Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1925-11-14
Higher Salaries and
Longer Sessions
for Legislature

should not be necessary. Sena-
tor Hoke Smith said Wednesday
night in discussing some features
of State politics with a few
friends. The Senator was not
discussing the probability of an
extra session this year, nor could
his remark have been taken as
favoring or opposing an extra
session now contemplated by the
Governor He said:
Now that Georgia has adopted
the biennial law, we should not
be burdened with an extra session.
do believe, however, that the
length of the session-the number
of days in which the Legislature
may remain in session--should be
extended. With two m ore
weeks, the last Legislature prob
ably would have passed some very
necessary legislation. | think
we should stick to sessions every
two years and extend the length
of those sessions"
In reply to the Senator re-
mark, another gentleman present
asked IF additional days were
added. wouldn't the Legislature
still waste much of the early part
of the session, eventually arriving
at the end of the session with
the usual jamb of legislation,
much of which could not be en-
acted.
I'VE must remember" said the
Senator, chat a very large per
centage of every Legislature is
composed of new and inexperienc-
ed men. 1t takes several weeks
for them to get on to things; to
familarize themselves with their
duties. That, to my mind, accounts
for much of the so-called wasted
time and is one of my reasons for
favoring longer sessions"
Stephen Pace, who has served
in both the House and the SEN
ate, agreed with Senator Smith
that longer sessions were neces-
sary, especially under the bi-en-
NAL sessions law, remarking that
Another necessary change, in
my opinion, is a raise in the salary
we pay our State Legislators.
do not think they should be paid
less than $1,000 for the term. If
we would secure better men, ADLER
men, we must at least pay them
enough to meet their actual ex-
penses during the session. Very
few of our Representative pre-
tend to live on the meager salary
now paid. One cannot live in a
tirst-class hotel and serve the State
under the present salary scale
without losing several hundreds
of dollars each term
Il agree that the length of the
sessions should be extended and
it seems to me that if we paid
lump sum, say a thousand dollars
tor the term, regardless of its
length, we might solve the entire
situation we are-d discussing. Know
ing that he had only a gi$en sun.
for expenses, the Legislator would
work probably more industriously
to complete the work for the year
within as short time as possible.
However, if a legislative jamb did
develop near the end, they could
and would remain over long enough
to complete their work without ex
ira pay"
Senator Smith replied that Nh
Pace suggestion seemed soIu
ton, agreeing that a larger salar
was necessary, that a legislato
should not be forced to give hi
time and then take an additions
loss, because of his expenses, i
remaining at the capitol.
One or two of the states in tn
Union-Nebraska being one c
them, we believe-has som
such law as the one suggested i
the above ~vot2tions. As we re
call the Nebraska law, a legisla
tor is paid a certain sum each da
for a specified number of day.
but the Nebraska Legislature ma
remain in session after the salar
stops. In other words, the Ne
braska legislator is paid a salar
for a certain number of days, af
er that he serves at his own e2
pense. This law was so frame
to accomplish just what is rao
needed in Georgia now: That i
the stoppage of the last day
chaos when bills are run throue
without being properly drawn an
in some instances without II
knowledge Of but a comparative