Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1909-03-01
LITTLE TIME
LEFT FOR
WORK
lFGISl AZURE MUST HUSTLE
FOR EIGHTEEN DAYS
bsfieved That Last Days of the
Session VIII Bring Passage Of
Number of Strong Laws,
Morning Journal Bureau, !
Tho Palace Hotel,
Snntn 20 Y NJ. Eeh. ~


Santa ZEE. y. NJ Feb. 2S.
when the Legislature convenes to-
morrow afternoon it will have but
eighteen days in which to complete
The work Of the session, Il work which
in comparison with the volume of
legislation introduced, has just begun.
Thus far one hundred and eighty
nine bins have been introduced in the
house and nincty-eight in the council.
Many Of these bills are of minor i'm
nortance, but there are contained in
The list a number of measures of the
very greatest importance which must
come from committee, he discussed
ana acted upon, within what is get
ting to be a very short time.
The appropriation bill will proba-
bly, come in during the present week.
Mr Upton, chairman of the finance
committee of the house was absent
all of last week on business which
called him to his home and his ah-
sence delayed to some extent the prep
aration of the original bill II is ex-
pected however, that the original
draft viii be completed before the
end Of the week.
There is determined disposition
an through the capitol building to
hold down the appropriation bill tins
year. Governor Curry, while heartily
III favor of as liberal appropriations
fo rthc territorial institutions and for
territorial purposes as the treasury
can stand. has expressed himself as
rigidlv opposed to extravaganee or 70
any Increases in appropriation which
viii make necessary an increase In the
tax rate There are several appfo-
priations which are needed and which
will be strongly urged if the appro-
priation bill can be kept within
bounds one Of these is a special APP
preparation for road building which
is perhaps more needed than any other
public demand provided it can be Sc
,ured in connection With the passage
s,f f.,r GOOD ruirus commission ltw nUN
pending in the house. The approprl-
alton for the cooperative experiment
farms is also considered an import
ant measure ana one that the country
needs
The institutions are clamoring for
Increased appropriations. That sueh
appropriations are needed Is not
doubted but the ability of the terri
tory to make them is a serious ques-
ton. It is not unlikely that the in
stitutions, or some of them, will have
to get along with about the same ap-
propriations as were made last year.
In the expense of conducting the
territorial government some small in
creases viii be asked for but not
enough in the aggregate to make any
serious increase in expense. one OF
these in for extending the work of the
irrigation engineers office, Where
money is needed and where it Will
bring immediate and practical results.
Another increase is imperatively dc-
manded in the office OF the super
intendent of education where the work
is sufficient to swamp the present OIL
flee force and more money rs neeueu
for the operation of the office OF the
land commissioner. There VIII be a
small Increase in expense of the Oh
flee of the attorney general through
the creation Of the office of assistant
Otherwise the expense of the oflces
at Santa Fe will not be mateflallS
advanced. The territory moreover
will have an increased revenue dui-
ing th1 coming five years because OF
recent advances in assessed Ndlua-
tons But the demand for increased
appropriations and the inabllity oi
the legislature to make them without
increasing tax rates is bringing nome
To the members this year mors iofcc-
fully than ever before that theFr i
something radically wrong with New
Mcxico's system of taxation ana Nal-
uation. that valuations are too low
and taxes too high &ad that IN pro-
portion to our real wealth. we are
paying more taxes ana getting less re-
turns than any other western state
Several of the western states with act
ually less taxable wealth than New
Mexico raise almost double our IN
come because they tax property at it'
real value. and the tax rates IN thos'
states are Comparatively low IN
remedy has been pointed out to thl'
assembly. It lies in putting valuatloh
on tho basis of actual value IN as
scssing property at what 1t is WORT
ana in enforcing such assessiileh
throughout the territory 1t can b'
demonstrated that such course
honestly and consistently carried oul
would result in an enormous increas'
in the revenue and bring CORES
ponding decrease i'm taxation
This was the end to which GoNerno
Curry was working when he caiie'
the meeting of county commissioner
on February ist. and this meeting
although it brought no legislation
has aroused more intelligent lnteres
in this vital matter of taxation thai
any other single thing that mas eve
been done i'm connection with H.
This legislature realizes. AT lcas
those members who have though
carefully on the subject. realize tina
New Mexico must get her assessmen
valuations upon proper basis pel"I
our territorial institutions can
pr rly maintained and before IN
ias ate can be brought To the basl
hhr it ought to be.
Macy Important Measures Pending
ong the important measure
p'nd ne. only second in importanc
% tfs appropriation bill are the GOO
roao commission measure. the BANK
Inc u.s.. the penitentiary manasemer
nili the revision Of the election law
an me bill providing for the enact
mer of the revision OF the laws pre-
lar bv the revision commission dui
ne BE- past two years These Dis
viii the several others OF scarcel
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