Work of the Commissions on Interstate Co-operation

• Date: 01 January 1940
• Author: Hubert R. Gallagher
• DOI: 10.1177/000271624020700113
• Published date: 01 January 1940
• Subject Matter: Articles

Work of the Commissions on Interstate Co-operation
By HUBERT R. GALLAGHER
1
PUBLICISTS and government offi- patterned after the model bill drafted by
cials, including President Roosevelt,
the Council. The attention which the
have recently expressed their concern
work has attracted in newspapers, in
over the upsurge of sectionalism in the
magazines of national circulation, and
country, as manifest in the erection of
over the radio networks attests to the
interstate trade barriers and the intensi-
broad public interest in the problems
fication of the propaganda war between
attacked by these agencies.
the South and New England over freight
The commissions, with few exceptions,
rate differentials. There is some hope,
consist of fifteen members, including ten
however, that these threats to our na-
legislators and five administrative offi-
tional unity, as well as other interstate
cials. Five of the legislative members
conflicts, can be averted through the
constitute the senate standing committee
work of the Council of State Govern-
on interstate co-operation, and five make
ments and its Commissions on Interstate
up the house standing committee on
Co-operation.
interstate co-operation. These commit-
As a result of the effort of these agen-
tees are appointed as are other standing
cies, the drive to erect additional trade
committees of the legislatures. In most
barriers in the forty-four legislatures
cases the speaker appoints the house
meeting in 1939 was stopped in its
members, the president of the senate ap-
tracks.
In addition, the Commissions
points the senate members, and the
on Interstate Co-operation continued to
governor names the administrative com-
accomplish much by unifying state laws
mittee, usually from the members of his
and ironing out conflicts among the
cabinet.
states in other fields, including water re-
Notable exceptions to this general
sources, conservation of fisheries, liquor
pattern are Kentucky and Kansas,
control, conflicting taxation, interstate
which have designated the Legislative
parks, motor vehicle regulation, and
Council to act as the co-operation com-
crime control.
mission ; New York, which provides for
a seventeen-member committee by a
GROWTH AND STRUCTURE OF
joint legislative resolution every year;
COMMISSIONS
and Wisconsin, Delaware, and Maine,
Since the co-operation commission is
which have commissions of nine mem-
a relatively new device in the field of
bers instead of fifteen. A Joint Com-
government, it would not be surprising
mittee, composed of appointees of the
if the public generally were aware nei-
Governor and the Attorney-General,
ther of its existence nor of the effective
serves in Texas-the forty-second state
work of the commissions and the Coun-
to establish an agency to co-operate
cil in bringing about &dquo;a more perfect
with other states.
Union.&dquo;
The first commission was es-
The achievements of the commissions
tablished in New Jersey in April 1935.
have generally been in direct proportion
Since then forty-one states have become
to the amount of appropriation received
members of the Council of State Gov-
from their legislatures. Those commis-
ernments by establishing commissions
sions which have made a successful rec-
1

ord have had sufficient funds to
With the editorial assistance of Virginia
employ
an
Savage Lanahan.
executive secretary and, in some
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104
cases, a research staff.
Outstanding
WORK OF THE COMMISSIONS
among the commissions have been those
of Illinois, Indiana, Massachusetts, New
Turning now to the work of these am-
Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania,
bassadorial agencies of the states, it is
and Wisconsin. The chairmen of these
not surprising to find that the organized
commissions have been usually able, and
commissions have been leaders in these
sincerely interested in solving the diffi-
states in initiating investigations toward
cult problems facing their commissions.
solving interstate problems. Frequently
Legislative appropriations to the com-
the commissions call regional confer-
missions vary from a high of $30;000 per
ences themselves, with the assistance of
year in New York State to $200 in Ver-
the Council’s staff; and often they re-
mont.
quest the Council to call a conference on
Efforts of the Council of State Gov-
a specific problem. Massachusetts has
ernments were first directed to bringing
taken the lead in conferences among the
about the establishment of commissions
New England states, and its co-opera-
throughout the country; more recently
tion commission has been influential in
the Council has been interested in see-
activating other commissions in that re-
ing that every commission has funds for
gion. The New York Joint Legislative
its work. At the end of the legislative
Committee on Interstate Co-operation,
sessions of 1935 only eight commissions
with the assistance of the Council’s New
existed and but two were supported by
York district office, has called a great
state appropriations. At the end of the
many conferences on subjects ranging
regular sessions in 193 7 eight states were
from conservation of fisheries to bank-
financing these agencies, and in 1939 fif-
ing practices and highway safety. The
teen states had appropriated a total of
New Jersey Commission has initiated
$96,600 to their commissions.
conferences on labor problems, tran-
The fact that some of the states failed
siency, and crime control. The Wis-
to appropriate to their commissions does
consin Commission requested the Coun-
not mean that they failed to function,
cil to arrange a conference of certain
because in many cases the expenses of
midwestern states orr conflicting taxa-
delegates participating in conferences
tion among those states. The Indiana
were paid out of legislative travel or spe-
Commission has been particularly active
cial contingent funds. The commissions
in the Midwest, and at its suggestion re-
also indorsed the legislative programs of
gional assemblies have been held on
other commissions and were successful
interstate trade barriers and on dairy
in passing legislative proposals drafted
problems. More significant, the points
...