Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-03-11
Legislative Veterans Declare
This Session Has Done More
for Advancement Than Any
= Previously Held,
SUFFRAGE ONLY PARTY
PLEDGE NOT REDEEMED
Senate Surprises House by Ad-
journing Without FormaIi-
ties and Leaving Several
Pet Bills UnConSidered.
tsrxe,AL o,spArcn 70 MORNING JorssALI

tsrxe,AL o,spAroH TO MORNING JocssAlI
Santa Fe, March 10.-Unexpected
even though characteristic was tht
close of the legislative session this
afternoon. Without going through
the customary formality of notifying
the executive or the house of repre-
sentatives, the senate adjourned sine
die upon motion of Baird. Five min
utes before, the senate had been called
to order There were number OF
bills passed by the house to be acted
upon, including a deficiency bill for
legislative expenses, mainly printing
A fight on the latter was expected
but instead the senate, after hearing
the report of the committee on en-
crossing, that the general appropria-
ton bill had been engrossed and
properly signed, simply adjourned
A hurried consultation of the house
leaders devised no remedy for the
anomalous situation. The house was
i'll recess until 2 o'clock. 1t then
merely met for tn speaker and other
officers to attach their signatures to
business that had been left unfinished
to that extent and also TO adjourn
sine die.
Legislative veterans VINO have been
in the thick of legislative work for dec
edes and who have studied the MS
tory OF previous legislatures, declare
that the third legislative state assem-
bly, has been the most useful as Weii
as the most harmonious in the his
tory of the state. That this was due
to the leadership of National Commit
teeman Charles A. Spiess, Holm @.
Bursum, Charles Springer, w G. Reid
and of Governor Lindsey, is also gen =
orally admitted although reluctantly
by some. That Bernalillo county was
exceptionally well represented ana
stood close to the throne because 1t
had sent Barnes to the house ana
Kaseman and Barth to the senate, is
also apparent. Party pledges were
redeemed in practically every partic-
ular except as to woman's suffrage
The party leaders sought to redeem
this pledge, too, but met with an IN
herent opposition from the spanish
Americans and a few democratic
members who had formerly lived in
the south and would listen to no rea-
soning or persuasion, but stood pat
against womna suffrage.
State Takes o Step Forward.
It is not maintained that the leg
islation brought about it's perfection
but It marks the biggest step forward
that has been taken in many years.
It includes an Australian ballot act,
submission of the prohibition amend
ment, the firm installment by stat
ute and through constitutional sub
mission. a good roads bill and code,
a code of legal procedure endorsed by
the State Bar association, the state
supreme court and both judiciary
committees unanimously and which
greatly simplifies and improves the
procedure in the courts; two excellent
drainage and irrigation measures,
rounding out the powers of the tax
corporation commission so that it is
now in position to do effective work
the completion of the county
unit school law providing for county
school boards; encouragement of beet
sugar industry and of power and
mining projects; the creation of two
new counties which will give an ex-
cellent account of themselves in
growth and prosperity; acts for CO.
operating with the State college. san
itary and health measures and giving
Christian Science a chance to exist;
many state highway measures, the
amendment of the banking and cor
poration laws, the proper safeguard
of the school and institutional funds
the passage of a state land act which
will result in the rapid settling up OF
these lands and bringing them upon
taxpaying basis; the care of neglected
and dependent as we'll as of delin-
uuent children, the submission of
redistricting of judicial districts, are
all achievements to the credit of the
legislature. Significant is that most
of the bills thus passed received cor
dial and overwhelming support from
the democratic side of both houses.
1t is only on few measures that
party lines were drawn sharply, most
important being the boundary act
which, because Of executive and DEM
ocratic influence, was finally put in
such shape as to make it a fairly
good measure. The appropriation
bill, while still leaving New Mexico
as the state that spends the least Of
any in the union for public pur-
poses, is quite fair to the educational
and other public institutions, espe-
cially to the university, which is CIV
en- $4,000 a year for maintenance
and $4,000 for buildings.
House Takes Recess.
The house did some legislating this
morning and stopped in the middle
of passing one of the bar association
bills. senate bill 219, acknowledgment
of pleadings. The roll was called but
n quorum was found lacking. During
the recess that was taken to get the
members together the senate adjourn
ed and put a stop to all further legis-
lative efforts.
When the house was called to order
shortly after 10 o'clock this forenoon
sanchez of Valencia in a presentation
address, conveyed to the chaplain,
Father A. Besset, expressions of APP
probation from the house for his