El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-02-20
BURGES REPORTS
ON LAW MAKING
Believes Ell Paso VIII Get
School Of Mines and a
New Court

Richard F. Burgess, one of Ell Paso's
representatives to the state tegISla-
ture made report to the business
men of the progress Of legislation in
which FL PasO was interested, at the
chamber Of commerce luncheon Thurs
day at the sheldon.
The four bills of special interest to
Fl PasO and western Texas, he said,
were the general irrigation bill, the
general mining bill, the state school Of
mines Dill and the new district court
bill Representative Burgess said that
the location of the school at the mill
tary institute was conditional upon the
buildings and grounds being conveyed
to the state. He said that the bill had
been faVOrably reported by the com
mittee on mines in both house and
senate and he felt certain OF it pass
ing and meeting the governors ap-
prevail Mr.. Burgess said it was an
OppOrtUne time for the enactment OF
such q law as there is now pending
before congress a measure for federal
assistance for state schools OF mines
he said that with state and FEDERAL
support the resulting fund would De
sufficient to maintain high grade
institution.
The Mining Law.
The new mining bill will 20 further
than any other American statute has
yet gone to make easy the path Of the
prospectOr, the FL PasO representative
said 1t Will remove every possible
obstacle from the prOspectOr's path"
he declared In the past the state has
maintained a lottery The commits
land is worth and sells 1t to you II
you make more, you win In the new
bill the policy recommended by the
national cOnSerVaIl ton association ana
applied IN some states, in Mexico ana
Australia, of paying a reasonable per
centage Of the output has been
He said his irrigation bill now meets
all objections and has the unanimous
approval of the committee I believe
that 1t viii pass both houses ana pc
come 4 law he declared
The Court Bill.
Another bill of interest to FL Paso
is the new district court bill. 1t Gre
ates a new court he said, "On a
parity with the 41st district court, eX-
cept that it gives little wider clylI
Jurisdiction It provided, as die. the
4Ist law, that no grand jury should be
empaneled in the new court The Dill
never contemplated diminutiOn of the
jurisdiction of the 34th, or judge Jack
sons court. The bill as drawn stands
as a new civil district court measure
and not, as stated, to deprive judge
Jackson of criminal jurisdiction
Probable Legislation.
Mr.. Burgess said that the outlook for
a change in the Sunday law was not
probable. The bill leaving TO all cit
les of over 5000 population the regu-
latiOn Of Sunday matters would prop
ably pass. The $3.50 closing bill would
pass and has the governors approval
and the governor were more friendly
to western legislation and that even
the COnLrOler OF the lduQ Office " d.
favorable to west Texas legislation
H z VanSurdam outlined the plan
for the establishment Of the proposed
school of mines at the military insutu-
ton. This plan is to establish the
freshman work as at Rice institute
Houston. and establish the sophomore,
junior and senior years work later,
retaining the preparatory school Work
at the institute for the present.
The next luncheon will be at the
PasO del NOrte hotel
Budget Fund Increasing.
The report of the soliciting com
mittee showed that the budget fund
now amounts to S15,19O. including col
lectiOns up to Thursday morning. me
same persons mad subscribed only
S7S51.70 in 1912.
During the past week the increase
in the budget fund was S4065, which
was the best week so far recorded
it is expected that next week
will be even larger.
Preparing for -Cattlemen.
The directors of the chamber OF COM
merce will meet with the chairmen OF
the executive committee for the cat
tlemen's convention tonight Reports
of the needs of various committees
will be made and action taken to as
sure the collection of the necessary
funds from the budget fund to defray
expenses of this convention