Evening star., 1916-06-26
STATE LEGISLATION
DURING PAST YEAR
Negligible Amount of Progress
Is Shown in Review of
Work.
MILITARY PREPARATION
ONE OF BIG FEATURES
Woman's Suffrage Gets Little Favor.
able Action-Many Restrictions
Thrown About Liquor Sales.

NEW YORK, June 26.-The state leg
aslatiYe year of 1856 in the United
States, ending with the adjournment
soon of the Louisiana legislature, has
been remarkable for its comparatively
negligible amount of progress, accord
ang to the annual canvass which the
Associated Press has made of legisla-
tive activity in the various states.
AS compared with last year, when
fortx-one of the forty-eight states held
legislative sessions and a great many
progressive measures were adopted, the
past twelve months have constituted an
of-year. the lawmakers of only four
teen states having held any sessions.
All Of these. with the exception of Ok
lehoma and Louisiana. are states east
of the Mississippi river: and. in addition
TO the two states named. they are Massa- =
chusette. Rhode Island, New York, New
Jersey. Maryland. Virginia, Illinois,
Kentucky, South Carolina, Florida.
Georgia and Mississippi. In the other
states the legislatures meet biennially.
New Phase of Legislation.
There are. however. number of out
connected with the work of the few
legislatures which met. One is that a
new phase of legislation has arisen
during the year: namely. the question
OF state military preparation, as part of
the general movement for prepared
ness. New York state. however. which
has been the first to take legislative
action in the matter, by strengthening
her National Guard and providing for
military training in public schools, ap-
pears to have been the only state that
has actually enacted any new prepared
ness measures the past year New Jer-
% Eey created a commission 10 investi-
gate the subject of military training in
high schools and to report to the 1917
legislature, but in the reports at hand
OF the sessions in the other twelve
states where the legislatures met this
year there appears no mention of ac-
tion along these lines.
The New York legislature pledged to
the President and Congress the states
unqualified support In action neces-
,eary to maintain the honor of the ma
;fion in any crisis. The legislators ap-
.propriated $500 600 TO provide for the
Guard of the state in exercise camps
This summer. and making that sum
available for Immediate use should
other crises develop.
1t provided for military. disciplinary
Rnd physical training OF all public
6chool pupils. the physical and discip-
binary TO all more than eight years OF
hge and the military to apply to all
4nale youths. whether students or not
3between the ages of sixteen and nine
Aeen. the only exemption being in cases
where the young men are employed
continuously as a means of livelihood.
1t also authorized the governor 10
prepare reserve militia list to be
composed Of all males between the ages
of eighteen and forty-fve, from which
may be drafted at any time sufficient
numbers to fill up the complement OF
the militia or any of Its detachments.
Little Favorable Suffrage Action.
Woman suffrage. which during the
year of 1s14-l5 was referred by the
legislatures OF several states to the
vote of the people. and which received
O setback at the elections in four At
lantic states-New York, New Jersey
Pennsylvania and Massachusetts-re-
ceived comparatively little fayo! able
action during the past legislative sea.
son. The New York lawmakers, Row
ever. took the first step toward the
yesubmission of the referendum on ths
matter in 1917. but In order for the
referendum to be held the resolution IL
favor of II must be adopted again next
year. In Kentucky, after a series oi
defeats in previous legislatures, a
,rneasure in favor of referendum or
woman suffrage was passed by th'
:eenate. but failed in the House. Ir
Louisiana. Virginia, Florida and Mis-
sissippi woman suffrage measures
were defeated, and in Rhode Island tn
Su6raEs bill remained in the nlss Of thu
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