The Sentinel=record., 1918-07-28
LEGISLATURE ABOLISHED.

One of the most radical departures that will be offered the people as a fruit Of the constitutional convention will be the changing from the legis- lative system of lawmaking as in vogue since the state was admitted into the union, to single unit of leg islative power. with the people as the medium of balance
 The proposed change is one that practically abolishes the legislature The legislative methods of the past have been found cumbersome. costly and ineffective. Some sort of change was sure to result. The unicameral system, system new to this country but not new to history. was proposel considered seriously, and on first i'm pulse, favored. There may be ma terial changes yet made in the plan but as a whole, the unicameral sys- tenn is interesting.
 This system proposes the abolish ment of the house of 100 members, and the senate of 35 members, and instead of double unit body, pro- yides that single legislative body of S6 men shall make the laws of the state.
 If the proposal stopped there. 1t would at once be pronounced auto cratic, and would not meet with fav- or. But this body of 36 men have many restrictions thrown about their work. For instance, if the scheme is adopted, they would meet in theis first session in January. two years hence, and within brief session of thirty days or less, would go over and digest such legislation as they beiIeve should be enacted. boil it down, out line it quickly, and have the proposals submitted through the press to the people. Then there would be a SIX months lapse. and then a second ses- sion of the legislative body, and that session would be for adopting or re- jecting the legislation that had been proposed six mouths before.
 In brief, the big advantage is that the proposals for legislation would be made public. The lawmakers could not make any law except six months after it is proposed The proposal session proposes, the proposals are discussed and digested by the people, six months elapses for due reflectionI of the proposed laws, and then comes the enacting session.
 Even under this form alone the people might not be sufficiently rep resented. but in connection with this. the initiative and referendum is made effective, and the people are of them selves lawmaking body for such ob- Jects and purposes as they desire
 Therew ould be economy in the changed system. and there are other appealing phases of it.
 However, this is not an argument in it's favor, for it needs much dis cussion and thought before so radical a departure from our legislative sys- tenn is finally made. It is merely for the purpose of inviting public opinion on a matter of the most vital interest urlhc oAi VA1itA ftSfcldilUH DfQifBttN from the new constihtional conven- tion, the people have the last say, and may approve or disapprove, as their judgment dictates.
 The Garland county delegates sup ported the proposed change, not par ticularly that they would if within their power have so suddenly altered system of long standing, but that the subject should come within the proposals from the convention. and for the people to choose between the old and the new which they preferred.
 There is doubt yet about whether the new constitution will be submitted as a whole unit, or by sections. There are many advocates Of both forms of submission. Perhaps the most demo-