Relation of the Federal Government to Research 



143 



commission, that is, a body specially created for the 

 making of an inquiry, composed in whole or in part of 

 persons selected from private life, and with powers to 

 employ a staff of experts to aid it in its work, the 

 record of the State legislatures is in advance of that 

 of Congress. In certain fields, such as those of reor- 

 ganization of the administrative branch of the State 

 government, judicial administration, finance, taxation, 

 accounting and reiJorting, municipal and local govern- 

 ment, the reports of these bodies constitute by far the 

 most valuable source material regarding the subjects 

 treated that is in existence. 



An idea of the importance of the research work done 

 by State legislatures in this way may be obtained 

 from the following classified list of commissions set up 

 to make investigations of a general character, and their 

 reports, during recent years. This list, it is believed, 

 is a substantially complete enumeration for the period 

 considered.'" 



Electoral Branch: 



1. Connecticut : 



1. Commission ou Corrupt Practices and Elections. 

 Keport, 1927. 



2. Illinois: 



1. Commission on Revision of the Electoral Laws. 

 Report, 1931. 



3. Massachusetts : 



1. Joint Special Committee ou the Administi'atiou 

 and Operation of the Election Laws. 

 Report, 1928. 



4. New Tork : 



1. Joint Committee to Investigate Primary and 



Election Laws in This and Other States. 

 Report, 1910. 



2. Joint Committee on Reclassification and Revision 



of the Election Laws. 

 Report, 1922. 



3. Joint Legislative Committee on Revision of the 



Constitution and Election Laws. 

 Report, 1933. 



5. Pennsylvania : 



1. Commission to Revise and Codify the Election 

 Law. 

 Reports, 1911-13. 



6. Virginia : 



1. Commission to Revise the Election Laws. 

 Report, 1932. 

 Legislative Branch: 



1. California : 



1. Interim Committee on Legislative Procedure and 

 Reduction of Legislative Expense. 

 Report, 1932. 



2. Massachusetts : 



1. Special Joint Committee on Legislative Procedure. 

 Report, 1915. 



" In addidon to these investigations of a general character, the State 

 legislatures made numerous Investigations of other matters of which 

 the more important are those concerning local government and taxation. 



Legislative Branch — Continued. 

 3. Vermont : 



]. Committee to Revise the Rules of the Senate, 

 Rules of the House of Representatives, and the 

 Manual of Legislative Procedure. 

 Report, 1916. 

 Judicial Branch: 



1. Alabama : 



1. Law Reform Commission. 

 Report, 1915. 



2. Arkansas : 



1. Commission for the Reform of Criminal Procedure. 

 Report, 1927. 



3. California: 



1. Commission for the Reform of Criminal Procedure. 



Report, 1927. 



2. Crime Commission. 



Reports, 1927-31. 



4. Louisiana : 



1. Criminal Code Commission. 

 Report, 1928. 



5. Massachusetts : 



1. Special Committee on the Expediency of Revising 



the Judicial System. 

 Report, 1877. 



2. Joint Legislative Committee on the Judicial Sys- 



tem. 

 Report, 1887. 



3. Special Committee on the Expediency of Revising 



the Judicial System. 

 Report, 1893. 



4. Commission on Simplification of Criminal Plead- 



ings. 

 Report, 1899. 



5. Commission on Causes of Delay in the Administra- 



tion of Justice. 

 Report, 1910. 



6. Special Commission to Consider Abolishing the 



Trial Justice System. 

 Report, 1917. 



7. Commission to Investigate the Judicature of the 



Commonwealth. 

 Reports, 1920-21. 



8. Special Commission to Investigate the Criminal 



Laws. 

 Report, 1924. 



9. Special Crime Commission. 

 Report, 1934. 



10. Special Commission on Investigation of the Judi- 

 cial System. 

 Report, 1936. 



6. Michigan : 



1. Commission of Inquiry into Criminal procedure. 

 Reports, 1927-29. 



2. Crime Commission. 

 Reports, 1930-37. 



7. Montana : 



1. Crime Commission. 

 Report, 1930. 



8. New Hampshire : 



1. Crime Commission. 

 Report, 1929. 



9. New Jersey : 



1. State Commission to Investigate the Jury System. 

 Report, 1913. 



