Arizona republican., 1917-02-27
LEGISLATURE IN
BAD TANGLE MAY
NOT VOTE FUNDS

.CContlnued From Page 0nel
clause to It. In explaining his affirm
ative vote ou reconsideration Sena-
tor Roberts said that he desired TINS
matter which had arisen TO plague
every session Of the legislature might
be settled by the people so II would
not again come up 70 interfere with
legislation Or. Ferguson opposed the
bin he said. because, in his profess
sionaI experience he had observed
that the evils which are brought to
the attention Of hospitals do not come
from restricted districts.
An All Powerful Board
4 bin creating the committee on
state institutions" was brought into
the senate yesterday by the commit
tee on appropriations. The bin had
been prepared by Senator Roberts
who. however desired the backing Of
the committee and that was unani-
mouslv given. The commission shall
consist of three members. appointed
bv the governor, only two of whom
shalt belong to the same political party.
They shall furnish bonds in the sum
Of S25 600 each and shall be paid
salary Of $4,000 a year each. This
commission shall have full control
over all the state institutions. and the
board of control and all governing
bodies Of the various institutions. edu-
cational and other. are abolished. Each
institution shall be VISITED by one Of
the members of the commission once
every thirty day. This arrangement.
il Is believed. viii simplify matters, for
future legislatures and save their time.
Heads of institutions will no longer
lombard the lawmakers with demands
for appropriations. Their appeals Will
have to be made to the commission
which will be In full possession Of all
data on which to base their own iudg
ment as to the needs Of the institu-
tions.
School for the Feeble Minded
Contrary 10 expectation the senate
/ in committee of the whole ecom
mended tine passage of the bill Great
ing training school for the feeble
minded The standing committee to
which this bill had been sent returned
a report recommending the defeat Of
Z the bill. In the corridors and ia pri-
I gate conversation members generally
agreed such a school was not needed.
| The proposed legislation was believed
I to be foo advanced and idealistic;
/ something ought to be done for the
I feeble minded, of course. but in the
/ opinion Of senators there were not
! enough of them yet TO- fool with. The
! bill did not seem to have chance.
1 Explaining the sudden and remark
able change of front, Senator Suffer
+ said: I'VE had not had the subject Of
! feeble mindedness brought directly or
4 concretcly to our attention. We knew
or had heard that here and there was
| feeble minded person or a moron. But
I we had no idea of the extent of tho
feeble mindedness in this state until
! day after day we witnessed the peculiar
actions of the house with reference to
/ the general appropriation bin. Gradu
4 ally it was forced upon us that we
| ought to act in the interest of economy
/ This subject had plainly been too long
, neglected. If there had been a school
! for feeble minded established say TWEEN
tyfive or thirty years ago such scenes
as have been enacted In the house
would have been ayerted and much
! time would have been saved the state.
If this bill is enacted into law the
| beneficial effect of 1t viii be observed
in future legislatures.
The Salaries Bill
The senate and the house are now
! confronted by one of the toughest, most
nearly insoluble problems before it, the
so-called county salaries Dill. otherwise