Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-05-26
State Executives DiSapproval
of Corporation Commission
Salary Bill Causes No End of
Speculation.
WITHOUT TWO-THIRDS
OLD GUARD IS HELPLESS
Belief Prevails in Well Informed
Circles That Spiess Bond Bill
Also Will Meet with Official
Rejection.
Especial Dispatch to the Morning Journal.1

Especial Dispatch to the Morning JOurnal.l
Santa Fe, n. NJ, May 25.-The veto
bv Governor Mcdonald OF the bill
providing for the payment of the sal
aries and expenses of the corporation
commission has started speculation as
to what will be the fate of numerous
other measures of great public i'm
portance which have either reached
MIN or are duo to reach him In the
next few days.
The veto of the corporation COM
mission bill was the first that the gov
ernor has issued There Is nothing re-
markable in this, however. for Il was
the first bill Of any importance to
reach him. Less than a score of bills
have been passed during this session
of the legislature, and almost without
exception they have been measures
of such a trivial nature as to make
very little difference, so far as the gem
eral public is concerned, whether they
became laws or not. This is the first
fair shot that the governor has had.
What the corporation commission
and the Legislature are going TO do
about it remains to be seen. Only
two weeks is an awfully short time in
which to get through an important bill
when it is considered that there are
dozens of other important bills on the
calendar which have not yet been
passed and which are sure to bring or
prolonged discussion and n stubborn
fight. In the first place. it will taFe
considerable time to draw new bill
which will meet the approval of the
governor, and after it is drawn and in
troduced the matter of harmonizing
the inharmonious elements of the
house and senate will bring on still
more discussion and worry. If the
corporation commission is to have
any money for salaries and expenses
before next January it is going to take
some very active and judicious work
to bring it about.
Commissioner Groves is out of the
city at present, but is expected back
within the next day or two. He has
been in active charge of the fight foi
the passage of the bill, and it is not
likely that any decisive steps will be
taken towards reopening the fight un-
til his return.
What of the Bond Bill?
What is generally known as the
Spiess bond bill is now awaiting ex
ecutive action, having passed the SEN
ate without amendment Friday after
noon. Governor Mcdonald was in
Ration today, and it was impossible to
learn anything about his Intentions in
regard to this measure, but there are
many who do not hesitate TO predict
that his action on 1t will be in the
form Of veto message number two.
Those who make this prediction
call attention to what they say is
very significant fact. Senator Barth
is one of the democratic members OF
the legislature who are closest to
Governor Mcdonald and with whom
the executive is most frequently in
consultation. 1t is recalled that when
the corporation commission salary bill
was up for consideration in the senate,
Mr.. Barth was outspoken in his oppo-
sltion to the bill. and that his oppo-
sltion was based squarely on the
grounds afterwards set out In the gov
ernors veto measure. 1t is now point
ed out that in the discussion of the
bond bill Friday afternoon, Senator
Barth was the only senator to make
any extended remarks in opposition to
the bill, and that he made a speech
OF about an hour going into every de-
tail Of the subject and explaining his
"'oHs ioI tdhiiS tHt positioh th"'
he did
Putting two and two together, 1t is
inquired out by those who claim to be
able to see through a political grind
stone that when Senator Barth arises
on the floor of the senate to voice his
opposition to an important bill it can
De taken as reasonably certain that
MS views on the subject are not far
inherent from those of Governor Nc
Donald, and that the more determined
ms opposition to the bill the less
cnance 1t has for executive approval.
III this is correct premise, and there
is a considerable amount of force TO
The argument, the bond bill is yet far
from being law.
County Officers Uneasy.
The governors veto has also thrown
big scare into the county officers
VINO are here plugging for an increase
IN the salaries provided in the bill
which passed the senate last week. !
mat bill is not at all satisfactory TO }
'he officers. and they have been con- |
cshtraung all their energies upon the
mouse In an effort TO see that the mat |
Ter Is remedied in that body. II has
generally been taken for granted that
.ne house would pass q bill carrying
,nuch larger salaries thcn the senate |
piii. but the governors veto OF the |
corporation commission salary bill
nas caused everybody concerned to |
pun up with a jerk and consider just
"nere things are leading.
OF course, while they are not satis- I,
Iled with the senate bill. the county |,
"nieers have been able TO figure that
small salaries are better than no sal
Hfies at all. and the prospect seems TO 1