Arizona republican., 1899-03-24

such legislation is worse than useless,
 not only because it is illegal and inope- rative, but because while in no wise providing an increase in the revenues 1t
 invites expensive and prCftless litiga- {tiOn.
 | It will be remembered that a few l years ago, when the board of equaliza- | ton placed the value of grant lands 1 for assessment purposes at 50 cents per acre, a levy was made on that basis
 and the valuation of property in cer-
 tain counties was very largely in | creased thereby, and the rate corTes- ! pOndingly reduced; but the taxes could i not be collected on that basis and the
 amount collected from other property | being insufficient for county purposes i because of the low rate which the Over- valuation had induced, the counties af- ! fected became very much embarrassed l and through their representatives pc 1 titioned that the value be reduced suffi- ciently to be collectible.
 Council bill No. 92. This bill re-
 quired the county superintendent of
 schools of Yuma county to pay from
 the general fund Of the county to the
 trustees of school district No. 1 of the
 town of Yuma S62050, but did not say
 for what purpose, nor direct in any
 way Ju6 QISI1CSlllOn OI tue money. H.
 vesaigatiCn developed that the purpose
 of the bill was to settle certain indebt-
 edness created on the part of school
 district No. 1 by it's trustees at the
 time it was proposed to issue bonds for
 the erection of a new school house, and it was originally intended that the indebtedness thus created would be
 paid from the proceeds of the sale of the bonds. At an election the issu- ance of the bonds was defeated, and while it is unfortunate that this unau- thOrized Indebtedness remains uEsatis- fled, to pay it out of the general school fund of the county, making every district in the county a contributor to school district No 1 of Yuma, is so palpably wrong that it requires no comment, even if the debt was legal in every way. This is especially true in view of the difficulty in keeping the schools open the usual time because of insuffi- cient funds.
 In another column is printed the full text of council bill No. 39 (the initia- tive and referendum) fer the informa- tioH of Republican readers The bill l is so widely at variance with our or ganic laws and statutory provisions | now controlling legislation, and is so l thoroughly impracticable, that com ment seems unnecessary. Not only | would it's operation be cumbersome, | because Of petitions and elections, but | It would be very expensive and lead to serious legislative complications. Con- | gresslonal sanction would never be given to it. It is only another case of printing in the statutes worthless and i imperative enactments.
 Ccuncn bill No. 74, an act to regu- late territorial rcinting, provided that all Lhe territorial printing of whatso- ever nature, consisting of all advertis- ing and job work of the various terri torial officials, institutions and boards, should be controlled by the secretary of the territory, without limitation as to expenditures While the act re- 1uired that he should advertise for bids and let the work to the lowest respon- 5ible bidder, he was given the right 10 reject any and all bids. Under the provisions Of this alt E0; institution nor official could control it's own work. Proclamations. advertisements fo- war rants, nor public printing of any kind could be dCne except under the control and direction Of the secretary.
 Council bill No. 69 proposed to make the failure to file plats of town sites and subdivisions thereof, as required by law, a misGemeanor It is be- lieved that the present. law is suffi- cient, and that negO5iatcrs will see hat all prerequisites to title are com piled with; and it would be just as to make the failure to file and record a deed to realty misde- neanor.
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