The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1932-12-07
Member of Audit Bureau of
Circulation
(Official City, State and County
Newspaper)
Nav Be Worth Study

May Be Worth Study
In the ordinary course of things
little attention is paid to the reports
of outgoing state officers, despite the
fact that they are based on expert
ence while In office.
On the contrary, public attention
is invariably centered on the pro-
nouncements Of those just coming
into office, which usually represent
hopes and aspirations rather than
expressions of hard fact.
Illustration of the fact is to be
had in the relative amounts of at
tention given the final report of an
outgoing governor and the inaugural
address Of his successor, but the
thing which brings the principle to
mind now is the publication in book
form of the biennial report OF Attor-
ney General James Morris.
After four years In an important
state office Morris recommends first
OF all that the state create no new
crimes, asserting that the statutes
already list more crimes than can be
properly enforced.
Few Of us think of crimes as things
which may be created by law, yet the
fact remains that many things which
were not crimes few years ago are
such today. possibly because general
statutes were enacted to cover isolat-
ed abuses.
He urges abolition OF the state
licensing department. returning the
administration Of the items coming
under its jurisdiction to local author
tiles on the theory that the attor-
ney general should not be made
either police officer or a tax COL
lector.
Recommendation that pardon
board meetings be held in March
and August is based on the need for
giving the outgoing prisoner the
best possible opportunity to establish
: himself. II released in December or
June. as at present, the paroled man
finds 1t difficult to get work and has
trouble getting along, Morris says.
The observation seems sound. II
there Is any choice as to the time
of releasing prisoner it should be
that period at which he has the best
opportunity to make good.
Simplification of the law govern
Ing indictments and informations
would, Morris believes, create no dan
ger to the security Of innocent per-
sons and prevent many guilty per-
sons from going free because OF
technical defects in the indictment
or Information under which they
were charged. He takes the view
that Justice should be administered
as quickly and cheaply as possible
and that mans guilt or innocence
should be the controlling factor in
determining whether he should be
punished for crime.
The point Of the whole business is
that these suggestions are based on
experience. If they are ignored, as
they usually are, the new officeholder
repeats the experience over period
of time and probably, at such time
as he may leave office, renews the
recommendations Of his predecessor
In the case of those state officials
who leave office next month it is to
be assumed that their recommended
tions will be relatively free from po-
ltical considerations. At least for
the present their political careers are
closing and they presumably will
want to make their final gesture one
OF real service to the people, hence
they may be expected to speak from
the heart and without much thought
Of the political future.
New men are not often in this
happy position. Their records are
yet to be made and the future opens
brightly before them. Political con-
siderations are more pressing. They
must deal in hopeful tone with the
situations before them, sometimes at
the expense Of the hard facts.
On this basis the reports Of out
going officials, usually ignored. may
be worth more study than ordinarily
l. given to them.