Arizona republican., 1897-11-23
IMMIGRATION COMMISSION LAW.

An important suit was filed in the district court Saturday when Major T. c. Jordan sued Maricopa county for $1 200 for two years services as immi- grafton commissioner.
 No one doubts that Major Jor- dan has we'll earned the money he is suing for. This, however, does not noticeably affect the county of Mari copa, which has always taken refuge behind legal technicality to avoid complying with the provisions of the immigration law.
 This law, which was created by the Eighteenth legislature, was strongly urged by Governor Hughes. When it went into effect he appointed news paper men, wherever practicable, as commissioners of immigration, one to each county, thinking that they would be best fitted to perform the duties of that office. Unfortunately for the counties and the territory generally, the law was not popular one, as it's ! motive was purposely misconstrued. For the reason that the governor
 was known to be strongly in favor
 of the law, his enemies attributed its ] passage entirely to interior motives, and the appointment of newspaper
 men as commissioners to be a step in the direction of substituting the press of the territory in his behalf A more | foolish and picayune policy was never
 attempted in any country, although
 1t was surprisingly successful at the time. The plea was set up that the 1 law was not in compliacce with the 1 Harrison act, and the boards of su-
 pervisors in a majority of the coun- ties declined to pay the commission CTS salaries and co-operated to oppose the law and cause it to become a dead i letter. The commissioners ir the meantime have continued to perform | their duties to the best of their abil- dty, hampered as they are, without compensation or expense money, ex-
 cepting in few cases. These men | have already done excellent service
 for their respective counties and have | materially aided In advertising the l territory far and wide by their con- tributions to the governors reports of 1896 and 1897. It is but just that 1 they should be paid for what they have
 done. In Major Jordan's case, his
 work for this county has resulted in
 much good and Is we'll worth the amount asked for it.
 Now that political and personal l prejudices no longer blind the judg- ment of those who formerly opposed the law, it is hoped that wiser counsels
 will prevail and that the provisions of
 this act will be upheld. No law was ever passed by an Arizona legislature that will result in such ultimate good
 to the whole territory as the one in question.
 The one thing that Arizona needs
 above all others at this time is to be l properly advertised, so that capital
 may be induced to invest in our incom-
 parable resources and people may seek
 homes upon the fertile acres that now
 lie idle in this land of perpetual sun shine. One good way to do this adver- | tising is to enforce the immigration l commission law.
 Members of the bar generally are
 of opinion that the law is a good
 one; at any rate, the supreme court has never decided otherwise, and the
 fact that it is not in force and that l the commissioners have thus far been
 permitted to go unpaid is not to the credit of Arizona.