Omaha daily bee., 1921-01-07
GOVERNOR M'KELvIE's MESSAGE.

Admonshing the legislature against too much
lawmaking, which advice deserves approval as
sound the governor in his message suggests
considerable number of changes in existing laws.
These recommendations, he says, are based on
experience or result from consultations held with
the representatives of various groups or organ
izations. Many of these look to the modihca-
ton OF existing statutes and are of nature that
will permit the postponement of debate with
relation to them.
Complete revision of the tax laws is neces-
sary, the governor says, but he prudently recon-
mends that it be not undertaken at the present
session. He asks that the tax commissioner,
provided for by the new constitution be clothed
with power OF sufficient scope to mot only en-
force the tax laws and get the maximum amount
OF taxable property upon the assessment rolls,
but TO gather during the present biennium the
information that will enable thoroughly wise
'and complete revision of tax laws at the next
general session of the legislature" The wisdom
of this recommendation will be found in the
latter clause. This will be appreciated when
read i'll connection with the following paragraph
! of the message, which deals with the taxation
of intangibles.
gested by the governor would exclude from
parolabe. offenses all crimes against the person.
Parole should be denied to all except first
offenders. Judges should be given discretion
between determinate and indeterminate SEN
'tences, and the consent of the trial Judge and
prosecuting attorney should be given in writing
before an application for parole can be con-
sdered by the board. Hearings should be in
public, and record kept. These provisions will,
we think, do away with much of the clamor that
has been raised against the existing law on
account of the practices that have grown up
under it. The governor goes pretty far. how
lever in suggesting that it be made felony to
approach member or an cmploye of the board
with reference to a pardon or parole, save at
public meeting of the board. Communc atoms
of this kind may be perfectly legitimate, and
such should not be forbidden; the members of
the board should know how to protect them
selves from the other kind. So, too, is the added
suggestion that heavy penalty be prescribed
for any newspaper publishing a misleading
statement regarding the acts of public officials in
the administration OF this law" Nebraska's
libel laws at present afford ample protection,
and the official action finally speaks for Itself.
Nor does the wisdom of the governor shine
the brightest i'll his proposal that the remaining
public school lands of the state be sold and the
proceeds put into a fund from which to loan
soldiers money to build homes. If Nebraska is
to make any provision for the benefit of the
service men, it should not be at the expense of
: the public school endowment Many recon-
mendations for changes in the law to benefit the
allied agricultural interests of the state are made,
and these will certainly get the attention of the
H lawmakers.
Governor McKelvie also very properly asks
that the "blue sky" law be overhauled in some
regards, to give it better effect In relation to
the primary law, he recommends adoption of a
pre-primaryl convention. with a free-for-all,
6eld-against- t-the-conventon- n-choice primary after
wards, or out and out elimination primary,
from which two names will emerge TO be later
voted on at the nomination primary Either of
H these, he feels, will do away with much of the
y present complaint and will preserve party organ
lzation and responsibility from the attacks now
being made by the minority groups. 1T is no
longer wise to follow the politically expedent
course of avoiding this issue" he says. and per-
haps another attempt to improve the primary
y will follow. Something should be done with the
(, law. either following the governors suggestion
il or by Strengthening its provisions to make it
Il more effective.