The Arizona copper camp., 1916-08-04
LEGISLATIVE LEAGUE ENDORSES
AMENDMENT To CONSTITUTION
To REFORM LEGISLATURE

elected to the legislature, which meets
for sixty days every two years. The
election by legislative districts makes
it possible for more women to be elect
led to the legislature.
The same argument applies to the
average business or professional man.
He has not and will not give, the time
| from his business, no matter what it
may be, to make a campaign over one
of those large counties. Thus the state
is deprived of. the services of men and
| women competent to make our laws
and appropriations for, the conduct of
our state government running into
who shall represent you in the legisla-
ture is a serious one and one deserving
of more thought and attention than it
has heretofore received from the ma
! jority of the voters of this state
| This proposed amendment provides
| for an annual salary for members of
the legislature, rather than the present
system of per diem allowance This
eliminates the incentive to delay public
business for the purpose of forcing the
executive to call special sessions of the
legislature, so that the members may
continue to draw their per diem allow
ance from the state treasury.
Our first state legislature met ac-
| cording to law on January i, 1912, and
between that date and June 1, 1915,
we have had two regalar and five spe-
! cial sessions. As far as we Know, only
two other states in, the union had one
| extra session each in the same space
] of time. You will admit that there is
something radically wrong, when this
state, with the smallest population of
any state in the union, except one,
should have two regular and five spe-
cial sessions of the legislature between
January 1S, 1912, and June /, 1915.
These sessions of the legislature cost
the taxpayers Two Hundred Sixty
three Thousand Two Hundred Eighty
SS0.64), of which One Hundred Sixteen
Thousand Four Hundreo and Twenty
four Dollars ($116, ,424.00) was paid for
attaches, mileage and incidentals
|
These figures are taken from the rec
ords of the state auditors office and
can be verified by anyone interested.
received for this expenditure of more
than quarter of million of dollars?
Do you know the names of your repre-
sentatives in these legislatures who
profited to this extent by your votes?
BY the adoption of the proposed
amendment there is no possibility of
such a condition arising. There would
be no need of extra special sessions of
the legislature unless some extraordi-
nary condition should arise in this
state that would justify the executive
in calling the members of the legisla-
ture together. Then, being on an an
nual salary, and receiving only mileage
for this extra work, they would nat
urally get through with their business
in the shortest possible time, and there
taches.
Under our form of government the
legislature, like the judiciary, being en-
tirely independent of the executive dee
partment, we have mace the term of
office four years, thus enabling man
to better serve his constituents by rea-
son of experience along legislative
lines. Members of the legislature only
serve sixty days every two years.
The four year term gives a man an
opportunity to become familiar with
the needs of his district: 1t enables his
constituents to confer with him re-
garding the needs of his district, and
gives him ample time to prepare the
necessary bills for introduction at the
next session of the legislature.
Under the provisions of our present
constitution. members of the legisla-
ture are the only officials in this state
who are practically exempt from the
recall A man elected In November as
sumes office the following January
when the legislature convenes, and his
services ordinarily are completed sixty
days later
1t is manifestly impossible to recall
a member of the Legislature in large
ers before his term of service expires
Besides, it would be Impossible to get
another candidate to make cam
paign for the vacancy in case a recall
petition was circulated.
Under the proposed amendment, a
man elected in district of 1900 voters,
and having a four year term of office,
will be exceedingly careful to represent
the sentiments of his district on all
matters coming. before the legislature,
as it will be a comparatively easy mat
ter to get a candidate to make the cam
paign in a small district, if recall pc
tition should be circulated. Besides,
it will be very much easier to recall
man in district of 1900 voters than
in county of four or five thousand
and upwards.
The rnaaSurn iS ahSo1utelU nOn-nar-