The Devils Lake world and inter-ocean. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1915-1920, 1915-03-11
NO C0NFuSIoNAT
END OF SESSION
Legislature Just Closed Kept
Work Well In Hand.
ALL MEASURES GET HEARING
First Time on Record That No Bills
Were Permitted to Die In
Pigeonhoie.

Bismarck - Especially The -Four
tsenth legislative assembly has passed
into history. Unique in methodical,
b~usinesslike attention to Its duties, 1t
is probably the first session that aver
adjourned In the state without the
orgy of confusion Of the final night.
Each body cleared its chamber OF its
own bills ten days before the end of
the session and devoted Its attention
to the bills of the other house for
those days. True, some delays were
%occasioned by amendments to bills
which required conference commit
tees, but there was time for careful.
unhurried consideration and confer
ence, and in most instances conces-
sions were made that avoided dead
locks. 1t is likewise true that this is
the first session when all bills were
acted upon and none died in pigeon
hole. A new rule requiring reports
upon all bills within a limited time
prevented the old game Of death by
~asphyXiation, a method hoary with
age and precedent. Again it is true
that never before has the governor
been able to act upon appropriation
bills previous to the adjournment OF
the legislature, for the reason that he
and trim them down in amount to
come within the revenues Of the state.
On the day before the close of the
session a great many appropriation
measures had not only been APPROX
ed by the governor. and in the hands
Of the secretary of state, but were
actually in type, preparatory to print
ing the Session Laws.
\ !. j.
About the Emergency-The usual
large number of bills have been
passed with what is known as the
emergency clause" attached. These
are the aristocrats among the bills,
for they are supposed to go into eff
feet at once upon signature by the
governor, instead Of waiting, as the
others must, until July 1, next, to go
into effect. There seems to be some
misunderstanding somewhere about
the effectiveness of this old fashioned
emergency clause in the light of the
passage of the initiative and refer
endum amendment to the constitu-
ton, which was approved by the vot-
ers last November. This clause
seems to modify or change the old
method. The new amendment reads:
when it is necessary for the imme-
date preservation Of the public health,
peace or safety that a law shall be-
come effective without delay, such
necessity shall be stated in one sec.
ton of the bill, and if upon an aye
and no vote in each house two-thirds
OF the members elected to each house
shall vote on a separate roll call in
favor of said law going into instant
operation such law shall
become operative upon approval by
the governor Elsewhere the amend.
ment provides that ninety days shall
tive, in order to permit the right OF
petition. But this session, although
il has passed many bills with emer.
gency clauses. can nowhere show an
adherence to the two-thirds vote and
separate rollcall of each house as re-
quired. This, if it should be invoked
would occasion some dismay and dis
arrange some plans hat have been
laid There have been rumors of All
action to knock out these emergency
measures and hold them from going
into force for the constitutional ninety
days.
4 :. 4
White as the Snow.-The legisla
tive committee which investigated the
state bank examiner returned it's re
Fort and found the examiner vel
within his rights and duties in having
taken Mr.. Youmans' bank at Mino
from him and giving it to other Mino'
men. It found Mr.. Youmans guilty O.
piracy, or mayhem, or something
equally as good, and while he escape.
the penalty for the crime or crimes
he has had his warning, and is not ex
pected to rush into print again witt
charges of having been legally robhet
of his bank. Surely Job wasn't ia
wrong when he cried: "Oh, that mine
enemy would write a book!" Mr.
Youmans' authorship seems only t.
have given his enemies another chanc
at him.
X = x
Not Quite So White-The committee
investigating the board of control o
penal and charitable institutions will
regard to it's diversion of public fund
at jamestown did not give the boart
such a clear bill of health. In fact i
rather slapped the board on the wis
in several places, such as when it's re
port stated that there is a crying nee
for a reorganization of the interna
business management of the asylum
that the board had permitted employe
of the asylum to suppress evidence o
TO present it in such shape as to leav'
the committee in the dark; that tn
board had thwarted, set itself abov'
and disregarded the commands Of tn
legislature; that it's plans had reduce,