Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1913-01-13
indications Are That LegiSla-
ture viii Either Pass Bill
Drafted By 6oyenoror Agree
on Equitable Law,
MAY PLACE BURDEN
ON STATE EXECUTIVE
InaSmuch As He Vetoed Meas
ure Enacted at Last Session,
Such a Plan Finds Consider
able Favor.


I Estate Capital Bureau of Morning journal.
Santa Fc. Jan. 12.--rhc consensus
/ of opinion among the Legislators now
assembled In the capital who are stir
ring mp prospective legislation and
working hard for various pct bills. Is
that the question of adequate and
proper salaries for county officers
win be the first business 10 come he-
fore the house. Probably the same
matter will be accorded an early place
on the senate program.
The salary question will be fairly
started on its way to solution. il al,
plans go az expected. within the first
two on three days of the session. This
Is regardless uf the Imminent fight
iater the speakefship
The procedure practically deter
mined upon at caucus of several
house leaders this afternoon. two of
the three recognized factions being
represented is to adopt cartel blanc
whatever salary measure Governor
Mcdonald may have drafted or com
piled and TO which he gives his sane
tlon. This will throw the RESPONSE
hility on the executive rather than on
the house itself II the governor has
Il bilP already drafted and ready for
presentation. or If he has included In
his message any scale oi salaries suf-
ficicntly definite TO DE Incorporated
into a hill, and the hin thus can be
indirectly attributed TO him. the house
will very likely pass on the matter
without more than the most formal
discussion
II win then be up 10 the senate to
accept or disapproVe the measure
4 10 Ia. tI.tl a..
N'Il sun he upon the governor should
II decline. the house and senate Will
then go into conference and settle up
the snlary question at once. In either
event the house Will be cleared hay
ing done its share toward the passage
of the measure.
1t seems pretty generally believed
by all partisans and among the mem-
bers OF both houses that the time has
come for the relief Of the county off
cials, who have served practically "A
year without a cent of recompense for
their time aud in some instances for
even their Clerk hire expenditures.
Governor Mcdonald olsapproved
the salaries bill which got through
both houses at the last session. and il
Is for this reason that the legislators
want him TO shoulder nj least a share
of the responsibility. Whether he has
a bill drafted and ready for presenta-
ton, or whether he makes lengthy or
brief mention of the question in his
message, the legislators want to get !
good salaries bill passed at once.
The republican factions in both 4
houses, especially in the senate, want |
fair salaries bill passed This is /
true because the republicans are now
Ffff 80
make a showing of good legislation /
Immediately If they do not want their /
party permanently discountenanced I
in New Mexico.
The progressves are after a fair .
salaries bin because they choose to :
stand for fairness on all things. and +
Il Is yet little too early for the plat
form platitudes Of their party to be
shown up Ia the same way that such /
planks generally are.
The progressives were the only fac
ton To come out at the last presden-
tial election and stand openly, in plain
language, for the really high brow
and altrulstic things claimed by all
parties in broad and general terms for
generations past. They are openly
and publicly allied with the side OF
good government Thus, for reasons
aside from the higher personal stan
dards Of their representatives in the
legislature, the progfessives are bound
to stand up for a fair salaries bill,
provided, Of course. that they do not
lay aside their own feelings and vote
for the govcrpor's Tcssible bill, re-
sardless Of personal opinion about It,
They must make good or be discred-
tied
The democrats will have to support
q fair salaries measure They must
make at least as good showing as
their opponents in matters of proper
government or they will lose prestige
Beside that they are back of the
present administration and want 1t to
make such q record that the demo
cratic party Will have good ground
for demanding an election OF a demo-
cratic ticket four years hence.
It is not known what the governor
will have to say about the county sal
aries question in his message. but il is
certain that after disap-
proving the salaries measure passed
by the legislature last year. when an
attempt was apparently made to dis
crinlnate against certain counties he
will not keep entirely quiet about IT,
Nor Is II known whether he has
bill already drafted.
Be this matter as II may It is as
sured that salaries legislation viii be
among the first. probably the first, Of
the topics to be discussed in the two
houses The lower house is strongly
IN favor 50 far as a poll Of those
now in the capital shows. of {
burylng the hatchet long enough To {
put through measure providing
equitable emolument for county off
eials, entirely without regard to the
question of whether Ramon L.. Baea.
3las Sanchez. John Baron Burg OF
anyone else is speaker. or even
a ahether new speaker is named
Among those legislators now In the !
capital. feeling is generally strong for
some net bill or other thai they want ,
passed.