Weekly journal-miner., 1917-02-14
WELFARE BOARD ID TAKE PLACE OF TIE BOARD
 OF CONTROL
NEW ORGANIZATION PRO- POSED BY. MRS. MARSH CONSISTS OF GOVERNOR STATE EXAMINER AND CITIZEN MEMBER; TO KEEP CHECK ON PUB LIC INSTITUTIONS.

| LIC INSTITUTIONS | PHOENIX, Feb. 12-Davis' house bill on irrigation districts practically
 is rcmodifcation of the present statute, passed couple of years ago at the especial insistencc of the intro- ducer's home county of Final It has been found absolutely unavoidable
 through its provision that the bene- fits of districts formed shall accrue only to resident owners of farm prop crty. It happens that large part of the land around Florence is owned byI non-rcsidentS, usually men eager to improve their lands and to receive revenue from them, but stopped by law In other localities, large tracts have been purchased by non-residents from the State land commission, but must remain unvatcrcd if special ir- rigation systems or pumping plants are not provided. The new bill cures these defects and opens avenues for the reclamation of large areas of land now desert.
 Cooks Valentine.
 The female employees of the house | already have dispatched valentine. | It went to Representative Cook, the | oldest member and unmarried, and was in the shape of mock bill, read by the assistant clerk, to the effect that an appropriation be made for an airplane for Dan Cupid, whose wings l had become frayed in his long attack upon the senior member.
 Welfare Board Bill.
 Mrs. Marsh, of Santa Cruz county has introduced a lengthy bill that re- ceived especial consideration from the chief clerk. It abolishes the State board of control and substitutes a board of public welfare, constituted of the governor, the State examiner and third person, who shall not hold any office in the State and who shall be secretary and purchasing agent. The new board shall keep the ac- counts of the public institutions, in cluding the university and normal schools. and shall purchase for free distribution a report showing the f- nancial condition of the State and the revenues and cost of each of the pub lie institutions. An appropriation of S20.0O0 is annexed
 Artesian We'll Measure.
 Tn the last legislature most of the southern counties called for appro- priations for sinking experimental artesian wells This session only one such measure has appeared, offered by President Claridge for his home county of Graham. This year the trend of popular legislation appears to be toward county fair appropria- tions, of which only one has been successful, and for bridges, which have been asked for over the Verde near Jerome, and as extensions for the structure now spanning the Gila at Florence and Wellton, as well as for approaches to the State highway | bridge over the Agua Fria, west Of Phoenix. The Florence bridge will be repaired and extended, but mega tive action is probable on all other bridge bills.
 Hearing On Redistricting Bill.
 Next Friday has been set for public hearing on senate bill No. v the Mattox bill, redistricting counties according to taxable property. Many objections have been made to the salary schedules, particularly affecting county, which, with the largest population in the State, is put in the second class by Cochise, which .akcs the lead through the valuation 1f her great copper mines.
 Winsor's Pardon Bill.
 Winsor's senate bill providing new rules for the conduct of the State board of pardons and paroles IS de- signed, according to the author, to provide a more orderly system than ,nown at present, with a somewhat grcatcr degree of publicity, especially " lllG 1dSN pl ptii aPpiiNhtiCh7 VI ,onvicts under sentence for grave crimes. The board is to be created in different manner than at present. one member to be named by the gov ,rnor. one by the chief justice of the Supreme court, and one by the pres dent of the State senate.
 A Popular Move.
 It is expected that the move toward ' return of a State ranger force will be popular in the legislature, backed by both cattlemcn and prohibition advo- ,atcs The old ranger force was abolished as a partisan measure in he last days of the territorial gov C 'rnmcnt, when it had opposition also rom the Sheriffs of the several coun- ics. Possibly the same opposition ' will come now, but it is felt that ex- { .cution of the prohibition laws not ,