Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1910-12-22
TRY AGAIN.

Some weeks ago we vailed uprr
the superintendent OF the New Mex.
ico A~nti-saioon league 10 produce
the detailed figures to prove his re-
markable assertion that the consltu-
tionai convention might have been
held al a cost OF less than half the
100000 appropriated by congress.
or 10 put It another way. that the
appropriation was enough 10 cover
the 0 3 Of two conventions. with
IS. 200 left.
The gentleman in this issue after
a rather lengthy de~iiberation assume
to comply with our request To show
that the cost Of the convention might
have been haived he gives the fol-
lowing ason
The mileage Of members should
have been about $4,000 instead Of
$4,000.
The convention handled so inn
portant "a NATTER as prohibition.
with 80 little Expense OF time.
printing. etc
The first statement Of course en-
tails the charge that the delegates
to the convention. with the con-
n~iyance OF the secretary OF the ter
ritory who distributed the salaries
and mileage money. deliberately
padded their mileage to the extent
OF $4,000. For the mileage amounted
to $4,000.
In order 10 preserve our gravity
We must refrain from taking the Sec
ond argument seriously
The expenses carelessly overlooked
by the gentleman were ar follows:
sixty-four thousand dollars Tor
the expenses OF registration and
polling at the elections OF delegates
and for ratification Of the constItu-
ton. This sum. over half the APP
preparation az one whack. Is ex-
pended under direction OF the gov
eminent. The only way 10 decrease
the election expenses would be to de-
crease the number OF voters.
Twenty thousand dollars for sal
Of one hundred delegates at 81
a day for fifty days. a rate fixed BY
the enabling act. It liz generally adj
mitted that in spite of efforts az de-
on the part Of democrats. pro-
.hibltionists and others. the conyen-
ton finished its work In the shortest
time. l.
one thousand two hundred dollars, (.
rent Of capitol.
This makes a total OF $s5.2 200.
Granting. for the sake Of argument. |,
the delegates and the secretary
the mileage 10 double what II
haye been. add $4,000 for
Mileage and We have a total Of $780,
100. (
This leaves not quite $4,000 for !
he expenses Of p~rinting-by contract 4
Win the government-and for the &
~alaries OF employees and i~ncideutals. {
Thus for the ONE convention. !
With attendant elections We cannot :
have left over that 5000 !
which the gentleman says should re- ,
main after holding TWO conventions. (
There is a serious shortage some c
We fear the gentleman has !
overlooked a bet. i
This communication purports to 1
Insscr our request 20 produce the :
igures' The repetition of the I,
that the prohibitlonists did 9
lot get q square Zeal is added. I
We shall not resume that argu- q
nent as the charge has been ef- II
.ectually refuted further than to i,
hopelessly with the gentle \
nan that prohibition was the most q
eidely agitated and most important" a
ubject before the convention. :,
In closing we would express again Il
fear that congress in providing a
n inadequate appropriation. was not :,
businesa-iike II it expected II
conventions TO be held. %
Further. as a last word, we would =
gain point out IN this connection II
congress appropriated the same %
um for Arizona, where the expense
exactly half. =
We must ask the gentleman for \
ONE more figures. Z