Albuquerque morning journal., 1910-11-09
AvAGANCE
IN NEW STATE
IS CURBED
DEBT COMMITTEE HAS
STRINGENT PROVISION
Legislature May Spend Only
S200,000i Delegate Stover
Champions Votes for Womeni.
Two Articles Adopted.

Especial Dispatch TO the Morning ;ournaIl
Santa F'e, n NJ. Nov. S.-Today's s
work of the convention resulted in the
practical adoption of two articles of
the constitution. The articles agreed
upon were the report Of the commit
tee on elective franchise and that of
the committee on state, county and
municipal Indebtedness. The latter
article was only agreed upon after a
struggle which lasted Tor four hours
last night and all of this morning and
which at times grew exciting in the
extreme. All semblance of party lines
or any other alignment was lost dur
ing the discussion. This may be TAX
en- as a convincing evidence OF the
fact that the republican caucus lacks
a whole lot of having control over its
members. The principal controversy
of the morning occurred over the
selection of the report which provides
the manner in which the territory
may contract extraordinary indebted
ness. Provision is made in the re-
port that the legislature may, to meet
ordinary requirements, deficits in
revenue. etc. incur obligations to the
extent Ol nAUU,VUUs I1ul ny lilt Dl u
visions Of the article agreed upon to-
day, above this amount it can not go
without first submitting the PROPOSE
ton to the people at a general cleo
tion. The requirements for the refer
endum on bond issues was bitterly
fought, but the report of the commit
tee was sustained i'm almost every in
stance. Practically the only depart
ure from its recommendation on this
section was the provision that the
proposition for a bond issue should be
submitted to the qualified electors of
the state instead of to a vote of the
taxpayers alone, as provided i'm the
report Of the committee.
The adoption Of this section Will go |
a long way toward curbing legislative |
extravaganza in New Mexico. 1t is ex- |
tremely improbable that the people |
having two years for the consideration I
and discussion of a proposed bond !
issue. will vote to saddle any indebt-
edness on the state without the very
best Of reasons. There is some dis
satisfaction with the decision of the
convention to leave the question of
bond issues to q vote of the qualified
electors, and it Is not improbable that
another effort viii be made to re-
strict the rights to vote on these ques-
tions to those electors who are also
tax payers.
Immediately after being called to
order this morning, the convention
resolved itself into committee of the
whole with Delegate Richardson, of
Chaves, in the chair for the purpose
Of resumng consideration of the COM
lnittee report on state. county and
Indebtedness. The COM
mittee of the whole struggled with
the report for some two hours and
finally found itself in what appeared
TO be a hopeless tangle. Countless
were piled upon the
clerks table and some Of the MEM
bers appeared to be at a loss to un-
derstand upon which of them they
We're voting. On motion of Delegate
Fitch the committee of the whole
arose and reported to the convention.
President Spiess then and by little
judicious application of the rules,
limiting debate, the tangle was
out, and short work was
made of the remainder Of the report,
which was finally adopted shortly af-
ter noon.