34

World War I marked the end of an era for America, that of Rural Isolation, and is exemplified by the post-war song, “How Ya Goin' to Keep ‘Em Down on the Farm After They’ve Seen Paree?”  It is unfortunate that we do not have the opinion of Wilford W. Clark on several matters pertinent to “adjustment periods” and “economic expedience” which are often the labels under which considerable legislation is passed— legislation which frequently turns out to be politically shrewd but economically near-sighted. In his day, bills and laws showed the struggles to keep up with changing conditions—"temporary emergencies"—to pay off debts that the war had brought to every state, and to reduce the frontier community of states to one of federal coordination. Few of these bills aroused any argument; passage was often taken for granted. Notable among the matters under consideration were:

1. A statute repealing the state militia (Note: this later led to the establishment of the National Guard);
2. Enhanced appropriations to the state experimental farm;
3. A statute repealing funds for the state prison library;
4. A bill to augment the Legislative session's budget of $72,025 by an additional $16,000 (the $10 per diem for State Senators was the highest salary of the session);
5. A bill to require permanent recording of all lands granted to the State by the Federal Government;
6. A law creating a State Board of Sheep Commissioners due to and to handle conditions described as “an emergency existing...”
7. A tax to be levied to finance state highway construction;
8. A law “relating to the confiscating of animals and vehicles used in transporting intoxicating liquors” (Note: U. S. Constitutional Amendment No. 18, on Prohibition, had been passed in 1917);
9. A bill regulating occupations such as nursing, veterinary medicine, etc;
10. A bill commenting upon the acute shortage of schoolrooms: “Whereas a sudden and marked increase has recently occurred in the attendance of public schools throughout the state and...expenditures (have risen)...etc...local tax levies are henceforth permitted to meet the present emergency without permanently increasing the taxing powers of all school districts;”
11. A bill attempting to have uniformity in the educational  standards in all the school districts in the state;
12. Several statutes concerning veterans, disabled workers,  hospitals, mental institutions, etc;