The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-01-29
STATE AFFAIRS
COMMITTEE HAS
ITS WORRY NON
Consideration of House Bill No. "a
VIII Occupy Entire Atten-
ton
MAJORITY DIVIDED ON
ACTION TO BE TAKEN

ACTION TO BE TAKEN
The state affairs committee Tor the
next few days will have plenty 10
worry about. House bill No. a was
thankfully resigned TO its care by the
senate Saturday. Just what the COM
mirtee on state affairs will do with the
incubus no one seems to know II
will be expected to do something very
soon, and whatever that something
may be will be condemned on one side
as much as it may be praised on the
other.
1t is understood that the committee
intends to consider only the constltu-
tionality of the bill and that the ma
iority report, which may come in to-
morrow, will oppose its passage on the
grounds of unconstitutionality. There
will be minority report, recommend
ing that the bill do pass.
What May Happen.
Two things may happen TO house
bill No "A in the senate. 1t may be
amended to meet the senates ideas OF
what is right and proper, passed as
amended and returned TO the house for
its concurrence in the amendments.
Or il may be defeated on third reading.
In either case. it is extremely doubt
ful whether the more radical leaguers
will be satisfied, as it is practically
certain that the bill, if passed, will
carry some of the amendments which
were so strenuously objected to and
so determinedly voted down IN the
house.
The situation, as regards this bill,
is reversed upon its arrival in the SEN
ate. The senate ma jOrity Of conserVa-
tives, stalwarts or whatever the people
may be pleased TO call them, is not so
decided as is the league majority in
the house. but il is just as determined
and apparently has all OF the formers
cohesive qualities. Great pressure IS
being brought 10 bear upon this ma
jority Petitions received to date IN
favor of the passage of No. "A contain
more than 800 names. it is said. and
come from practically every district
in the state Some petitions have come
from citizens opposing the passage OF
the bill. and one or two letters have
been received from signers OF the lea
que petitions asking that their names
be withdrawn.
the disparity in number OF petitions
really is not SO significant as it might
seem, for the effort has all been on
one side. The league since the open
ing of the session has eXerted every
energy to arouse its members to de-
mand the adoption of its program The
Non Partisan Leader in all its issues
since house bill No. a. first was framed
has carried printed petitions with
blanks for its readers to fill in, and
league members everywhere have been
urged through the columns of this Or
gan, by letters from President Town
ley. in mass meetings and through
personal calls from league organizers
to lombard their senators with petit
tons and letters. The faction opposed
to the league program, if such a fac
ton may be said to exist, has resOrted
to none of these tactics, and majority
of the petitions requesting the senate
to stand pat have been of voluntary
nature, uninspired.
Different Views.
The senate majority itself is not in
entire accord at this moment on NJ.
A. There are two factions, one favor
ing the amendment of the present bill,
holding that the legislature may have
authority to act as constitutional
the other insisting that
the legislature has no right to act on
the question in any way until it has
been submitted TO vote of the people.
EXponents Of legislative revision feel
that the senate, in amending and pass
ing the leagues bill, will have cleared
itself of any blame in the matter and
cannot be accused of delaying pro-
gress. Those opposed to legislative
revision in any form hold that no mat
ter how popular an unconstitutional
act may be, the legislature has no
right to engage in such act.
One very safe bet is that with the
senate in its present mood, with a ma
jority of n to %, will not pass No. A
in the form in which it came from the
house.
Another safe bet is that the senate
chamber will not be large enough to
hold the crowds which will attend the
debates next week-should there be
any debates-with the predicted army
of 1000 to 1000 Equity men in the
city, February 6, Z, s and 9.
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H. B. 81. Keitzman-Requiring anti
tuberculosis literature to be posted in
public places. public health)
n. B. IS, Geiger-Proving all county
mutual insurance companies now or
ganized or hereafter shall be perpetu-
al. Law now says life of such com.