Daily Arizona silver belt., 1909-01-27
REGARDED BY MANY AS SCHEME TO PUT oLD-LINERs OUT
 OF TERRITORY.
TO ASSIST LOCAL COMPANIES
DE soUsA WILL INTRODUCE BILL FOR GOOD ROADS AND ONE
 FOR CLEANER ELECTIONS.

| three uays Junket or the legIslator
 to the various public institutions is re
 garded. Ever since the convening oI the twenty fifth session the air ha,
 been filled with rumors of graft billi
 galore. Two weeks before the sessior
 began, the story was sent broadcast
 through the territory by some mysteri
 ous means that an insurance bill was
 to be introduced having for it's purpose
 the compelling of all life companies to
 invest large percentage of their sur. pluses in Arizona securities. Without
 passing on the merits or demerits of
 such bill at this time. it is well to
 note that it had no sooner been intro l dueed by ''Unele Ben Goodrich of Co
 chise than smile passed around the
 chamber and one of the most prominent members thereof confided to the writer
 that it was likely to prove the liveliest
 baby of the session.
 | The bill provides that life insurance
 companies must invest 75 per cent of
 their surplus in Arizona securities. The
 bill is much after the Texas insurance
 bill, which was enacted during the re-
 vulsion of public sentiment against the
 big old line companies, following the
 huge graft exposures of now Governor
 Hughes of New York. The result has | been the practical elimination of the big companies from the Lone Star | state and the creation of almost an in surance monopoly. Bad as the effects
 have been in the big state of fosr mil.
 lions and more of people, the foes of
 tue bill argue well that its effect in Ari. zona will be to throw all the insurance of the territory into the hands of the Occidental, and possibly the Southwest. ern companies, both having largely the nature of local concerns, and in whose welfare it is whispered many politicians, members of the legislature and other wise, are deeply interestd.
 It needs no argument to show that to pass such a bill means the elimination of the Equitable, New York Life, New York Mutual and other standard or. ganizations from Arizona. The 75 per cent provision is impractical. the man agers declare, for any company doing universal insurance business. But again, without entering into any argu. ment on the merits or demerits of the proposed law, it is well again to note that this insurance bill has created lot of ugly talk and that sure enough. as the eminent councilman predicted at lntrn1ua tt h,Ia f... the lively baby of the session.
 Editor Frank De Sousa of the Phoenix Democrat, is taking prominent part in the lower house as one of the pro. gressive wing of the democratic party. De Sousa, who is one of the younger members of the legislature, occupies seat just behind Morris, the youngster from Yavapai, who is earning his spurs so creditably, and between the two is borning a regard which is likely to de velop into Damon and Pythias affair before the legislature closes De Sousa will on Thursday, when the house recon venes, introduce one of the most import ant bills likely to be debated during the session, dealing with purity of cleo tions. It will be completely new election law and with such requirements that no man will be able to vote fraud ulently, De Sousa believes. The main feature is that of the carbon copy cer- tifcate. Every voter on registering will be given his certificate, filled out by himself. He will be given the original, but carbon copy will be kept for Identification, and this must be pre- sented at the polling place. The re- quirements are such that voter must almost necessarily know how to read and write to gain the voting privilege.
 De Sousa will also father the good roads bill being prepared by the Ari- zona Automobile association, and which was heartily indorsed by the recent supervisors convention. As stated briefly in dispatch to this paper, the bill places the roads of the territory under the jurisdiction of territorial engineer. His powers are made almost absolute and the bill does away with the appointment of road overseers by the boards of supervisors. The bill pro- vides, also, for two grand state high ways, one from the Grand Canyon | through Phoenix and southeast to Ben son, and the other from Yuma east to Globe. These roads are intended to develop the great national playground features of the new state to be, and bring to the state annually thousands of wealthy tourists who now go to Colorado, California and the Yellow. stone park, but know little of the scenic wonders of Arizona by reason of | their isolation. The plant, it is under stood, is to have branch highways of | the highest class, running from Prescott | to the Verde Rim, Natural Bridge, Mon tezuma's well, the Canyon Diablo and | other natural wonders of the northern part of the territory.