The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-01-31


district sranac, the business Of the
state instead % sevsnty-shree men. a.
AZ present. Each commissioner would
receive a salary OF $500 a year and
each would devote IN Of his Time u
the duties of his office.
The scheme may sound visionary
and revolutionary to some. But when
you at down and reason the PROPOSE
lion out Il is entirely logical sane. ahS
possesses great advantages over the
double house Legislature. That u
sounds visionary we will admit. But
~c can remember when those who ad.
vocaied the initiative. referendum and
recall. sae primary law. the direct
election 90 United states senator's. and
many other reforms. were regarded as
fanatics and Il war predicted that
these changes In our political system
never would some about. And vet
they have become pretty VOL estab-
ilshed throughout our country In the
past twenty years. Even the commis-
sion form OF government for munie..
paiities was looked upon Ne imprar.
teal q rev years 2 and now we find
cities going 50 far rs hire men. cx-
ports In their line. to conduct their az
fairs jt.st - a private corporation
would cngnge a trained nan 20 man
are its business which. many people
think. has advantages over the com-
mission form OF government There
fore. why Is not the commission form
OF government suitable for states?
The two-house legislature apparent.
~ was adopted by states for the reA-
son that congress Il composed Of two,
houses. and Il was thought 10 be the
proper thing at the time for the states
90 have legislative bodies patternc1
after congress. Hut we live and learn. /
Customs that were In vogue a hair al
century & are considered obsolete
now. And II Is the belief OF many
people that the two-house legislature
T. too ~antiquated and cumbersome for
the progressive age IN whieh We are
The legislative session in most states
Il 81 sixty days Duration. As has beea
demonstrated IN tn, past, the
half OF the session Is taken up
with the work * organization and the
consideration OF bills by committees.
" shere Is a United States senator to
in states which adhere 10 tho old
plan OF permitting legislatures 10
choose senator's. u h. often the otsn
nothing Is done In the way 9f
bills until the last week or
OF the session. Then everything Isl
rushed through so as not 10 keep the
beyond the allotted sixty
iays-because none OF the members
TO hang around and legisIate AZ
er the five dollars per. or whatever
he daily stipend Is. stops. In this
and hustle bills are often rushed !
through and members know little or
about their contents. The re-
'ult Is that many unnecessary avs
been enacted. while others that
we're regarded as necessary would not
the test when brought into court
10 much litigation until the.r
,onstitutionality had been passed upon
by the highest state tribunal.
A state commission would have time
elaboration. Furthermore. at che
proposed salary, competent men could
gotten 20 look after the states busi-
ness. And. while the stipulated salary
Is rather high. u Is estimated that the
would save In round numbers
$4,000 a year. for the reason that
there would not be an army Of en-
drawing money from the treas
ury. as IA the case now. There would
be a chief clerk and perhaps a stenog-
or two. which would constitute
the commisslon's office force.
The commission form of govern.
ment for states Is. we believe. alto
feasible and we should at least
like TO see II given a trial.
Some of these days the people will
to the fact that our present
form Of county government has out
lived Its usefulness. too. and colnue5
will be governed by commissions. or
run by managers, the same as Is now
being done In many cities. We cannot,
OF course. expect 10 progress too rap-l
idly In matters pertaining 10 the over
turning of old customs. particularly
where politics and politicians are in
But "the world do move % and
IL Is not an idle dream when the pre-
Is made hat the present form
Of county government will be dis
NJ no distant date.
To LEGALIzE SOCIETY ~GAMBLINb