252 
THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
tion in all of the states. In the past, matters of 
legislation have come to our notice too late to do 
much good. We try to keep informed through the 
members, trade papers, and the press, but many 
things are likely to get by us.” 
From my experience I can take an illustration. In a 
legislature a law, highly objectionable and indeed prac¬ 
tically destroying business, was enacted very quickly and 
quietly. In the legislature enacting this law were three 
members whose business was regulated. These gentle¬ 
men afterwards told me they never knew the hill was 
being considered. This law was passed and I daresay 
they voted for it without knowing what the hill was 
about. How much more true is it that the business men 
cannot ascertain the introduction of these hills. The ob¬ 
vious remedy is to have a responsible party find out and 
report the bills immediately. This can only be done by 
having a properly organized system of agents in each 
stale capitol and at Washington. This reporting of bills 
must not be done casually, or as an act of courtesy, but 
because the agent is paid for this work. Moreover, this 
agent must be one who has access to the records of the 
legislatures. To choose such an agent requires some 
knowledge of legislative affairs and methods of doing 
business. All the agents being selected by the person in 
charge of this Bureau of Information brings about co¬ 
herency and efficiency. 
Having early knowledge of the hostile legislative hill 
is of the highest importance. It is, however, necessary 
to know how to attack and defeat the bill. 
Knowledge how to do this requires long training in¬ 
legislative methods, and, indeed, in most cases, intimate 
knowledge of the legislators proposing or urging the bill. 
It is also necessary to have a broad knowledge of consti- 
jtutional and statue law. It is the usual experience in 
nearly all these police regulations that those who frame 
the bills are not strong on the proper phrasing of a law. 
It is rare to find a police law which has not been im¬ 
properly drawn. To have an advisor, therefore, who can, 
without an exhaustive study of constitutional and statu¬ 
tory law, immediately detect the fatal errors of the bill 
is positively necessary. 
Another important requirement for this legislative ser¬ 
vice, and one which cannot too emphatically be stated is 
that the person in charge of this legislative service must 
have an intimate knowledge of the business which he is 
trying to protect. This is the day of specialization. No 
attorney can bring the best results to his client without 
a full knowledge of his client’s business. This is es¬ 
pecially true in the service under discussion. It is per¬ 
haps a bold statement to make, but one borne out by facts, 
that in an association composed of business men, no one 
man knows all about the business of all the members. 
He may know all about one branch or two branches of 
the business in which he is interested, but rarely, if ever, 
about the fine points of all branches. And yet he, who 
represents the Association, must guard, the interests of all 
branches. 
Another virtue in having a trained expert both in law 
and in the subject matter of the business is that in such 
pase the proponents of the legislation are working against 
heavy odds. Let us take an illustration very commonly 
seen in the Legislative service of an association of which 
the writer has some knowledge. The proponent of legis¬ 
lation may be a scientific man, but not know the com¬ 
mercial necessities, the result being that the scientific 
(theory is wholly impracticable from a commercial point 
of view. And it is sometimes true that the scientific man 
may hold his own on one theory of the bill, but ignorant 
of another, but equally important scientific fact or law. 
Another interesting method of opposing an unfair legis¬ 
lative bill is to prevent such a hill being filed. The per¬ 
son who has such a highly organized legislative service is 
constantly in touch with local affairs and often picks up 
in the reports from his agents that there is on foot an 
effort to propose legislation, and the proponents of sucii 
legislation are disclosed. Then again when this associa¬ 
tion agent or counsellor has obtained the respect of those 
proposing these legislative regulations, it not infrequently 
happens that there is an opportunity offered, by a friendly 
discussion of the objections to the unwise features of the 
proposed legislation, materially to change the harsh con¬ 
ditions and terms. In this arrangement there is con¬ 
siderable expense and trouble saved for the bill comes be¬ 
fore the legislature in proper form and not unfair to the 
merchant, and yet provides the proper and necessary 
regulation. 
In line with the last suggestion it is advisable to sug¬ 
gest another remedy against unfair bills. Where regula¬ 
tion of a business or trade is a proper subject of legisla¬ 
tive action, and, sooner or later, bound to become law, 
the business men affected by such legislation should have 
the ability and desire to provide a bill which is fair to all 
parties concerned. This is constructive work of the best 
•type. A great advantage in pursuing this plan is that it 
enables the merchants to suggest a bill which can be uni¬ 
form in all its essential principles for all the states. The 
modern means of transportation are so perfected that 
most all business is interstate. To have practically the 
same law operating in all states is a priceless boon to 
merchants. The members of your association must know 
what it means. 
There are a few suggestions about the proper units of 
an organization for the performance of the work under 
discussion. 
It is thoroughly advisable and wise that a central Leg¬ 
islative Committee composed of the ablest and best 
trained merchants in this legislative work and represent¬ 
ing all branches of the trade, shall have control of the 
legislative policies with whom the Association Counsel, 
above mentioned can be in close touch. This committee 
should have entire charge of legislation, obedient always 
to the instructions of the Association members as ex¬ 
pressed by the resolutions of the Conventions of meetings 
of the Association. The local, state chairmen and com¬ 
mittee hereinafter mentioned should harmoniously co¬ 
operate with this Central Legislative Committee. There 
should be no policy pursued in a state antagonizing the 
policies of the Legislative Committee. 
Legislators are very sensitive to and frankly object to 
the alleged interference of ex-state persons. It is a point 
of honor with them to assert that they will not be dic¬ 
tated to by outside parties. But they will reverently lis¬ 
ten, if properly stated, to any kind or argument or facts 
made by their constituents. Recognizing this absurd con¬ 
dition, it is wise that in each state the Association should 
