconstitu
tional was amended in the senate t
provide that four Of the five Judge
would be sufficient. This did not sal
isfy the house and conference CON
mittees have been asked for and ar
pointed. A bill that seems likely o
passage is that placing the judges o
probate court on the nonpartisan bal
lot in the primary and general cleo
lions.
!. !. i.
Enforcement Otficer-f the wome
we're strong in securing the resubmis
sion of the suffrage question in tn
senate they seemed to have been equa
ly strong in securing the passage o
house bill II in the house. This /
the measure that provides for a stat
enforcement officer, whose duty it il
made to search out infractions of tn,
prohibition, gambling and like law
and to bring the offenders to judS