Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-03-12
GOVERNOR vETOES
. BILL ABOL|sH|NC
CUSTODIAN BOARD
Declares Measure Would MakeI
Chief Executive of State al
Tenant at viii of LandI
Commissioner,

ESPECIAL DISPATCH TO MORNING JsuHNhLl
Santa Fe, March 1.-THE following
message was sent to the house of rep
resentatives today by Governor Me
Donald in vetoing the BILL which orig
mated I'm the house, abolishng the
capitol custodian board and placing
the capitol and executive mansion UNI
der the control Of the state land COM
missioner:
To the Members Of the House of Rep
resentatives, Santa Fe y. NJ.
Gentlemen:-l am obliged to return
10 you house bill No "a being "a bill
for an act to abolish the capitol GUS
t0dian committee to place the control
therefor and the supply of materials
and equipment thereto under the
commissioner Of public lands to place
the control and management of the
executive mansion and grounds, the
employment of labor therefor and the
supply of materials and equipment
thereto, with certain limitations, un-
der the commissioner of public lands,
20 define the duties and powers of said
commissioner and to repeal any laws
and parts of laws in conflict here
with, without my approval and with
deep regret that il was ever passed.
Nothing Personal Intended.
This is the only bill that has ever
come to me during the three sessions
of the legislature that / have felt was
in any way personal, and this one
do not believe was in any way intend
ed to be personal when it was passed
10y the honorable members of the leg
islature. The passage of this bill was
one of those things that sometimes oc-
cur in a manner that they ought not
though without wilful intent.
Not only the capitol building and
grounds but also the governors man
sion and grounds are involved The
title of the bill says among other
things "to place the control and man
agement of the executive mansion
and grounds, with certain limitations,
under the commissioner of public
lands These limitations amount to
very little in the light of the general
provisions of the bill The governor
simply is permitted to live in the
house which is under the control of
another state officer lie is really a
tenant at the will of the land com
missioner There is no provision
made for him for maintenance OF any
sort Even the use Of the garage
would not be available for him but
could be taken for the use of the land
commissioner.
| believe that no state in our union
has such a law as this bill would pro-
vide. My investigations cover fully
half the states and I have found none.
in four-fifths Of those / have exam
ined the governor is either directly or
indirectly the controlling factor in
capitol supervision and in no state
have / found whore a provision by law
has been made to place the governors
residence provided by the state under
the control and espionage of another
state officer.
1t has been said that the federal
buildings in various places are in
charge of one man. That is true, but
that man is an appointee and liable to
removal at any time The land COM
missioner was elected by the people
with a knowledge of his duties He
and | are on important boards. If he
controls the governors residence does
it require any unusual foresight 10 an
ticipate the position of advantage that
he may think he may hold on these
boards?
The law by which the capitol GUS
todian committee was created was
passed in 1891 and this method Of
control and management of the capt
tol has been in force ever since and
the same control and management
has been exercised over the govern
Ors mansion since it was built. The
operation of the law seems to have
been satisfactory for a long time, and
since it applies so intimately to the
home life of the executive it seems
to me that it should not be made a
football to satisfy any feeling Of any
sort that may possibly at some time
have actuated anyone who may be
responsible.
The land commissioner duties and
responsibilities are perhaus &C great
If not greater than any other state
officer In the administration of H.
10000 acres of state lands he al
ready holds power and responsibility
probably superior to that Of any
other, In addition to all this the
land commissioner is now secretary.
by virtue of his office, of the capt.
tOl custodian committee and as such
is in a position to exercise some
influence and authority in relation
to the management of both the capt
tol and governors mansion.
Fair to Republicans.
During the time that | have been
governor being for the past three
years, everything except one incident
so far as | have been able to learn
has gone on smoothly and satisfac-
torily to the officials generally en-
ployed in the capitol under the board
for which ! am largely responsible
ana which to a great extent is re-
sponsive to me and to considerable
extent influenced by me. No ad-