Arizona republican., 1916-07-26
For Better Legislatures

For Better Legislatures
 We curious to learn what arguments, if any, opponents if any, will urge in the printed pamphlet against the proposed amendment to the constitution for the remodeng of our legislative system. It will require ingenuity than think the brilliant man in Arizona, whoever he may be possesses to furnish a convincing why the amendment should not be adopted.
 There are two outstanding features of the amend ment which cannot fail to commend themselves to the people One is the apportonmcnt based on the voting population, which all must agree is fair In a general way the arbitrary apportionment fixed by the constitution had such basis but the basis keeps changing that the various counties if they had proportonate representation have it longer The amendment proposes the apportonment flexible. to lend itself to changes in population.
 The other feature is the division of the counties into assembly districts plan which has been gen. eray adopted throughout the northern and north western states. The plan presents two distinct ad- vantages. It invites a higher class of candidates for the house of representatives Many who stands well in his immediate neghborhood would consent to go before his neighbors who know him, when he could he induced undertake the expense and embarrassment of .canvassing whole county most of whose voters strangers to him. The other ad- vantage would be that the house whose members elected by districts, would be composed of placed there by a majority of the voters, who know them more or less intimately and who trust them.
 Under present system in counties large in extent some eastern states, who may not have much standing in his immediate neighborhood presents himself for nomination and erection. major ity of the voters of his party do not know him and a majority know none of the other candidates for nomination. they according to the impressions that happen to be made upon them during the pri-
 
 less accidental proceeding and the legislative ticket is made up of unknowns-frequently nobodies.
 Then comes the general election. We then have two tickets-each composed of candidates unknown to majority of the voters who being unable to vote the merits of the candidates though they would like to do so, vote the straight party ticket The district plan would give higher grade of men. with respect to both honesty and ability
 Another feature of the amendment is the four year term. by which valuable time would be saved considerable part of the session of the legislature is spent in organization and great deal more is spent by the members familiarizing themselves with the affairs of the state of which, at the beginning, jority of the members wholly ignorant. Many of them have observed preserve their ignorance in tact and virginal throughout their terms of service. But some of them, however dense learn something in the course of a session and would thus be d ming.
 Another feature of the amendment which will com mend itself economical one, is the proposed fixed salary S4OO per in lieu of the present per diem of s7. would be $500 for a period responding to the biennium for which members now elected Both the first and the second state legislatures by of extraordinary sessions. each cost the state something more than $500 a member. large majority of the members of the Arizona legislatures never received as much s7 day for any other service; they incapable earning it. and the efforts of many of them continue it long possible. have been very papable in their dlatory proceed ings the end of the regular session to force extraordinary session
 The growing tendency is to get away from the per diem system. Eighteen of the states and the more advanced ones pay their legislators by the term or the session Of the per diem states and territories. Arizona ranks third with Alaska $15 and Montana ss. The salary per by the term in the eighteen states ranges from $2OO per term to $i5OO per annum. The average is in the neighborhood of s4OO per The four year term is coming into favor. It already prevails to the senate in thirty three states, and the lower house, in three states
 Altogether. the proposed amendment is in the di- rection of progress and efficiency proved by the experience of the foremost states of the union Our experience with legislatures would in adopting untried plan in the hope of securing legislature different from any we have had but the proposed plan is untried plan,
 Disfranchised Guardsmen