LOUISIANA 819 



Congress to authorise the secretary of the interior to settle contests between settlers 

 and the Texas & Pacific Railway Company and also asked for the completion of the land 

 survey of the state and for a final settlement of swamp land grants of March 2, 1849. 

 It re-apportioned the state into eight congressional districts (formerly 7). 



Lobbying was forbidden. A corrupt practices act sets the maximum of expenditures of 

 candidates for different offices, in most cases 20 % of one year's salary in office, but $2,000 for 

 all state wide offices and $6,000 for candidates for governor or for United States senator. A 

 "political party" of the primary law of 1906 was defined to be a party casting at least 5 % of 

 the total vote. The dominating political party must nominate all candidates by direct 

 primary"; minority parties may do so at the option of the executive committee. By a con- 

 stitutional amendment adopted in November, 1912 (by 33,955 to 18,144 votes) the time for 

 final registration under the "grandfather" clause of the constitution of 1898 was postponed 

 until September I, 1913. An amendment permitting women to hold educational office was 

 defeated at the same election (31,452 votes to 18,779). Another, defeated by 29,852 votes 

 to 22,607, was for the recall of public officials (after January I, 1913) at an election not less 

 than three nor more than five months after petition signed by 30 % of the voters. 



Vacancies in office in parish, district or other eubdivision of the state are to be filled by 

 election, if the unexpired term is more than one year; and an amendment to the same effect 

 applying to the city of New Orleans was adopted in November 1912 (27,998 to 19,422). The 

 legislature created a state printing board with authority to make contracts for state printing. 



Three new parishes were created from Calcasieu Allen from the N.E. part, Jefferson 

 Davis from the S.E. part, and Beauregard from the N.W. part, and the parish seat of Boissier 

 was removed from Benton to Boissier City. 



The property of married persons was divided into separate property and common property 

 and the wife was made a competent witness against her husband in cases of desertion. 



An employers' liability commission is to report in 1914 on the advisability of compulsory 

 compensation for workmen. A law of 1908 forbidding the appearance of children under 14 

 on the stage was repealed; the secretary of the national child labour committee calls this 

 " the first backward step in child labour legislation in any state in 8 years." The manufacture 

 and sale of white phosphorus single-dipped matches or blazer or wind matches was forbidden. 

 The state board of health was authorised to revise the sanitary code. State boards of medical 

 examiners were created by a law regulating the practice of medicine, surgery and midwifery. 

 A nurses' board of examiners was created and unregistered nurses were prohibited from 

 professional practice. Only registered nurses may use "R.N." after their names. A state 

 tuberculosis commission was established. 



Children under 16 must not be employed in any immoral or dangerous occupation, nor, 

 except by permit from a judge of a juvenile court, in any theatrical exhibition or musical 

 concert. Children under 17 are forbidden in pool and billiard rooms and several acts prohib- 

 ited gambling (and four the sale of intoxicating liquors) within five miles of certain public 

 schools or within a school district. The conducting of disorderly houses makes one liable 

 to a fine of $10 to $100. The legislature authorised municipal corporations to withhold 

 permits for building houses for negroes in communities occupied mostly by whites or houses 

 for whites in negro communities. 



The powers of the railroad commission were enlarged; it may award damages for violations 

 of its rules, rates and classifications. The legislature passed a uniform bill of lading act and 

 a new fraternal insurance law. A commission of two lawyers and two business men appointed 

 by the governor is to report in 1914 on revising the state corporation law. 



The legislature provided commission charters for New Orleans and Natchitoches. In 

 New Orleans there are a mayor and four councilmen at large each giving bond to the city 

 in $50,000. The city budget must be advertised and there is a provision for initiative 

 and referendum on a 30 % petition. The charter was adopted by New Orleans on August 

 28. The Natchitoches charter was to be adopted at an election called by a petition of 33 % 

 of the voters. The mayor and three commissioners are to be nominated at a primary and 

 are subject to recall at an election summoned by a 30% petition under the unusual con- 

 dition "if a majority of the duly qualified electors . . . shall . . . vote for the recall." 

 A general law for commission government was passed applying to towns above 2,500 inhabit- 

 ants and cities (except New Orleans) above 5,000, to be adopted at an election upon a petition 

 of 25%. Shreveport had adopted commission government in 1910, and Hammond and 

 New Iberia adopted it in 1912. 



Finance. The balance in the treasury December 31, 1911 was $986,068. The receipts for 

 1912 were $7, 219, 743 and the expenditures, $7,355,786; the balance, January I, 1913, $850,025. 



The tax rate for the general fund was 5j, 9 mills for 1913 and 1914. A commission of 32 

 members (lieutenant-governor, speaker of the house, 1 6 representatives, 8 senators and 6 

 appointed by the governor) is to recommend amendments to the assessment and taxation 

 laws of the state. New taxes were laid on theatres; on the sale of malt liquors ($50 to $100); 

 on all "severers from the soil" of natural products including timber, turpentine, minerals, 

 oil, gas, sulphur and salt (K% on gross value less royalty interest). Traveling salesmen of 

 stocks and bonds are required to pay a certificate fee and to give bond in $15,000. 



