Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1912-05-31
FAT AND SLEEK
AND OILY
Railroad Agents Packed Con.
stitutional Convention,
Says John B. Burg
FULL CREWS BILL DEBATED
Senate Passes Two House Me- mo
rials and Will Hold an
Evening Session.

noon, the special order of the day, the
Full Crews BILL House Bill No. 1873
by Chaves, an act to promote the safe
ty of employees and travellers upon rail
roads. was taken up. Chaves Offered
several amendments that were adopt
ed. Vargas moved the passage of tht
amended bill, after section was
stricken out on motion of Nichols
Toombs in a set address, declared
that the makers of the constitution
empowered the corporation commits
sion to do this very thing that this
bill sought to accomplish. He argued
strongly along this line pointing out
that the passage of the proposed meas
ure was utterly unnecessary and read
from the constitution the provisions
covering the points involved. Selfish
Less, if nothing else, would induce
railroad managers to man fully every
train. You might as well command a
sheepman to employ two mayor domos
and two burros whenever his sheep
reached certain number He deplor
ed the tendency that prompts legisla,
tors at every session of a legislature
to introduce a lot of bills to harrass
railroad companies. A rapid-fire de.
bate in which Skidmore, Chaves and
Clancy took part interrupted Toombs
ter few minutes, but he resumed his
argument, pressing home forcefully
his point that the bill is merely cumu-
lative of the higher law, that laid
down by the constitution Toombs
said that he was not in any sense a
railroad man but he hoped the legisla-
ttre would be just to the railroads.
The state owes much to the railroads.
they have brought development, pros
perity, civilization.
Rogers vehemently insisted on the
necessity of legislation to compel rail.
road companies to protect the safety
of the public. The railroad employees
would not be asking for this legisla-
ton unless there were need for it. A
similar bill is pending in the National
Congress.
Clancy was called to the chair.
Even though the constitution en-
powered the corporation commission
to act, yet it does not deprive the leg
islature of power to pass this act.
tApplause)
Burg placed a different construction
On the provisions of the constitution
than did Toombs. There are quite Il
number of things in that constitution
of which the majority members of
the constitution cannot be proud.
There are jokers in that constitution
which attempted to sew up the people
for SO years. For that reason by
$1,000 majority, the people have made
il easier to amend
packed with railroad agents and these
stood outside of the doors, as fat and
sleek and oily as any railroad attor-
neys ever were. He referred to the
Hawkins law as the most iniqutous
piece of legislation ever perpetrated.
Whenever he sees railroad men sprout-
ing wings he looks around for Lucifer
The issue in this bill is: Shall we
save the railroad companies a few dol
lars in operating trains?" Burg then
read statistics as to the number of
railroad accidents in the United
States. He accused the railroads, and
especially the Santa Fe, of spending
enormous sums for improvements but
fn itc rni am 1
ployes. In reply to a question of Cat
ron, Burg said that the Santa Fe stock
had been heavily watered in the past.
Skidmore offered an amendment that
the act be not applicable to lines less
than twenty miles in length or operat-
ing not more than four trains each
way every "a hours. Nichols, as a |
railroader of 10 years experience, fav-
ored the amendment. 1t was passed
Rogers moved to reconsider the
striking out of section 2.
Section as amended was reinserted.
The bill as amended was passed 3S |
to 4, Blanchard, Boulware, Goodell and
Toombs voting no.
otdte Library 6iilS.
House Bill No. 20, by Sanchez, and
House Bill No. SO, by Chaves, for the
government Of the state library was |
taken up under special order The |
latter bill was substituted for the !
former. 1t makes the judges of the su. /
preme court the library board, who
shall appoint librarian at $500 a !;
year. Smith moved to table. The mo.
tion to table was carried 20 to II. A !
motion to table both bills was carried
% to 16.
The following new bills were intro. !
duced:
House Bill No. 279, by Carter. to |
repeal portion of section 13, chapter |
B, Laws 1905, chapter S5, Laws 1907, I
and chapter 135 of Laws of 1909, pro- |
viding for the payment of fire depart. !
ments on August of every year. by the
state treasurer of a sum of money
equal to the amount received by such |
fire department under section 2132 of |
the Compiled Laws.
Senate.
A petition from 122 citizens of
Quay county protested against county /
division.
A large number Of committee re-