Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-11-04
ECONOMY IS
WATCH WORD
Therefore Convention Decid-
es Against Creation of
Two New Offices
TIMBER USE ON STATE LANDS
This Afternoon State, Municipal
and County Indebtedness
Is Considered.

The article on agriculture and con
servation in the constitution was un-
der consideration this forenoon in the
convention The report of the COM
mittee favored the creation of COM
missioner of agriculture at $4,000 a
year, but the convention for the sake
of economy not only rejected the prop
osition to create a commissioner OF
agriculture but also the recommen-
dation for a commissioner of labor.
However, the new state will have de-
partment of agriculture which is to
be under the control of the College OF
Agriculture and Mechanical Arts. The
matter of powers, duties and appro-
priation of lands and funds is left to
future legislatures.
1t was almost II a. m when Presl-
dent Spiess called the convention to
order. Rev. julius Hartman pronounc-
ed the invocation. The reading of the
journal was dispensed with.
A large number of petitions from
various counties for statewide pro-
hibition were presented. E. s. Stover
in presenting such petition signed
by women of Albuquerque, said he
knew most of them personally and
there is no class more deeply inter
ested in favor of prohibition than the
wives and mothers.
On motion of A. B. Fall, the conven-
ton went into committee of the whole
and took up for consideration the re-
mort of the committee on agriculture
and conservation. n. Segura was
called to the chair and made very
satisfactory presiding officer. The re
port under discussion, as Indicated
above, was badly slashed and the ar
ticle as adopted reads:
Section 1. A department of Agri-
culture shall be created by the legls-
lature, to be under the control OF the
College of Agriculture and Mechanic
Arts. and the legislature shall appro-
pirate for the use of the said depart
ment such public land and such
moneys as may be necessary lot eX-
detrimental farming and demonstrat-
ing for the benefit OF agriculture, ,fn-
der such conditions and regulations as
the legislature shall prescribe.
Sec 2. The police power OF the
state shall extend to such control OF
private forest lands as shall be neces-
sary for the prevention and suppres,
sion of forest fires.
Sec. 3. In valuing and assessing
land for taxation, no additional Valua'
tion or assessment shall be made for
shade or ornamental trees growing
thereon, nor on account OF fruit OF
nut bearing trees or vines thereon un
til they reach the age at which they
respectively become productive.
F s Brown offered the amendments
which rejected the recommendation OF
the committee for the creation OF com
missioners of agriculture and labor
Paragraph 3 was also stricken Out
unon his motion and Sections 4 and
amended.
A motion of A. A. Sedillo to strike
out Section 4, brought the statement
from A B. Fall that the Legislature
does not have the police power ano
that this should be specifically grant
ed so that those cutting timber on ter
ritorial lands can be compelled tc
clean away the brush, which in times
of drouth like the present may give
rise to serious confagrations.
Upon inquiry of T. J. Mabry as te
taxation of improved lands, J. M. Gun
ningham replied that the committee
on taxation had recommended that the
mere plowing of land on dry farms
shall not be considered an improve
ment for purposes of taxation.
The question of the free use OF tim
Der on state lands for domestic ane
commercial purposes caused a llVelS
debate precipitated by H. B. Fergus
son. who offered an amendment to per
nit settlers to use dead and falle1
timber for domestic purposes, a righ
which he claimed, is an immemorla
one of settlers adjacent to pubic
lands.
Jose D. Sena called attention to thu
fact that the adoption of the Fergus
son amendment would prevent set
tiers from selling such timber. HI
said that many poor peopIe maxi
their livelihood from the sale of woot
and they would thus be deprived o
their means of support just as SOM
in this country were lately deprived o
it by the Pecos forest boundaries be
ing extended three miles, the fedora
government only permitting the use o
wood from the forest for domestic bu
not for other purposes.
Charles "A. Spiess said that the las
speaker is absolutely correct, tn
amendment offered instead of gran
being a limitation upon the people
The disposition of the timber is a
present under regulations of the Liant
commissioner who permits settlers t.
take the dead and fallen timber from
the territorial lands for whatever us
they wish to make of it and that thes
regulations would be continued unde
the state government.
H. B. FERGUSON disclaimed any In
Do or 4