Arizona republican., 1919-03-30
"A Review of The State
 Legislature Department

matters affecting the bill And of course is a physical impossibility for ! each legislator to personally acquaint | himself with all the facts behind and surrounding the bill and it's reason for being introduced. But there the ! bills are, and they must be acted on either faVorably or unfavorabIy; ana all one can do iS if the bill appear on it's face to be reasonable, act ac- cordingly. Frequently when a par ticular bill is offered for some political strategy or personal gain, great m- genuitY is displayed to camouflage its real aspect Another favorite trick is to stampede" the legislature with a rush bill that is alleged to be most imperative. Another resourceful trick is to take advantage of the general tendency of a legislator to consider only the title of bill, knowing that if the title has a nice sounding name, or contains a popular catch phrase, or embraces 0 hypnotizing popular fad, the legislators seldom look care fully into the details of the bill, though these very details may in themselves be most vicious. This de- feet then, the rush and hurry of it all, is briefly summed up under the description All sail and no ballast" It is too long to present in all de- tails so that the average citizen may grasp it fully. but it is there, and is one of the most pronounced as well as profound of defects.
 Another defect deals with the lack of knowledge by the general run of legislators as to the business details of the state. How many of my read | CTS know the cost of running any 1 one, not alone all, of the depart ments and institutions of the state? Yet your legislators are made Up of us common people. Reports are gen orally long detailed in a way. dull, and made up by one who knows all i the facts, but are to be read by a leg islator who usually knows nothing of the facts. Remember, any bank state ment looks all right. unless the ex- aminer sees beyond the statement
 And so it is with reports. They always look all right. But how is the Iegis- lator to know? There is little if any opportunity to review conditions or reports before the session con- venes. And usually it is too late to gain that information after the ses- sion cOnvenes, because it is safe to
 say that the legislator has all he can possibly attend to in giving his full
 attention to what is going on right
 under his nose. There is also a lack
 of opportunity to jointly discuss nec-
 essary prospective legislation, before drawing q bill. To a large extent this is left to political parties to de-
 Velop-but always with a political
 end to attain. There appears need
 for more complete, detailed and ef-
 ficient reports being placed in the
 hands of the legislators, dealing with
 state departments and institutions.
 in readable shape so that the aver
 age man can read and understand
 them, and in a sufficient time before
 the session convenes, so tht when he
 takes up his duties he can be better
 posted. And in some manner. this
 should be supplemented by actual
 personal observation. At present the
 sessions meet too soon after the new
 administration takes office The new
 incumbent himself is not familiar with
 his duties and can be of little as
 sistance.
 : Not infrequently poorly drawn bills . are offered, erroneous in grammar, or lacking sufficient detailed attention
 that may be essential. Occasionally
 these bills may be amended, but for
 the most part time is too vital to waste, and if Q bill is not well drawn,
 it is rejected or else it is passed as
 it is. with all it's defects to remain for all time to come as a monument
 to the intelligence CD of the whole
 state and to cause the citizen tc thereafter cuss everything connected | with the legislature.
 | 1 presence in the legislature of mem bers who have a pet hobby. or who | go to represent but one particular
 class of people or one particular ob- ject, rather than the interests of the | whole state. If man has but one
 idea in his head, and that one limited
 solely to one particular obect Of loca | significance, he may be good for that | one line, but he is exceedingly apt tC | be worse than useless to all other matters and to the representation oi l the state at large. because it is greatly to be doubted if the welfare of one i particular matter is of great benefit directly to the whole state.
 A still more insidious but viciou.
 element in the legislature is the in
 discriminate trading of votes Jones 1 has a little pet bill he wants made law. Smith has one too of his own
 Each feels that his bill is not very l popular and does not meet statewide
 needs, but it will help him personal | ly in. some way if the bill can ge | through. So smith sees Jones. ! you will vote for my bill, l will vot,
 for your bill An so they go through | the legislators until they get enougl | votes promised to pass their pet. II
 order to carry their own bill. O
 doubtful value, they are forced t, vote for anothers bill of equall! | doubtful value, and the state gets i
 in the neck Bills pass in this wa!
 that otherwise would not pass in ar | insane asylum.
 l Again a budding young politician
 blossoms high with future poitica
 ambitions. A term in the legislature
 voting loudly and strongly for every l Gs 1I1r