Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-02-10
DISPOSITION
TO DELAY CIVIL
CODE MEASURE
Members Of House and Senate
Feel That Magnitude of Bill
Cannot Be pigeSted in
Present Session.
From q Sac correspondent.

From a staff Correspondent.
Lincoln, Feb. 9.-There seems to
be a disposition on the part OF some
Of the more influential members OF
both the house and senate OF the
present legislature to advise that
Governor McKelvie's civil admins
tration code bill be delayed until
after the constitutional convention
will have been held and will have
consumated its labors.
They seem to feel that the civil
code bill is OF such magnitude and
Importance that its provisions cam
not easily be digested in this ses-
sion and some of them are appalled,
at the labor that will be involved IN
the consideration Of the bill.
When finally engrossed, printed
and prepared for reading, It will be
BY far the bulkiest document that
has ever yet been submitted to a
Nebraska legislative assembly. It IS
estimated that the physical act OF
reading the code bill alone will take
up at least IA days, or more than IL
hours.
Then there will be the enormous
amount Of time that will have to be
devoted 10 debate, discussion OF
amendments and all the other dis
fractions that usually accompany the
passage Of law.
The argument those members Of
the legislature are using who are OPP
posed to the code at the. present
time is that it would be better 20
wait for the constitutional conven-
ton to perform its duties and when
that body will have done SO, tol
svnchronize the McKelvie civil ad-
nInistration code bill to the constr
tuition as amended.
Question Of Delegates.
In the meantime the question as to
the manner of nominating delegates,
me provisions for the special cleo
tion. and the nature Of the qualitca-
lions of delegates to the constitu-
tionaf convention is one that IS veX-
ing the more thoughtful OF the So
Ions. -.
legislature the question of the hold |
mo of a constitutional convention
was submitted to the people for their
approval. At the general election
the proposition of holding the con-
yention received a popular majority;
The law provides that there shall
he The same number of delegates 70
the convention that there are mem
hers of the house of representatives
and thew shall be elected in the same |
manner. The presumption is that
ne qualifications of candidates Tor |
he position of delegate shall be the |
same as TO residence and other re-
strictions as those of person run
ming for the office of representative.
Some of the members OF the leg
stature are OF the opinion that tnis
Is an unfortunate time tor the CALI
ing OF a constitutional convention |
Il IS a period OF transition, they ar
que. and a time when conditions are |
not normal. They say that a consti-
tuition IS not thing to be built tor
year, or even for a decade, but |
should be so fashioned that it Will |
meet the conditions that will obtain
Tor half a century or more.
Revision Is Important.
In fashioning the revised consti-
tuition, they say, only men OF the
broadcast vision and sanest minds and
best abilities in the state should be
selected. How to accomplish this is
question. 1t is not known whether
the delegates are to be selected by
the primary system or by mass
convention.
Iohn L. Webster, one of Omaha's
leading attorneys, when interviewed
as to this phase of the question, said:
THE legislature now in session can,
should its discretion so provide, tail
to call a constitutional convention
al this time. Should it deem it ad-
visable to hold constitutional con-
vention, It can pass law providing
for the same and it can be directed
10 introduce 9 bill Of this character
in either house of the legislature by
a proclamation of the governor.
1.-THE legislature has the power, IN
my opinion, to prescribe the man
ner III which the delegates to the
convention can be Nominated and
their names placed before the cleo
tors in a special election. A nomi-
mating convention can be called and
provision made that the same can
be made at a call of the different
chairmen of the state central conf
mittees OF the various political par
ties legally recognized in Nebraska.
III has even been suggested by
some of the members of the legis-
lature that the matter of providing
Asasakeaaa1 he I
left to a special session to meet at
some later and more opportune
time.
Progress in Educational Question.
During the past week several
meetings of the house COMMITTEES
on education have been held and as
result of the hearings the prob
lem Of Americanizing all OF the
schools of the state is coming to
condition Of clarity.
Nearly every bill introduced in
the house that dealt with the sub
iect was rather loosely drawn and
met with objection to some features
oy the representatives of the differ
mt organizations which appeared
before the committee.
Paul Martin, dean of the Creigh-
ton college law school, pointed out
section in the Lampert bill which,
he said, was in the law authorizing
he erection OF industrial school
buildings.
Mr.. Lampert responded: Il &C
knowledge all of our bills are rather
faulty. We had an, idea OF what we
wanted to accomplish and we would
submit our views to the Legislative |
reference bureau and they would |