Arizona republican., 1912-05-24
HUNT TOSSED
 FIRST BALL
Governors Message to the Special Session of the
 Arizona Legislature
COMMENDS PAST
 WORK OF BODY

Governor Geo. w. P Hunt yesterday communicated the following message to the Arizona legislature on the oc- casion of its assembling in special ses- sion:
 Gentlemen of the Senate and House of representatives of the First Legis lature of the State of Arizona: In calling you together in special session, i wish to express appreciation 1 in behalf of the people of Arizona as well as of the administration, of the splendid work that was done during the sixty day limit fixed by the consti- tuition aS the length of the regular ses- sion. It is evident now that when this limit was fixed, human capacity was oVerestimated, and the time required 1 for proper and faithful execution of 1 the constitutional mandates was un- i derestimated. It is now our plain duty l to correct this error of judgment and l enable you to complete the work so 1 confidently and cOurageousIy under 1 taken and so earnestly carried forward ! am confident that the people of
 1 Arizona, when they examine the num- 1 Der. the character and the importance
 | Of the laws you have passed. will en- dorse the statement that no more | could have been done than you have
 Iose in the time granted you Indeed, 1 the public will be warranted in ex- l pressing surprise that so much has l been accomplished.
 Worlc To Be Dcne.
 i The situation which confronted the ! .f I- C i the state of Arizona has probably never been duplicated in the history of state governments. Instead of pcrfunctory ] constitution. calling for perruuctory
 l laws easily copied from pcrfunctorv ! records Arizona entered the union with 1 a constjttion SD progressive, so ideal from the standpoint of human rights and popular rule, that 1t al once took ] the premier position among the states, establishing d model along those lines. 1 This necessarily meant an enormous 1 amount of work for the first legislative ! ecssion-Work. moreover. of q charac-
 1 ter which cannot be delayed if We are 1 Go obey the plain mandates of the or ganic law. approved by the people and l referred to Us for honest fulnlhncnt.
 ! The realization of this fact marked l your actions during every day of tine ! short session, and l have no doubt l whatever will continue to imbUc you l during the period upon which you are 1 entering You have justified, and will | continue to justify the confidence I | expressed in my initial message, that 1 your deliberations would be marked l by an order of intelligence sO high and | a patriotism so pure as to serve as a l worthy model for the legislators who, l in years to come, and through our 1 commoawealth's varying fortunes, will occupy the seats you now adorn." Could Not Have Done More. In the time set apart for that pur- l pose you did not complete the work
 assigned you, but I have no hesitancy 1 in saying that had it been possible for any legislature in the country to com p7ete the work in sixty days you would 1 have done it. But there were other things beside mere routine to be con sidored in performing your task The l work called for accuracy, for intelli- gent understanding of the meaning of 1 every point, and the incorporation of that meaning in the statutes. It is 1 highly commenIable that you proceed ed step by step, with the greatest care, making sure that you were right In mv opinion. the results secured justify 1 popular endorsement of the session work. as we'll as acquiescence in sit nation which now makes special ses- sion necessary. It is worth noting that during the session just ended the newspapers outside of the state have spoken with the greatest respect of the Arizona legislature and of the legisla- ton enacted Regardless of their DO IiticaI opinion, they have cheerfuHy conceded that Arizona possessed a le- gislature fully equal to any other in ability and patriotism. and loyalty to duties prescribed by the people. In stead of the criticism which the op- position confidently expected would come from all quarters outside the state endorsement has been the rule, and this endorsement has been based uOon the honest conviction that repre- | sentative government was being given faithful expression. No better praise than this could be hoped for. A classified list of the more import ant laws adopted which l take pleas ure in recalling herewith, must be re- garCed as ample evidence of the splcn- did use you may have made of the time you have expended:
 What Was Accomplished. Four election laws, prescribing pen alties for crimes against the elective i franchise, for violation of the initia 1 tive and referendum laws and provid ing for the advisory recall of United 1 States senators and congressman and l federal judges.
 A comprehensive and advanced min
 ] ing code
 1 Five laws thoroughly covering court
 uor rwb. twwtWosb-,o L ThetOeX l procedure. fitted to the needs of the
 l state and complying with the require 1 ments of the constitution.
 1 Five splendid land laws, designed to
 i develop the states public lands and l to make great gardens out of the waste places while amply protecting the in
 1 terests of the people.
 Seventeen measures which might be designated as labor laws" aimed to protect the rights and ame1iorate the 1 condition of those who Tabor and are | heavy laden" These include a most 1 advanced anti-child labor law. | Three laws dealing with the reform