Arizona republican., 1912-06-17
But If So There Will Be a Good Deal of Proposed Legislature Hanging in the Air to Become Des- Sicated
AMONG THEM THE
 HIGHWAY FRANCHISE
A Measure in Which the Doctrine of Eminent Domain Is Carried Far ther Than Anybody Ever Heard of Before

ther Than Anybody Ever Heard of Before
 It is quite possible. even probable. the legislature will adjourn tonight. put It IS not absolutely certain. Of course the legislative body can quit at any time a majority of the mem bers decide to do so; but in the event of adjournment this evening there is strong probability that some Of the measures on which a great deal of work has been expend- ed the past week or so will be lost in the shuffle
 There are two measures, for in- stance, which are now in committee for purposes of amendment and which, after having been amended will have to be acted upon by both houses. Of course it is conceivable they may be reported with these amendments and that the said amendments may be accepted by both the senate and the house without de- lay; but that has not heretofore been the method of procedure.
 One of these is the highway fran chise bill which has been changed in accordance with the recommendation of the attorney general and which has had some other changes in addi- tion. This bill is now in the hands of a senate committee and if the con- templated changes are made they will have to be adopted by both the senate and the house before the bill will be ready for the governor.
 And in passing it may be mention ed that this bill brought out curious proposed amendment when it was last before the senate. The amendment was proposed by Mir Cunniff and it's object was to cure the objection against the bill brought by the at torney general.
 The original object of the bill was to permit the building of an electric line along the public highway between Globe and Miami. Of course, the measure is general and it was the desire for the building of this line that gave birth to the measure. But. when it came up in the house, Repre- sentative Linney made the discovery that in it's original form the bill would permit the building of an cleo tric or other railway line along any part of the state highway, with the assent of the boards of supervisors, so this section was cut out.
 Then the bill was passed and sent to the senate. When submitted to the attorney general, as mentioned apoVe, it contained a section providing that before any franchise grant should be- come operative it should be SuDmit- ted to a vote of the people or the county in which such grant was pro- posed to be made.
 This provision seemed satisfactory but unfortunately the attorney gen. eral declared it would render the bill inoperative MT. Bullard called at tention to the fact that the "fathers of the Arizona constitution provided for referendum votes only in leglsia- tive matters, and as the counties do not legislate, of course referendum was not authorized.
 Then MT. Cunniff came through with a proposition to cure this de- feet. His plan was to provide for a system of local option in all iran chise grants That is, whenever II was proposed to give a franchise 10 any public service corporation, the people should vote upon the proposi- tion just as they now vote on the liouor license question. Also, ms amendment provided there should De Q segregation of municipalities rom the rural precincts =
 Rut when this amendment was m- troduced it was warmly opposed py Senator Sims who declared 1t Wouid he destructive to any business propo- sition of that sort and was rloicu- Ions measure from every stanopoiii'' And so effectively did he do ms fighting that the amendment was killed.
 The bill then went to committee with instructions to amend III some minor particulars and Will oe No'e" out today .,.
 Tben there is another measure that hoe ascaped general attention. HIS ;s Q hill extending the right or e'llih ont domain. The alleged object ol tb;s hin is to bring the statute down to date-to include in it certain puo- lie requirements that have come .n existence since the original statute was written. And in pursuahee that requirement. the committee nav ing the bill in charge added d iis' VI oases to which the principle shaii oe annlied. the said list peing eooo deal longer than the moral law
 Rut a good deal more was ooie' No+ only was the list lengthened u i,,o,uda sites for wireless telegraph stot;ons Lighthouses and good many other things which, as eVerSoous
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