and ability to effect its budget, which will
be discussed later.
I think being consistent with my state-
ment yesterday, in allowing the legislature
to establish the number of members, I
would be very inconsistent in not allowing
it to establish the time to sit. I do not
think it is the most efficient way to con-
duct a government, with its back against
an imaginary time wall, whether the time
be 90 days, 120 days, 180 days, or what-
ever it be.
I do not fear that the legislature will
sit for long days on end, so long as the
salary is an annual one. I have found by
experience that people tend to do their
work more quickly when they are not being
paid per diem and, therefore, if we are
assuming that there will be an annual
salary, I am not in the least bit afraid the
legislature will go on and on when there
is no work to be done.
For that reason in the interests of the
people rather than the interests of the
legislature itself, or the governor or the
judiciary, or any other branch of govern-
ment, I think we should give people the
opportunity, who are elected, to do the job
for the maximum period of time available
and for that reason would support the
amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Does any delegate
desire to speak in opposition to the amend-
ment? Delegate Weidemeyer.
DELEGATE WEIDEMEYER: Mr.
President, I do not wish to speak in opposi-
tion or in favor. I wanted to make an in-
quiry of the Chair, if there was a doctor
around, because I am a little worried as to
how long my ears will last.
THE CHAIRMAN: Is there any dele-
gate who desires to speak in opposition?
(There was no response.)
If not, the Chair will recognize Delegate
Chabot to speak in favor of the amendment.
DELEGATE CHABOT: I will try to be
very brief and I hope I will not strain your
ears too much.
I wanted to clear up a matter, a bit of
confusion I may have caused when I asked
the question of Delegate Bard earlier in
this debate. The Congress of the United
States has had since 1789 the power to sit
365 days a year if it wished. It exercised
that power for the first time in 1940, when
World War II was raging in Europe, 15I
years after it had been granted that power. |
I think if we are afraid that in the year
2019 or thereabouts, perhaps 2119, the
legislature may sit full time, then this
might be a fear, but not one we should
worry about.
It seems to me that the best that can be
said of the revision of the majority report
is that in bits and pieces, and with a great
deal of cumbersomeness, it is possible per-
haps to achieve the same results that are
achieved directly and simply and neatly in
the minority report, and I urge you to vote
for the amendment.
THE CHAIRMAN: Do any other dele-
gates desire to speak on the question?
(There was no response.)
The question before you is Amendment
No. 18 to Committee Recommendation LB-1.
A vote Aye is a vote in favor of the amend-
ment. A vote No is a vote against.
Cast your votes.
Has every delegate now voted?
Does any delegate desire to change his
vote?
(There was no response.)
The Clerk will record the vote.
There being 40 votes in the affirmative
and 95 in the negative, the motion is lost.
The amendment is rejected.
Are there any other amendments to be
offered to section 3.12? Delegate Carson?
DELEGATE CARSON: Mr. President,
I would like to offer an amendment which
has been marked as AC.
I do not think that it has been distributed
to the delegates as of this time.
THE CHAIRMAN: The amendment will
be distributed.
The amendment will be marked Amend-
ment No. 19 to Committee Recommendation
LB-I.
Delegate Bard?
DELEGATE BARD: Mr. Chairman, I
would like to withdraw the second portion
of Amendment No. 18. I think that needs
to be placed before you.
THE CHAIRMAN: I am very sorry, I
neglected to indicate that in the vote. We
were of course voting on the divided ques-
tion, the first portion of Amendment No.
18, and Delegate Bard has withdrawn the
second portion. Thank you, Delegate Bard. |
