Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-02-05

''Or when in his discretion, he snall
deem it for the best interests OF the
county. city or town or board SO TO
do"
These were the words but they
caused one of the most unique sltu-
ations in the legislative senate TINS
morning that has arisen in many
moons and to those who knew some
thing of the inside of that situation
il was comical one.
The words quoted above were an eX-
t,emely large and important part OIL
the public monies bill, otherwise
known as Senate Bill No. 24--John =.
Clark. of San Miguel county appear
ing as author. The bill came up fof
third reading this morning and was
considered in committee OF the whole.
The early stages of the bill re-
sembled nothing more interesting
than a class in elementary PROOF
reading, since the erstwhile leglsla-
tive printer had sent printed copies OF
the bill so full of typographical errors
that it was one continuous round OF
corrections to get the measure in shape
for it's passage. THE" was changed
Ia this" and "this' changed to the
and such words as repositories ap-
peared as ''depositors." Outside OF
tnat. however, the legislative printer
had gotten most of the original bill
irto type.
With Epimenio A. Miera president
pro tempore of the senate, sitting on
the throne. the senate proceeded TO
consider the bill by sections. one
section after another was passed.
minor corrections inserted and minor
amendments made, until the Dill
reached Section ~, page 10 line OF
the printed copy.
u G CHAMPION, member from Col
fax. arose and innocently moved that
all that portion of Section II after the
word qualified in line down to the
word deposit in line s, same section,
he stricken out The president pro
tempore listened carefully and heard
nc objection, SO the striking process
went merrily forward.
Suddenly there was hurried RUSTIC
of papers in the vicinity OF the desk
occupied by State Senator llfeld and
the senator from San Miguel arose
and inquired what had happened. The
president pro tempore told. him. The
news was not broken to Senator
HELD kindly nor by degrees but on
the other hand he was informed that
the aforesaid lines were stricken from
the bill, that the president pro
ttmpore had listened for objections,
that he had heard no objections and
that the time to object was long since
past. Senator Ilfeld sat down. There
was a muttered word or two from the
corner OF the senatorial arena occu-
pied by Senator John s. Clark where
uuon Mr.. Holt, after looking carefully
about him to see what was happening,
walked over to where Senator CLARK
sat and conversation ensued that last
ed for some minutes. Meanwhile a
smile spread across the face OF first
one Democrat and then another-ex-
cept possibly one or two. Something
had happened that was not on the
cards. Mr. Champion, innocently or
otherwise, had slipped something to
the gentleman from San Miguel and
that it was unpleasant, was apparent.
The section referred to originally
read:
Sec. 12. The treasurer of every
county. city or town, or board in
control, shall deposit the public
monies in one or more banks or
trust companies within his county,
which have qualified as repositories
thereof under the provisions of this
act; but every. such county, city or
town treasurer, or treasurer of any
board in control, when no bank or
banks in his county have SO quail
ned, COR WHEN IN HIS DISCRE
TION, HE SHALL DEEM IT FOR
THE BEST INTERESTS OF THE
COUNTY, CITY OR TOWN, OR
BOARD IN CONTROL, so TO DO,)
deposit the whole or any part Of
q the public monies in his custody in
a bank or banks doing business in
some other county Of this state,
which shall have qualified as de
pository or repositories of any such
monies as hereinbefore provided
As amended. the lines quoted in
capital letters, were eliminated. The
simple effect of the amendment was
tc compel the official having control
of funds to obey the letter and intent
of the measure thus fully relieving
him of any discretion" in the mat
ter.
Just why this should be of such In
terest, is explained in various ways by
various members of the senate. Mr..
Champion. holds that under the sec
ton above quoted before It was
amended, the treasurer was given q