El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-04-04
EMERGENCIES ARE
TROUBLING ARIZONA
Continued from page u

occurred to cause the Two senators 70
change their minds. and much more 70
the same general purpose. Davis said,
conditions were different" but ne
didn't say exactly how. 1t was a laugh
able situation and was not relieved
when, on roll call, Wood and DAVIS
were the only two men to vote for the
elimination Of the emergency clause.
The majority say they are determined
this bill shall 90 TO the governor JUST
as il was introduced, and let him decide
whether a constitutional emergency eX-
lists in this matter.
Referendum Is Repudfated.
The passage Of the WOrsley liquor
bill over the governors signature
means the parting of the ways between
the ultra-radical and the radical Dem
ocrats in this state It means also
break between Gov. Hunt and the most
influential forces in his party. That II
also means the absolute reputation OF
the referendum principle, to sustain
which the faith OF the party has been
pledged, goes without saying.
In sporting parlance, Gov. Hunt
seems to have been playing both ends
against the middle In his veto mes
sage he upheld the referendum clause
of the constitution, but at the same time
he praised the legislators for their pa-
triOtism in passing the measure and
said Furthermore that he was in hearty
sympathy with the object Of the bill
itself The object Of the bill is to pre-
vent the lapsing Of some liquor licenses
in Benson. Tucson and Vail
The Divorce Measure.
II looks as though there is to be no
quick lunch divorce bill this session
after all Early in the session senator
Lovin and representative Ellis, both OF
Mohave county, introduced bills IN their
respective houses designed to attract
to this state and city the unhappily
married who for any reason, could not
or would not get divorces at home. The
bill provided that a residence OF six
months in the state and four months in
rr~ he sufficient q
condition to the severing Of the CALLING
matrimonial chains.
But Tuesday the house was afflicted
with a sudden streak Of morality. The
house judiciary committee brought IN
the Ellis bill with an adverse recon-
1nendatiOn and a little later, in com
mittee OF the whole, the lower body
voted Indefinitely to suspend the
measure Whether Reno, Nevada, will
have a celebration in honor of the
death of this bill has not been learned.
Late bills introduced in the house
regulate the number OF hours OF en-
ployment for women the hours Of en-
plOyment for hosting engineers, and
the method Of making assessments for
taxation.
Corporation Regulation.
Even Of more interest than the work
Of the legislature, aside from action on
the WOrsley bill, is the activity OF the
corporation commission This body is
composed OF F. A, Jones. A w Cole
and Paul Geary. The last named is a
loWysr- Cole is foreman at a smelter
in Douglas and Jones is JOB prin-
ter. Under the constitution, this com
mission is given almost d1ctatOrlal con-
troll Of all corporations doing business
in this state. so il will be readily un-
derstOod that whatever II does Is
viewed with considerable interest
Today the commission sent out sew
eral circulars. The most important OF
these is one dressed to the Pacific
Gas and Electric company. whieht sup
piles light and power to the city OF
Phoenix and which IS the present les
see OF the Roosevelt power privileges
through a contract made with the gov
eminent The circular calls upon the
company to prepare ana file with the
commission on or before April 10 an
inventory Of the cost and value Of ali
its property in the state.
Chance TO Make Politics.
1t is not difficult to see that there
are some lively times ahead Tor the
Pacific Gas and Electric company. At
least one member Of the commission is
known TO be rather violently opposed TO
the interests" and II Is possible the
commission viii not be aVerSe 10 max
ing it rather uncomfortable for the Pa
cific people Furthermore, public ser
vice corporations are not in particular
" good Odor in Arizona, and more es-
pectaliy Phoenix, and II politics gets
into the commissions investigat lions Of
several companies, which are known to
be particularly offensive to the hackers
OF part OF the commission. there will
be plenty OF interesting happenings IN
this state for some time TO come.
Another circular is to the effect that
all common carrier rates and all rates
made and collected by other corpora
lions at the time Of the states admiS-
sion, viii remain in force for the pres
ent 1t is stated. however, that the
commission does not approve these
rates They will merely remain in ef-
1eCt pending investigation. And as
the commission not only has authority
to fix rates absolutely, but to prescribe
even the form OF contracts made by cor
pOrations Of all kinds, 1t is also likely
something Of interest along this line Is
on the cards. Another circular re-
Quires all public service corporations
to submit schedules Of their rates and
charges on OF before April Is.
The commission further announces
that on April p It viii consider the
matter Of railway passenger rates 1t
is the intention to get At the facts By
means Of public hearings
The Fight On Sloan.
Friends Of Gov. Sloan seem just now
to be somewhat IN the lead in the mat
ter of confirmation by the senate Of the /
presidents appointment Of the former
chief executive for federal judicial
position. The Arizona legislature re-
Gently adopted resolution of protest
against Gov. SlOan's confirmation,
which was forwarded to the senate
judiciary committee In addition to
protesting against the appointment
the legislature declared in its resolu-
tion that snap Judgment had been
taken by the Arizona State Bar assOcia- I
ton, which recently Endorsed the gov
ernor's candidacy.
But now comes a letter from Frsder- /
lex S. Nave, former justice OF the SUI
preme court and now president Of the I
State Bar association, who is a promi-
nent attorney Of Globe and one of the I
most highly respected lawyers IN Ari- I
IONA. Nave denies that this indOrse-
ment by the attorneys Of the state !
was in any sense a snap" affair. After
judge Nave's letter had been read |
there was an attempt to ignore It by I
laying it on the table. This plan how.
ever, was defeated and the communica- /
ton was referred to the judiciary COM /
mittee. What future action may be
taken is, of course, predetermined
Ashurst Must Explain.
But Of all the people who have taken I
up the fight against the governor, no !
one occupies quite so illogical and en- |
barrassing a position as Henry F. Ash [
urst just sworn in as one OF Arizona's |
senat tors. Just before leaving for Wash
ingtOn, Ashurst advised the legisla- I
ture that protest against the confir-
nation of Gov. Sloan would be a per-
fectly proper proceeding: also Ii Is 7
said he IS on record as having prom D
fcaF N vote in the aaua 70 --og-e-