The Clayton news. (Clayton, N.M.) 19??-1954, 1915-07-24
NEWS OF THE STATE CAPITAL
Tax Rolls Coming In Slowly; Re-
publicans Care Nothing For The
State Constitution.

puDilcanS Care Nothing For Inc
State Constitution.
Santa Fe, N. NJ, July 22.-The lat
est sensation in a legislative way
is the reported suit to be brought
for the recovery of $4,000, paid out
by the state auditor on bill apprO-
priating that amount for the bound
airy dispute with Texas. According
to the story action was delayed on
the bill until the very last minute,
it being delayed by Secundino Ro-
nero who, according to the endorse
ments on the bill, signed it in open
session on the 18th day of March,
date admitted to be after the
adjournment of the legislature uni
der the constitution. But the sig
nature of the president of the SEN
ate E. C. de Baca, was put there
under protest, evidently because he
has stated above his signature that
he signed the bill after the ad-
journment, and not in open session,
as required by the constitution, be-
cause the bill was not presented TO
him during the session of the legis-
lature.
As this money was TO be expended
by a republican office holder it is
evident that little things like a vio-
lation of the constitution was not
to stand in the way, because the
money has been drawn down, and
probably expended. 1t may be that
legislating after the legislature has
adjourned is not "gross and flag
rant violation of the constitution,
but if it is there are number of
persons who would like TO have the
auditor pay that money back into
the treasury.
1t is not believed that the tax
payers will protest very hard be-
cause they have grown accustomed
to having their pockets picked in all
the political dOings of the repub-
licans, but the fact that laws acted
upon after the adjournment can be
used TO pry the tax payers loose
from their money is most suggestive.
1t is reported here that State Sen
ator Pankey has fled the town, and
is now making his headquaretrs
somewhere in the wilds of the Pecos
mountains. Since some of the pol
iticians from the southern counties
have been insisting that he come out
for the republican nomination as
governor Pankey has been acting
man shy, and the statesmen of his
party can not get near him. IL will
be recalled that an effort was made
to get him out for congress last
fall and he took to the hills.
The state tax commission was
forced to postpone the meeting call
ed for Monday, because the tax rolls
of the different counties were moi
in. Mora county had reported, with
a decrease in the total valuation as
compared with last year Of about
one hundred thousand dollars. II
the remaining counties keep up thai
A per centage of loss the general tax
payers of the state will be up against
y the real thing. The estimate ol
one hundred millions of dollars
shortage will be too small.
The total valuation of 1914 was
Il $272,O0O,OOO. The limitations PLACED
> upon the levies by the new law re.
9 quire about S28O,OOO,OOO TO produce
as much revenue as was produced
: from the 1914 levy, and the commits
Il sion secured that by raising thu
d valuations of corporate interest
= about ten million, but the legisla
y ture was liberal in passing out tn,
. money and added expenses whicl
. will require an additional one hun
e dred million OF more TO secure tn
3 expected funds. The one consola
: tion found in the situation is tn
= fact that the shortage will worl
% a hardship against the state official
only, and not effect the credit o
. the state.