El Nuevo mexicano., 1917-03-08
State Budget Bill and
Australian Ballot LaW
Are Rushed Through
Dispenses With Formally to Save Time; Barnes
Workmen's Compensation Bill Also Passed By
Vote of Is to l8, After Members Express
Serious Disapproval of Some of Its Provisions
From Mondays Daily

The Republican house majority his
morning staged an eleventh hour
stampede to redeem party pledges. II
passed a state budget bill and an Aus
tariIan ballot bill, ana such was its
hurry to get the latter out Of the way
that Il ignored the constitutional pro-
vision requiring the third reading Of
the easur In full, simply adopting
a motion 10 make the journal show
that the bill had been read In full pre-
paratory to It's passage.
The vote on the passage of the
budget bill was 80 to 7, and the pro-
posed ballot law was passed unani.
mously.
Both measures were introduced In
the house by Mr.. Barnes, Of Berna-
lilo, Republican floor reader, but the
Australian ballot bill was drawn by
Attorney Francis c. Wilson Of this
city. The two bills will be reported
to the senate this afternoon. A meas-
ure providing that the governor shall
submit a state budget has already
been passed by the upper house of the
legislature.
In addition to the budget and ballot
laws, the house this morning passed
the Barnes workmen's compensation
bill, and a resolution introduced early
in the session by Mr.. Algert, Demo-
crat, of San Juan, calling on the state
corporation commission for informa-
tion concerning its efforts toward Sc
curing a three-cent passenger rate.
and other activities.
The worKmen's compensation bill
was passed by a vote of 25 to Is. Like
the Australian ballot law, it was not
read in full the third time in either
English or Spanish. MI. Pardue,
Democratic floor leader. called the
bill unjust because of its provision
that no compensation shall be pay
able for any injury which does not re-
suit in disabling lasting more than
three weeks, stating that that and
other provisions forced him to vote
against it. Mr.. Wesley, Democrat, OF
Grant, also termed the measure UNI
Just, and called attention to Section 5,
which provides that mo compensa-
tion shall become due or payable from
any employer in the event injury was
occasioned by the intoxication Of
workman, or wilfully suffered by him,
or Intentionally inflicted by himself
or another" He asserted that this
provision would make it possible for
employers to produce afffdavits
barring injured employees from COM
p~ensation."
During the consideration of the
workmen's compensation bill by the
house committee on judiciary, James
Casey, an attorney of Tyrone, appear
ed before the committee as the rep
r~esentative of mining compsnies and
other employers of labor, and as an
expert on laws defining employers
liability. Mr.. Casey told the commit
tee that the Phelps-Dodge and other
mining concerns were willing to COM
p~ensate their employees for injuries
resulting in disability Of less than
three weeks, and were in the habit
o. doing so, but that the lumber COM
panies objected to such requirement,
On the ground that many minor in
juries, which disabled workmen for
only a few days, occurred in logging
camps and lumber mills.
During his discussion of the bill.
Mr.. Wesley said he had been informed
by the majority leaders that the
Barnes bill was the best in it's line
that could be secured at this session.
Some of the Democratic representa-
tives express the opinion that the bill
is one which the big corporations are
willing to have passed in order to
block the passage of anything
stronger.
The Barnes bill provides that in the
event of no dependents, the compensa-
ton, in case of death, shall be limited
to funeral expenses. If there are de-
%pendents, funeral expenses of not to
exceed $50 are to be paid, and in addi-
,tion a compensation equal to a GER
tain percentage Of the workman's
earnings, based on the character and
number Of the dependents, to continue
for a period of not to exceed 300
In case of total disability, the
workman is granted 80 per cent of his
earnings, not to exceed $40 a week or
to be less than SIS a week, for not to
exceed $40 weeks. For partial dis
ability the amount and duration Of
the compensation depends on the
character Of the injury.
AAulRRNAN