El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1912-05-24
lcontinuss from pase u


the legislature is not in session, that
the expenses of the committee for
stenOgraphic and clerical assistance,
for the necessary expenses OF travel
while engaged in official investiga-
ton. and for incidental expenses nee
essary TO the performance Of their
official duties, be certified by the
speaker OF the house Of representa-
tives, and on the approval by the
speaker, be paid as regular legislative
expense.
County Debts.
One Of the big bills introduced at the
present session of the legislature is the
Spiess bond bill,providing for the is
suance and sale of bonds sufficient to
take up the Indebtedness Of Santa F,e
and Grant counties. This Indebtedness Is
in round numbers, S1,OS2, 4S5, for the
county and school district Indebtedness
Of both counties. Grant cOunty's portion
being S253,00O. while that Of Santa re
county is S6l9, 49, While by its cOnsti-
tuition. the state OF New Mexico assumes
the debts and Liabilities of the territory
of New Mexico. and the debts of the
counties thereof, which were valid and
subslsting on June 80 1910, special
provision in the constitution takes care
OF the Santa Fe and Grant county in
debtedness. which is TO be wiped out
by the sale of bonds, TO be redeemed
from the money received from the sale
of 1000, 600 acres Of land granted TO the
state by congress for this express pur-
pose.
The bill as introduced was the work
Of Chas- A Spiess, a Las y egas attOr-
neyi who is also representing the Coler
bonding company, OF New York The
bill was taken TO governor Mcdonald,
and the executive proposed few
amendments which he deemed impOr-
tant- one OF the governors amendments
was the addition Of Q section which
prohibited the use Of airy portion OF the
money to be received rom the sale OF
the bonds for redeeming militia war
HHrH nHarr- 60 p 1.-Two H-a
the old territory Of New Mexico These
sOcalled militia warrants were presuIn-
ably issued for services performed and
the supplies furnished by militia and
volunteers during the civil war and
various indian wars prior TO the year
1880
Governor May Veto Measure.
1t is now rUmOred that because other
amendments suggested by the governor
were not incorporated In the Spiess
bond bill as ii passed the house, and
for other reasons. the governor has in
dicated his intention Of vetOing the bill
While The constitution says this bill
snall D. passed by the legislature at
Its first session, it IS also said that
the governor holds that this means the
rlrst regular session, and as the pres
ent session is special, called as pro-
Nidec for in the constitution. and that
the rrst regular session of the legisla-
ture for the new state will not con-
Vene until January, 1913, that the bill
shoJld not have been passed until at
that session. However, while this in
tim{tion comes from what IS commonly
accepted as good authority, ii is not
oIfieial- Governor Mcdonald has not
beet in the habit Of indicating by
WoU or action what he was do
ing or what he Intended to do
Wien the bill becomes law, as required
~ the constitution, the counties OF
santa Fe and Grant viii be relieved
q immense financial burdens.
raHr
So far. the legislature has consist
emily refused to comply in any way
with the wishes Of the temperance
people OF the state. Early in the ses-
sion proposed amendment to the con-
stitution was reported favorably by
the temperance committee The prop
ositon was to submit to the vote or
the people an amendment TO the con-
h1bittOn- This bill was recOmmltteo
to the finance committee, where Il |
sleeps undisturbed. A sOcalied local {
option bill, introduced by Maj. Level
Ign, was reported to the house with /
recOmm endatiOn that IL pass with /
few minor amendments, but after al /
most a half day spent in discussing |
the Dill, II was by viva Toee vote OF /
the house recommitted to the finance /
committee where IL was thought Ii I
would be safe. The representatives OF /
the temperance movement have not ]
given up hope, as several OF them are I
on the floor of both the house and the /
senate every day. using every possible /
argument to convince the chairman OF /,
the finance committee OF the house !
that IL is his duty 10 allow the bill to !
90 to the house. 1t IS believed that a ]
ma1Or1ty of the members OF the house Z
are in favor of allowing the proposed :
amendment to the constitution, prOVld- I
Ing for statewide prohibition, to go TO /
q vote of the people, and were II posi- 4
bic to get this bill out Of the finance |
m 81
1t may be safely prOphesied at this
time that the bill wiz never De again I
brought into the house at the present
session.
The senate is wrestling with a high
license bill, and it is claimed this bill
viii pass the upper branch Of the leg
stature Should this prove 10 be the
Iact the house will kill It, II one is TO
judge from the past actions Of the
body on similar legislation
The house has taken shot at the
moving picture shows in the state, al
though the intention OF the author OF
the bill, Mr.. TOOmbs, Of Union coun-
ty, was not TO put these institutions
out Of business. His OBJECT was 10
prohibit the installing Of slot machines
which exhibit vulgar ana obscene
views in any building in the state.
Howevcs, If strictly construed, the
bill viii eliminated many OF the moving
pictures which show the commission OF /
the usual stage crimes, ana which have
DEtn passed Dg Nue uull W. Va GINS uEe OF
the larger cities. The senate will
probably take no action on this bill
letting it repOse in some committee.
Another bill has been passed by the ]
house, after considerable objection by
some members, which transforms April
II into q legal holiday, 10 be known as
Coronado day. contemplating don
Francisco Vasquez Coronado, the Span
ish soldier who, in 1870, marched across
New Mexico fin search Of Cibola and
the Seven Cities This is another bill !
of such minor importance that ii VIII |