Bisbee daily review. [volume] (Bisbee, Ariz.) 1901-1971, 1913-03-02


Meeting which Was held on the
18th day OF February, 1912. the Pres
ldent Of the United States issued his
proclamation that made Arizona
State. This made now conditions in
County and State affairs. and formu-
lated new problems for new officials
10 solve and unusual difficulties for
them TO face
Launching the ship of State" fore
ed additional expenses in every de-
partment of county government as
well as the departments of State.
Our State Constitution abolished
the fee system under which the Ter
ritorial government had operated and
provided for salaries for all state and
County officers Except notaries pub
lie) and all precinct officers whose
precinct included a city or town. or
a part thereof. The Constitution
further provided that the supervisors
OF the several counties should fix the
salaries. for county and precinct Of
fieers. which should remain as fixed
by them until fixed by general law.
This duty came upon them as one Of
their first official acts and was one
OF the serious problems.
The General Executive Committee
met on the 9Th day of March, 1912,
and selected a Legislative Committee
and discussed needed legislation, an
tieipating the meeting of the first
State Legislature, and decided TO
send your Secretary to Phoenix TO
be of any service he might be TO the
legislators in shaping any legislation
pertaining to County or State affairs,
presuming that all members of the
legislature would favor the enact
ment of laws providing for econo-
mic, business administration in all
the counties as well as the State.
In compliance with the plan of the
Legislative Committee, your Secretary
attended the first session of the leg
and at the request of some of the
members, wrote bills as they desired,
and other bills as planned by the
Legislative Committee which were in
troduced by different members and
some of them are now laws.
Bills written by your Secretary and
introduced at his request were:
County Salary Bill, Re-districting
Counties into Justice Precincts, Wild
Animal Bounty Bill. Back Tax BIZ,
Bill providing for the disposition OF
School Bond Interest Sinking Funds,
Bill combining the Original and Du-
plicate Assessment Rolls into enc
book
The Salary Bill as originally pre-
pared and agreed to in a conference
OF the members of both House and
Senate from this county provided Tor
leaving precinct officers, in precincts
that cast less than 100 votes for Gov
ernor at the last election, under the
fee system. The members of the
House from this county aroDosed an
amendment which fixed a salary for
each precinct officer and the bill was
SO amended and passed By the House
This being Che last day of the SEES
sion, il was too late TO amend II in
the Senate, so it had TO be passed
as amended by the House or have no
Salary bill.
The bill as passed made saving
TO the county in salary expenditure
OF. approximately, 81 100000 pc;
month from the salaries as fixed By
the Board OF Supervisors.
Had the bill been passed as or
sinally drawn without fixing salaries
for precinct officers in the smaller
precincts the monthly pay roll would
have been about $4,000 less than II
has been.
The RedistrictiHg Biii was passed,
providing that Supervisors should
meet on the first Monday in Septem-
her and re-distriet their respective
counties into justice precincts, and
terminating the terms OF all precinct
officers now in Office. on the LIST day
of January. 1913. So far as ascer-
tanned. the Supervisors in each coun-
ty in the state re-districted their
county without opposition. except
from nrecinct officers then in ONCE
and personaI friends that wanted to
help them retain the office.
In this county opposition to the Cd
seryance and enforcement of the law
continued from the same source men
toned above. precinct officers en-
nlovine attorneys to carry their cause
into court and ask for a writ OF IN
junction TO stop the Supervisors from
amounting precinct officers IN the
new precincts created at the Septem-
Der meeting.
The Superior Court denied the IN
mnetion and held the law to be op-
erative. and the County Attorney
ave the Board instruction to the ei-
feet that il was their duty to obey me
law which they did and made the
appointments.
This reduced the monthly payroll
for precinct officers from SS,l45-oO 70
81 725. 90 enabling the county to have
the same work done just as wen eacn
month for 81 1900 less money
Since the Superior Court is able 20
handle all the. cases in this county
coming under its Jurisdiction, IN
cIudlng the misdemesnor cases that
have been removed from the jurlsdie-
zion Of Justice courts and put under
,be Jurisdiction Of the Superior
courts. surely, seven justice courts
o.gbt TO be able to handle what Is
left 20 them.
The same bill dispenses with one
irstice and one constable in Bisbee
and the same in Douglas. saving the
.,..,- s9Oo 40 a month in each OF