Southwest Washington labor press. [volume] (Hoquiam, Wash.) 19??-19??, 1923-04-20
WHY LEGISLATURES
ADMINISTRATION


acting state legislation and finding
out that the trouble lies there. AS
long as the present method Of enact
ing Legislation Is kept in force we will
continue to have extremely unsatis-
factory Legislatures controlled by the
big interests of the state and ignoring
entirely the wishes and needs Of the
people generally.
There are many reasons for this
condition. First, the letter and pur-
pose OF the state constitution has
been ignored, and there Is no longer
proper proportional representation
according to population, in the Legis-
lature. The constitution provides
that the state must be redistricted
Immediately following every ten-year
census. This has not been done. The
result Is that the densely populated
sections OF the state are no longer
properly proportiOnately represented
in the Legislature.
Compensation Inadequate.
In the second place, the compensa-
ton Of $500 per day is so utterly In
adequate that the average citizen
cannot afford to become candidate
for the Legislature. There are excep-
tions to this rule. and these excep-
lions are entitled to the utmost credit
, for the personal sacrifice they have
made on behalf of the people. But
In the main the candidates securing
and obtaining election to the Legisla-
ture are those who have some special
interest to serve other than that Of
the general welfare OF the state, and
who obtain their compensation either
through results obtained in this con-
nection or from sources other than
that provided for in the constitution.
The result is that instead Of the state
saving money by continuing a low
compensation for its Legislatures, in
reality millions are annually squan-
dered unnecessarily. Cheap laws and
cheap or controlled lawmakers are a
grave public menace. A remedy for
this particular condition is most ur-
gently necessary Of all.
In the third place, It Is neither
practicable nor possible to take 90
people for the Lower House and AZ
for the Senate, chosen from every
walk Of life, and assemble them to-
gether once every two years, for a pc
Rod of sixty days, and expect them to
give the necessary thought and time
and apply the legislative skill neces-
sary to the proper enactment OF our
laws and dispose of from 300 to 500
bills in that short period with no OPP
portunity for previous thought and
consideration. Yet this is the condi-
tion that obtains.
Many Bills Submitted.
Every two bills approximately 500
bills are submitted to the Legislature
Every two years from $50 to 300 bills
are enacted into law in this sixty-day
period. The result is that laws are
hastily drawn and hastily put over
without an opportunity being given to
either the members Of the Legislature
or the people TO learn their provisions
and purpose.
The dissatisfaction with the Legis-
lature Is not confined to any particu-
lar group. but each session sees an in
creasing number OF people from every
walk of life leaving the Capitol utter
ly disguised with the Legislature,
while the disgust OF the people gener-
ally with 1t grows at an alarming
pace
Preservation of respect for the law
is essential to continued good govern
ment. In fact, is the corner stone of
good government. It was the inten-
ton of the founders Of our govern
ment that our laws should be made
in such a way and under such condi-
tions as to command the respect and
confidence of the people, and our con-
stitution should be amended in such
a way as to make it applicable to the
present legislative needs Of the state.
Suggested Changes.
Cities Of the first class have for
many years recognized the necessity
Of establishing and maintaining in
continuous session a legislative body
sitting in constant session to minister
to the legislative needs Of such cities
and providing a reasonable remuncra-
tive compensation. This having prov
en- necessary in cities Of the first
class. how much more necessary is It
that a legislative body be maintained
under similar conditions to minister
to the legislative needs Of the entire
state.
The following amendments to the
constitution are necessary to correct
the evil:
Tristan amendment providing for
the adjustment Of the present form
Of State Legislature and legislative
sessions and establishing in their
place one legislative body to be COM
posed OF representatives from dis
tricts having population of not less
than $4,000 or more than $4,000, and
redistrictlng the entire state on a bae
sis Of population. Provisions should
also be made for mandatory redis-
tricting Of the state following each
census.
Standardization should be made
for the legislative body to remain in
session at least nine months Of the
49,