The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1920-12-08
FOR A SMALLER GENERAL AS
sEM5LY

The Lafayette Gazette comments
editorially on statement of Hon. VII
liam ]. Sandoz of Opelousas, one Oh
ST Landry's members to the constltu-
4;onaI convention, in which MI san
doz places himself on record as LaVo'-
ing the cutting down Of the number
Of members of senate and house Oh rep
resentatives of the Louisiana general
assembly.
Undoubtedly the stand of Mr. san
doz will meet with hearty approval Oh
those members Of the convention VINO
have given the matter considerable
abougbt Both houses of the assembly
are too bulky in point of membership
20 do the best legislative work. Inc
reduction in membership down to
small. compact working basis VIII per-
init the membership to do more work.
better work than any previous assem-
bIv has ever accomplished. With the
adoption of such plan the raw, half-
baked and "damphoo" legislation so
characteristic of past assemblies, VIII
not again clutter the, statute books OF
the state.
Each session sees large number
of statesmen and near-statesmen at
4empting to ride to fame by the in
production of bills aimed at the curing
of all manner of political ills. Every
member works in a feverish and des-
perate effort to get through the legis-
iatiye mill some pet bill which, in the
last analysis, would aid little in curing
the imaginary ills. When the clock
strikes midnight on the sixtieth ana
final day of the session and the gayels
Of the presiding officers Of both houses
fall. announcing that the session is ad-
iourned sine die, the mass of legisla-
zion is so bulky as to puzzle the at
4orneys of the state and actually be-
fiddle the people. Just cnce again
is it a case Of too many laws passed
AT great expense and not enough SEN
sible legislation to justify it.
Mr.. sandoz favors not only the re-
duction in size of both branches but an
increase in salaries for the members.
Paw each senator and representative
at least one thousand dollars per year.
he thinks, would be about right, and
this salary would be sufficient induce
ment for some Of the best qualified
men in the state to consent to drop
their private affairs and offer to serve
70 the best of their ability as members
OF senate and house. The idea is a
sensible one and Mr. Sandoz should
be given due credit for the suggestion.
The present per diem of legislators is
so small that the qualified men who
are engrossed in private affairs spurn
ali offers of serving the people in the
assembly, simply because the pay is
SO small that to accept seat in eth
er house would mean distinct loss
to them.
A number Of eastern states long ago
adopted this plan of paying an ade-
quate salary to the members of their
legislatures, and as the plan has new
er been repealed it must work well.
Louisiana proposes to. adopt model
constitution next year-that is, if the
political bosses, the wild-eyed IRE
formers" the special interests and the
dixie, do not WELD clubs large enough
70 whip the convention into line and
force it to overlook the interests of
the whole people and adopt law fav-
orable to those classes.
Among wise provisions which could
well be placed in the constitution
would be that of reduction in member
ship Of both branches of the general
assembly and better pay for senators
and representatives. We heartily en-
dorse Mr.. Sandoz's views on the sub
ject.