Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1912-05-28
Conflicting HinkIe and Rogers
Measures Are Considered in
Committee Of the Whole
Without Success.
GIVEN OVER TO SPECIAL
COMMITTEE FOR REPORT
Speaker Baca Introduces New
Act Appropriating Salaries
to Pay Expenses Of Corpora
ton Commission.
rsp.cial Dispatch to the Morning Journal.l J

rsuecial Dispatch to tho Morning journal ]
Santa Fe, N. NJ, May 27.--Artesian
wells occupied the center Of the stage
in the house this afternoon, and 1t
seemed for a time as if all the old diff
ferences between the Pecos valley
statesmen on this important subject
would be given thorough airing and
old animosities stirred up anew. The
matter came up on the consideration
of Senator Hinkle's artesian we'll bill,
which passed the senate some time
ago and has since been pending in the
house committee on ways and means.
In this connection there is an inter-
esing story. In the early part of the
session, Senator Hinkle and Mr..
Rogers. both of Chaves county, intro
duced bills for the regulation of ar
tcsian wells. There were two essen
tial differences in the Hinkle bill and
in the Rogers bill. The former pro-
vided for a tax upon the wells them
selves to provide the necessary revenue
to carry the measure into effect, while
the latter levied a tax upon all prop
erty of each county; and the Hinkle
bill continued the present artesian we'll
commissioners in office. while the
Rogers bill legislated them out of Of
flee and provided for the creation Of
an entirely new board of artesian well
commissioners.
The Hinkle bn' PASSED the senate
with practically no opposition, but the
Rogers bill had rough shedding in the
house. Until very recently. Mr.. Rog-
ers has been distinctly out OF touch
with the ruling powers in the house
and it Is an open secret that 1t had
been planned to side-track his bill and
pass that of Senator Hinkle. Every
thing had been arranged with this
plan in view, when Mr.. Rogers sud-
denly made up with the house combi-
nation and was taken on as a MEM
Der of the newly created investigating
committee.
Under the circumstances 1t was
necessary to change the pans in re-
gard to the Rogers artesian well bill.
The new found friend of the house
combination could not be rudely sat
down upon as it had originally been
planned. on the other hand there
were Judge Evans and Mr.. Mullens.
also of Chaves count, and Mr.. Gage, Of
Eddy county, all of whom were op-
posed to the Rogers bill and in favor
Of the Hinkle BIN, ana all of whom
We're entitled to at least as much con-
sderation as Mr.. Rogers.
Therefore it was decided to report
the bill to the house with the recon-
ha ha
committee of the whole. IN other
words, 1t was decided, instead of kill
ing Mr.. Rogers bill in committee, to
put it before the house without recon-
mendation and let it take care of itself.
In committee of the whole the some-
What remarkable procedure was fol-
lowed of considering both the Hinkle
bill and the Rogers bill at the same
came. The Hinkle bill was taken up
and read, section by section. All went
well with it until the section was
reached which in effect provided for
the creation of a new board Of arte-
sian well commissioners. Considera-
uon Of the bill never got beyond that
point.
Two things were made apparent In
the discussion which ensued. One was
mat the great majority of the members
Of the house are entirely ignorant on
the subject of artesian wells, and the
other was that the members from the
artesan well section are hopelessly di-
yided as to the merits of the two bills.
The first point was illustrated by Mr..
Catron's frank admission that he
wouldn't know an artesian well from
lire plug and the second by the atti-
'ore Of Messrs. Evans and Gage, who
vigorously opposed Mr.. Rogers bill,
The former gentleman quoting from
letters he had received. stating that 1t
would be better to have no legislation
on the subject whatever, than to pass |
the Rogers bill.
After a somewhat lengthy discus
SION, in which Messrs. blanchard.
Evans. Gage and Toombs opposed the /
substitution of this section of the Rog-
ers bill for that in the Hinkle bill,
which was under consideration, ana
Which Mr.. Evans asserted not one
zenith Of the well owners of the Pecos
valley are in favor of the Rogers BILL
ar. FULLY moved that the committee
u the whole arise. report progress
ahd recommend that Speaker Baca
appoint committee of five to whom
me matter of reconciling the two con-
Ineting measures should be referred
ms motion prevailed. and Speaker
baca appointed Messrs. Labadie. Rog-
ers. Catron, Llewellyn and Gage TO
serve on the committee
New Salary Bill Introduced.
Speaker Baca today introduced in
'he house a bill TO provide for the