The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1921-01-18
ATTORNEY GENERAL
WANTS TIGHT LAWS

~~>> anu otatShShto
relative to laws ere made by Attor-
ncy General Fowler in his biennial
report covering such subjects as
board of paroles, divorce, election
law gambling, inh .ritaLce tax.
Japanese question, prohibition. and
salaries of school teachers.
Mr.. Fowler believes thct the law
sh.iuld be changed 60 that the per-
sonnel of the board of paroles will
be entirely different from the man,
bership of the beard of pardons. He
says that the members of the board
OF parole should be persons who are
willing and can give time to the
study Of criminology and all matters
connected with people who are sent
to penal institutions, and favors CIV
ing women membership on the board.
The paragraph on divorce reads:
"Our present divorce law should
be amended to prevent short term
DEGREES, which are almost invariably
procured as the result of fraudulent
and collusive practice. 1t is to the
honor of the legal profession of this
state that the overwhelming major
ity of our lawyers have absolutely
declined to participate in such cases.
The attorneys who have resorted to,
or have taken advantage Of, such
fraudulent and collusive practices
constitute but a small minority of
the members Of the Nevada bar"
The attorney general holds that
the general election laws are in the
main satisfactory. though they might
be advantageously amended In few
minor details. He favors retention
of the primary election law, declar-
ing that the destruction of the di-
rect primary system will mean the
reestablishment Of political bossism
which has always meant corruption
in government" He continues: Our
election laws should be amended,
however, to provide for the election
of delegates to the national conven-
ton of various political parties by
popular method. A state central
committee should be prohibited by
law from exercising any such power.
Such a method is ruinous to popular
government"
Mr.. Fowler has the following to
say about gambling:
1.-The present law relative to gamb-
ling is farcical. A sensible argument
cannot be made in favor of it by
either those persons who favor or
oppose gambling. The legislation
of six games places peace officers
and prosecuting attorneys in a posi-
ton where it becomes almost impos-
sible to successfully prosecute per-
son for a violation of the law. There
is no merit to the slot-machine pro-
vision of the law"
On the subject of inheritance tax
Mr.. Fowler recommends amend
ments providing machinery for as
certaining the value Of shares OF
stock in Nevada corporations, and
making illegal the transfer of such
shares prior to the payment of the
tax.
The Japanese question comes in
for the following mention:
A constitutional amendment has
been prepared by me to change Sec
ton 16 of Article / of the Constitu-
ton of Nevada which reads as fol-
lows:
Foreigners who are or may here
after become bona fide residents Of
this state shall enjoy the same rights
in respect to the possession, enjoy
ment and inheritance Of property as
native-born citizens"
The change will deny the right to
possess, enjoy and inherit property
to such foreigners that are denied
the right to become citizens of the
United States.
Conditions making difficult opera
ton and enforcement of the prohibi-
fion law are given under the title