Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1916-06-26
PREPAREDNESS IS
IN LEGISLATIVE
L|MEL|CHT NOW
Only New York. However, Has
Actually Passed Defense
Laws Other important
Statutes of Year,


been remarkable for its comparative
bly, neglible amount of progress, ac-
cording to the annual canvass which
+ The Associated Press has made Of leg
islatlVe activity in the various states.
As compared with last year, when
! forty-one of the forty-eight states held
legislative sessions and a great many
measures were adopted, the past
I twelve months have constituted an
off-year, the lawmakers of only four
teen states having held any sessions
All of these, with the exception of Ok
lahoma and Louisiana, are states east
OF the Mississippi river. and, in addi-
ton to the two states named they
are Massachusetts,, Rhode Island New
/ York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia,
! Illinois, Kentucky, south Carolina,
Georgia, Florida and Mississippi. In
/ the other states the legislatures meet
/ biennially.
Preparedness stressed.
There are, however, a number of
outstanding features of general inter-
est connected with the work Of the
few legislatures which met one is
/ that new phase Of legislation has
arisen during the year, namely, the
question OF state military preparation,
/ preparedness New York state, how
ever, which has been the first to take
! legislative action in the matter by
strengthening her national guard and
preparing for military training in
public schools, appears to have been
| the only state that has actually en-
| acted any new preparedness measures
| the past year. New Jersey created n
/ commission to investigate the subject
Of military training in high schools TO
report TO the 1917 legislature, but in
! the reports at hand OF the sessions in
| the other twelve states where the Leg
| slatures met this year there appears
10 mention Of action along these
I ines.
The New York legislators pledged
| to the president and congress the
states unqualified support in action
necessary to maintain the honor Of
/ the nation in any crisis. The legisa-
| tors appropriated 100000 to provide
for the first mobilization OF the en-
tire national guard Of the sflte in ex-
ercise camps this summer, and maxi
ing that sum available for immediate
use should other crises develop
TO Train Pupils.
| 1t provided for military, disciplin-
/ airy and physical training of all pub
+ lie school pupils, The physical and dis
ciphnary to all more than eight years
of age, and the military to apply to
! all male youths. whether students or
not between the ages of sixteen and
nineteen, the only exemption being In
eases where the young are employed
continuously as a means of livelihood.
! 1t also authorized the governor to
prepare a reserve militia list TO be
composed of all males between the
ages of eighteen and forty-fiVe, from
which may be drafted al any time suf-
/ fleient numbers to fill up the compile
ment Of the militia or any Of its de-
tachments
Suffrage Progresses Slowly.
Woman's suffrage. which during
the year of l9l4-15, was referred by
the legislatures of several states to
the vote of the people, and which re-
celved a setback at the elections in
1 four Atlantic states-~New York, New
jersey PENNSYLVANIA and Massachu-
setts-received comparatively little
favorable action during the past legis-
lative season The New York law
makers, however. took the first step
forward, the resubmission of the ref
erendum on the matter in 1917, but in
order for the referendum to be held
the resolution in favor of it must be
adopted again next year. In Kentucky
after a series of defeats in previous
! legislatures, "a measure in favor of
referendum on woman's suffrage was
passed by the senate, but failed in the
lhouSe. In Louisiana, Virginia. FlOri-
da and Mississippi, woman suffrage
measures We're defeated, and in
/ Rhode Island the suffrage bill re-
NAMED in the files of the committee
on special legislation. There were no
other states which appear to have
considered the subject.
Women Are Benefited.
Women, however profit to a con-
siderable extent through many meas
ures which were passed during the
/ year For instance in Rhode island
| an act was passed TO prohibit night
work for women and children, in
South Carolina the child labor law
twas amended to make the limit four
teen years instead of twelve for child
rem in mines and factories, while
Maryland passed a mothers pension
law providing state aid TO needy Wild
owed mothers who have dependent
children under fourteen years of age
There are already thirty states in
which workmen's compensation laws
are in effect, and one state. Virginia,
indicates "A possibility of falling in
! line, having passed a joint resolution
/ for a commission to report ON a work
! mems compensation bill at the session
/ in 1918. In Massachusetts the labor
/ leaders succeeded in having an amend
ment to the Workmen's compensation
lact reducing from fourteen 10 ten
| days the waiting period when injured
employees shall receive compensation,
and a resolution was passed for an in
Nestigation of the advisahility of es-
tahlshing a new rate for compensa-
ton insurance Two small loan acts
We're also passed in Massachusetts,,
one establishing the rate of interest on
small loans at per cent month,
ana the other exempting from assign
ment three-fourhs of mans wages,
stipulating further that no assignment
of married mans wages can be
made unless the written consent of the
wife has been obtained New York
state extended to additional classes
the benefits Of the workmen's com
pensation law of 1914. Illinois pro-
vided an additional appropriation for
its civil service commission and for
free employment offices, while New
Jersey recognized its department OF
labor and created a workmens COM
pensation aid bureau.
Liquor Traffic Restricted.
The further restriction of liquor
traffic is provided by new laws in
Georgia, Florida, South Carolina. Mis-
sissippi, and in some particulars, in
few other states. Georgia, at an
extra session last fall. enacted three
liquor laws. one to prohibit the sale