Condon globe. (Condon, Gilliam Co., Or.) 189?-1919, 1917-01-19
HOUSE HAS FEWER BILLS
THAN AT FORMER SESSIONS

the initial week was the small number
OF bills introduced in the house as
compared with previous sessions,
With four and half days Of work
only "a bills and few routine resolu.
tions appeared on the calendar. while
two years ago 1o2 bills appeared dur.
ing the same period. II the house
keeps up this record II win have ap.
proSimately $50 bills before It. where
as during recent sessions the bills In
troiuced have approximated one thou.
sand, and should this proportion be
kept up during the session. the pres.
ent house will have established 4 rec
ord for having introduced fewer bills
than any house in the past decade.
Bills Come In Slowly.
But all this seeming slowness is TO
the credit rather than the discredit
OF the house. for Il is not the guam.
tity but the quality of Legislative work
that the public is interested in. and
great multitude OF measures usually
means feverish haste, tumult, logroll.
ing and riot in the closing days OF the
session.
Speaker Stanfield has been urging
members TO get busy and introduce
their bills, believing that II they are
going to introduce bills they should
get them in and cut OF the way before
the important work of the session is
taken up.
In the senate no encouragement for
the introduction OF bills is needed, as
the record is slightly greater than two
years ago. There were IS bills on
the senate calendar as compared with
70 at the previous session.
First Measure ls Dry Memorial.
The first measure of any kind con.
sidered by both houses at this session
was the joint memorial. by Senator
Eddy, petitioning congress to vote the
District OF Columbia dry. The senate
put 1t through unanimously. but seven
representatives voted no.
None OF the important measures
that are sure TO come up made their
appearance during the first week.
The joint committees on alcoholic
traffic, roads and highways and In.
surance have been worrying over the
rarious relative problems confronting
them under this same plan. The com
mittee on alcoholic traffic expects to
lnify all the conflicting suggestions
and proposals that have sprung up
surrounding the proposed bone dry
measure. It will sit in open hearings
to hear and discuss the various argu.
ments that may be presented for or
against the measure, either by mem.
bers of the legislature, or the general
public
New Insurance Code Scanned.
The insurance committees of house
and senate have been scanning the In.
surance code prepared by Insurance
Commissioner Harvey Wells, and are
now ready to hold open hearings on
that measure, section by section and
class by class.
The committees Of the two houses
are following new course this year,
sort of reversal of previous prac.
ices, and it is proving to be decided
Improvement The committees are
considering the proposed legislation
in advance of its introduction. This
is true of the military committee, the
insurance committee and, to a certain
extent, the alcoholic traffic commit.
tee. 1t always has been the practice
Of the ways and means committee to
liscuss appropriations before the bills
providing for them have been intro.
duced.
The advantage of this plan is that
time will be saved on the floor of the
.wo houses. When the insurance code,
he military code. the prohibition bill
and some Of the road bills come be-
ore the house and senate the com.
nittee members will be fully informed
IN them and will be able to advise
)ther members.
Consolidation Of Commissions Likely.
Every indication points to the fact
hat the legislature means business
IN the question OF consolidation Of
commissions and thu elimination a.
duplicating features of the work of
such boards.
The question Of consultations and
Adjustments of departments or com.
missions also will enter into the cal. |
culations of The two committees and |
1t is probable that they will make an |
effort to save money in this direction,
In order that more funds may be Sc.
cured for meeting institutional needs. |
Joint meetings of the two commit.
tees will begin this week and a steady