Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1910-11-12
CONVENTION TAKES
UP CORPORATIONS
Committee Reports Excellent
Clause That VIII Do
the Work
ALL DAY GIVEN TO DISCUSSION
Three Members Elected for
Six Years at $4,000
Per Annum.

President Charles A. Spiess called
the convention to order at 11:10 a. m.
today and after Rev. julius A. Hart
man had pronounced the invocation,
prohibition petitions to the number of
forty to, fifty were presented and re-
ferred to the Committee on Liquor
Traffic.
On motion of Solomon Luna the
convention went into committee of
the whole to consider the report of
the Committee on Corporations other
that Municipal and M. L. Stern amidst
hand clapping was called to the chair
The report of the committee of which
H o. Bursum was the chairman was
received.
The minority reported a substitute
for Section T.
Section 1, creating state corpora
ton of three members was adopted
without debate So was the section
providing for an elective commission
and the election after the first cleo
tion, of only one commissioner at
a time to serve six years.
Section 8, excluding any one inter
ested in any transportation or trans
mission company from being cor
poration commissioner, was passed.
G. j.. Roberts presented a statement
from the representatives of the rail
road unions pleading for an appointive
commission consisting of specially
qualified members.
Section 4, prescribing the method of
organizing the commission and the
appointment by it of such clerical
force as it may deem necessary.
E. F. Saxon offered an amendment
providing that the commission shall
have the appointment of only one
clerk, cutting out all other employees,
this on the plea of economy.
Reed Holloman said that it is abso-
lutely impossible to foretell what
scope the work of this commission
will take and that it would be unwise
to hamper the commission by not per-
mitting it to employ as many clerks
and such help as the expanding bust
ness of the state may demand
The Saxon amendment was reject
ed
G. A. Richardson moved to strike
out cor his legally authorized repre-
sentatives" after the words "the at
torney general of the state" He
withdrew his amendment upon expla-
nation by H. o. Bursum and H. M.
Dougherty.
G. w. Prichard moved to strike out
the word legally" from legally au-
thorized' representative, as being
tautology. For a time in debate
threatened to rival yesterdays discus
sion of the word "fix", but after ]. W.
Childers had made plea to adopt
the report just as it came from the
committee as it covers the subject ad-
mirably and effectively. The Prich-
ard motion was lost and Section was
adopted as was Section 5 which pro-
vided that each commissioner should
receive $4,000 a year.
Section 6 virtually transfers to the
commission the powers now vested in
the territorial secretary as to charter
ing corporations and reports made to
him at present.
J. w. Childers referred disdainfully
to the "wind-jamming of the slick
lawyers who were quibbling over tech
nicalities, and the phraseology, and
who were wasting time discussing the
difference between tweedle-dee and
tweedle-dum. This outburst occurred
on account of an amendment by F. E.
Wood to change the phraseology of
Section 6, in order to make more clear
the intent of the section.
A. B. Fall said the section had been
very carefully drawn and said its in
tent was to vest in one commission
ali matters relating to corporation and
that there is no ambiguity in the sec
tion which is not removed by the sec
tions that follow
F.E. Wood took up the debate with
the last speaker regarding the legal
construction of words. C. A. Spiess
also took part in defending the
phraseology of Section 6. t. B. Ca
tron took the same view as did III. nj.
Dougherty. G. A. Spiess insisted that
there is no judicial power vested in
this commission as this is reserved by
the constitution to the courts. A. A.
Sedillo took hand in the debate at
this juncture and was given brief
lecture on constitutional construction
by H. NJ Dougherty. F. E. Wood with
drew his amendment and Section 6
was adopted.
The committee rose for recess un-
til 2 o'clock.
Afternoon Session.
The convention lost no time in get.
ting down to business this afternoon
J. L. Lawson addressed the convention
in behalf of the Substitute for Section
Z offered by the minority and which
was copy of the Hepburn act that
had stood the test Of the courts. He
wanted commission that really had
the power to regulate and will do jus.
tice to the public without being op.
pressive on the corporations
H. o. Bursum calmly explained the
differences between the majority and
the minority reports. He said the
people of New Mexico do not care to
assume the burden of managing the
affairs of the railroads, of interfer
ing with their internal affairs. in mat
ters pending between the railroads