LOUISIANA 



3518 



LOUISIANA 



main lines and branches, in 1915. Several trunk 

 lines traverse Louisiana from north to south 

 and from east to west. The principal lines are 

 the Southern Pacific; Texas & Pacific; Louisi- 

 ana Railway & Navigation Company; Kansas 

 City Southern; Illinois Central and Yazoo & 

 Mississippi Valley; Chicago, Rock Island & 

 Pacific, and Queen & Crescent Route. The 

 great railroad center is New Orleans, which is 

 also the chief river port and seaport. In the 

 total tonnage and value of merchandise New 

 Orleans is now the second port in the United 

 States, coming after New York. A canal has 

 been built from the Mississippi River to Lake 

 Borgne, which greatly shortens the passage from 

 New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. Louisiana 

 has a railway commission of three members, 

 who have control over and authority to fix rates 

 on both rail and water routes. The state is 

 divided into three railway commission districts, 

 and each district elects one commissioner. 



Government. Louisiana is governed under a 

 constitution adopted in 1913. This is the ninth 

 constitution the state has had since its admis- 

 sion to the Union in 1812. It has many politi- 

 cal institutions and provisions that differ from 

 those of other states. This is due partly to the 

 attempt to harmonize its former laws and insti- 

 tutions with those of the American democracy, 

 and partly to the problems connected with the 

 possession of a large negro population. 



The executive officials, the governor, lieuten- 

 ant-governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, 

 state auditor and attorney-general, are elected 

 for four years each. All except the governor 

 and state treasurer may be reflected. The gov- 

 ernor must be at least thirty years of age at 

 the time of his election. 



The legislative power is vested in a general 

 assembly, which consists of a senate and a 

 house of representatives. The number of 

 senators must not exceed forty-one or be less 

 than thirty-six, and the house of representa- 

 tives must not have more than 120 members. 

 The members of each branch are elected for 

 four years. Sessions of the general assembly 

 are held every two years, starting the second 

 Monday in May in even numbered years, and 

 are limited to sixty days. 



Louisiana sends eight members to the United 

 States House of Representatives. 



At the head of the judicial power is the su- 

 preme court, consisting of one chief justice and 

 {our associate justices, each elected for twelve 

 years. Below this there are twenty-two district 

 courts, each with one judge elected by the peo- 



ple for a term of four years. There are, besides, 

 courts of appeal, justices of the peace, and such 

 other courts as may be created by law. The 

 constitution of 1913 created a juvenile court at 

 New Orleans and made provisions for the estab- 

 lishment of other such courts throughout the 

 state. 



For purposes of local government the state is 

 divided into "parishes," which have here exactly 

 the same meaning and function as counties in 

 other states. This division into parishes dates 

 from 1807, and is based on an earlier Spanish 

 division of the province, made for religious pur- 

 poses. This explains why so many parishes are 

 named after saints. The general assembly has 

 the power to establish new parishes, but no 

 parish can have a smaller area than 625 square 

 miles, nor contain fewer than 7,000 inhabitants. 



Towns with more than 2,500 and cities with 

 more than 5,000 inhabitants may adopt the com- 

 mission form of government. 



Suffrage. The conditions under which the 

 franchise is granted in Louisiana differ from 

 those prevailing in other states, and are of spe- 

 cial interest. Every male citizen of the United 

 States, twenty-one years of age or over, who has 

 been an actual resident of the state for two 

 years, of the parish for one year, and of the 

 precinct in which he offers to vote for six 

 months immediately preceding the election, is 

 entitled to vote, if he satisfies certain other con- 

 ditions. He must first show his ability to read 

 and write either English or his mother tongue 

 by filling out a form applying to be registered 

 as a voter. This is known as the literacy 

 In case he is not able to read and write he mi 

 show that he owns property of at least $300 

 value. 



The constitution also provides that no perse 

 under sixty years of age shall be permitted 

 vote unless he has paid a yearly poll tax of 

 dollar for the two years preceding the electic 

 in which he offers to vote. These provisioi 

 have been introduced in order to reduce 

 much as possible the number of negro voter 

 and they have proved quite successful, as vei 

 few negroes meet the required qualifications. 



Law. The law system of Louisiana occupit 

 a unique position, for it is the only one amoi 

 the states of the Union that is not based on 

 English common law. When the province cai 

 into the possession of the United States in 

 the Spanish laws were in force. But the 

 jority of the people were of French descent 

 had strong French traditions, so when the 

 mous Code Napoleon was introduced in Franc 



