Albuquerque citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1907-1909, 1909-03-20

Santa Fe, n. M, March 2O.-Tle
1909 session of the New Mexico legis-
lature is over. Most of tne members
departed for their homes yesterday
afternoon and last night while a few
will remain over Sunday to visit
friends and to confer with Governor
Curry regarding conditions in their
respective counties.
The session just passed has been a
notable one in that it witnessed the
hardest fight on several bills New
Mexico has seen in many years. In
eluded in these oils were the local
option liquor measures Il bill provid-
ing for the publishing of the revised
statutes. and the railroad commission
bill For the past three weeks the
House wrestled with these last three
measures and during the closing days
passed each one. But when the bills
reached the Council, they were kille1.
While the governor and party leaders
used everys effort to get the bills
through the legislature mill. their
work was of no avail and the meas
ures were allowed to die in commit
tee.
The pickering between the House
and the Council which prevailed more
or less during the entire session end
ed a few days before adjournment IN
a compromise. The Council had
little the best of it, but the House was
given satisfaction ON the main point
of its contention, as the appropria-
ton bill passed almost as originally
presented in the lower body. The
Council had a habit of amending al
most every House bill sent to it for
concurrence and this became so
chronic that trouble of such a ma
ture as TO block or defeat important
legislation, came near taking place.
But the House finally caught on to
the Councils game and returned tit
for tat Oy reconstructing or amending
Council bills sent TO it for passage.
The thirty-eighth assem- bly, broke a
few records. The long distance and
multiple talk records were shattered.
In spite of the differences existing be-
tween members of House at various
times during the session, and which
became acute two lays before final
adjournment, all got together the re-
naming two days and worked in har-
mony in an effort to clean up the
mittee on judiciary easily the most
important one, and a. a member Of
other committees, Representative c.
J. Roberts of ColfaX county, especial
ly did effective work all during the
session. But Roberts greatest work
was done during the last week, when
as chairman Of the all important
steering committee, he made possible
NJ ir1D m D. 90
tant bills, which but. for his labors
and the labors of other members OF
this committee, would have gone es-
tray or gotten lost in the shuttle In
Mr. Roberts not only the people OF
Colfax county. out those of the whole
territory, had a conscientious and
hardworklng representative. But II
would not be just 10 stop here.
In summing up it might well. be
said that Roberts Of Colfax on the
Republican side, and Brice of Eddy
for the Democrats were the two big
gest men developed by this session OF
the legislature Roberts is a fighter
quick witted, able and broad-minded
Brice. while of a quiet demeanor, is
keen lawyer and what he lacked in
oratory he made up in work.
the House fun maker. He is an un-
conscious humorists, and never failed
to arouse laughter when he called up
on the speaker "tO find out what We
are voting on He also was the
father Of many bills, some freakish in
their nature, which with some excep'
tions, were allowed to die natura
deaths As father Of the bill Il
change the county seat Of Sierra from
Hinsboro to Gutter. Chaves stirred VI
a hornets nest, but he pacified hii
angry constituents by introducing
and passing substitute measure
which places the question in th'
hands of the voters OF the county Z
year hence.
Among those members conspiciou
by their silence. yet who were Away:
on the ioo with both feet where there