The times-news. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1927-current, 1935-02-28
LEGISLATURE LACKS LEADERSHIP


The State, magazine published over n
Raleigh, says of the present session OF the
North Carolina Legislature, lone OF the
things that is sadly needed in the Assem-
bly, is outstanding leadership" The State
couples with the foregoing statement that
it is because ,of this scarcity of leadership
in the General Assembly the Legislature
has permitted so much time to be wasted
in consid erat n of ''inconsequentlal
things" and asserts that the legislative
body has been drifting and Laundering iii
an aimless fashion"
The editor of The State is not the only
North Carolina citizen to come to these
conclusions. Many others have noticed the
drift in the capitol at Raleigh. But we
doubt if The State means by this editorial
criticism to imply that the legislators as
whole lack ability or fail to measure up III
intelligence and character to previous As
semblies. The trouble with the Legislature
is that too many new men were elected last
year and too few experienced law makers
were returned to Raleigh To be able 20
render efficient service in the legislature Il
citizen must either be man of extraordi-
nary ability and vast experience in business
and public affairs, or one of less capacity
WHO has seen legislative service and learned
by experience.
In fact, much that legislator. ought TO
know can be learned by experience alone,
and the ablest men in the State are handl-
capped on going to the Legislature until
they have had the experience. North Caro-
lima made the mistake last year by eIeeting
too many inexperienced men to member
ship in the Assembly.
This newspaper has always believed that
the Legislature could and should do its
work in about half the average time given
to legislative session. In the first place,
we believe that very few laws except ap-
propriation measures should be enacted at
anv session of the Legislature. If this SEES
sion of the Assembly had passed no new
laws, but simply provided for the financing
of the State for the next two years, and
then adjourned, we believe it would have
been rated as one of the most remarkable
ind intelligent Assemblies in the history of
the, State. Any session of the Legislature
could earn that place in history by similar
s action. The State has too many laws, by
3Several thousand, that now cumber the
statute books What North Carolina neeQs
5 IS fewer laws and a great deal better law
Enforcement.
The State is correct in saying that the
8 Legislature gives too much time to the
passing of laws of no consequence or i'm
4 poTtance. That is what most of the local
bills amount to. The growing tendency to
. <usei the legislative authority, under the
<,guise of Legislative courtesy" for the con
troll of county o. community affairs back
'Ahorhe is a development which should be
curbed. Local bills are enacted, some times
sneaked through the Assembly under sus-
pension of the rules, providing for things
which a majority of the people of the COM
munities or counties to which they apply
would never endorse at the polls. The To-
alibill club is also welded for personal
reasons by some legislators. This is prac,
tice! which should be eliminated and this
is a reform which can only be secured by
the,action of the Legislature as a whole.
II the Legislature lacks leadership the
responsibility for it rests upon the voters