Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1897-01-25
BoBBIE BURNS natal day.
MATTERS OF THE MOMENT.
Some Things That Should Not Be
Overlooked by Dur Lawmakers.
To the Editor Of the Optic.

10 the Ed1to- OF the optic.
SPRINGER, N. NJ, January goth
1897 i have been o busy In ''loca
legislation to answer your card soon
er. II | had dumped at first conclu
sions," l should have made the sam,
recommendation my friend Mills did
viz: That the legislature meet ant
adjourn; but having be time to reflect.
and as the W houses have met, or.
ganized without a squabble, and settled
down to work as though they mean,
business, 1 will venture on a few points
of advice; and here goes:
Abolish the grand jury, or reduce its
numbers to six members, to be drawn
from alternate precincts of the county,
for each term Of court.
Make district court terms ia each
county semi annual, and to last not
more than two weeks, and obligatory
on judge and clerk to open court for
business on Monday, (the first day., At
9 O'Clock, q. N.
Create the Office Of county Judge,
who shall be also probate Judge, to
hold court at his county seat four times
a year, for not mor than SIX days at
each term to have jurisdiction In mis-
demeanors, either de nopo, or ON ap-
peals from j. P. courts, and in civil
suits up to $500; tho probate clerk to
be clerk of county court, judge and
clerk to receive fees only the Judge of
said county and probate court to be
learned in the law. See Colorado law
on this subject.
To create q new county, require that
the Territory to be Effected into q new
county have at least 10000 bona fds
inhabitants, with a property valuation
in proportion, and that tho present
county or counties shall not be left
with a less number OF people nor
smaller amount of taxable properly.
County commissioners should set
apart one-half of county fund for the
improvement Of roads and bridges In
their counties.
All records of courts and all process
es from said courts should be 10 the
American language. New Mexico has
been an appendix OF the United States
now nearly fifty years and 1t is getting
along toward the time whom nUnited
States" should be spoken and under
stood by the inhabitants thereof.
Reduce the number Of county Off.
GERS by consolidating sheriff and col
lector, assessor and treasurer. Abolish
he Office of oroner.
County commissioners should not be
allowed to expend more than the
unless authorized so to do by
, vote of the people at a regular or
'pecial election and then not one dollar
more than is authorized, and when an
amount is thus authorized, county
ponds 10 be issued and sold ct not more
han 6 per cent. interest. The interest
10 per cent. of said bones should
20 added to the pext assessment. Let
Is have county warrants equal to the
'est money in the country and then
hey will be a part Of our domestic
'urrency.
Remove the tax on improvements
nd make all farm property equal in
sluation; also town property. Wei
improvements. There 10 no
ustice in taxing my neighbor for his
ubstantial improvements, in buildings,
'nces, orchards and ornamental ad-
'ncts, and not me, with my slab cabin
nd general unthriftiness. The man
ho bsautifies his home, gives labor to
mechanic and thus all get some- J
ing from it. Instead OF taxing stim- '
'ovements," as now, l would double .
Q tax Of him who does mot improve. =
,ere 10 much to be said on this 3
bject. q
Very respectfully,
HENRr STURcEs. n