New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-01-12
VERY LITTLE ABOUT
IMPROVEMENT
THE MESSAGE WAS READ TO
JOINT SESSION BY LIEUT..
GOV. LINDSEY WEDNES-
DAY AT REQUEST OF THE
GOVERNOR
70 the Senate and House of Re
presentatives

presentatives:
The government of state re.
quires from those entrusted witt
its management, the same careful
conscientious and economical con-
sideration. as from one charged
with the conduct of his own or an,
other line of business.
When a majority of the Legislative
assembly is of different politica
complexion from that of the ex.
ecutive, the temptation is great tc
devote much time of the session tc
the passage OF laws attempting tc
deprive the executive department
of the power of appointment. | trust
this assembly will have more lofty
ideal of its duty.
SO long as our aim is for laws
giving some individual or party ad-
vantage, just so long will we have
a shifting and changeable legal sys-
tenn Every two years a large por-
ton of the statutes will be changed
or repealed and new set enacted
to take their place. No one will
know Just what the law is and the
work of our courts in interpreting
and is largely nulified. A law to be
of value should be certain, and
when once made plain of meaning
ought not to be changed or repeal
ed except from considerations OF
the highest necessity.
A few of our laws are antiquated
and out of place on our statute
books. These should be replaced
by statutes framed after those laws,
which by experience have been
found to work we'll. in states whose
conditions are similar to our own.
There are other laws which need
to be strengthened in some of
their weak places; others whose
meaning should be made plain
and certain where it is now am
biguous; and still others where
there is real or apparent conflict
between different portions of the
same law, or between portions of
the laws existing at the time of
their enactment. These conflicts
ought to be removed by proper
legislation.
If we shall be wise and patriotic
enough to devote the sixty days of
this session to the accomplishment
of these ends, we will have earned
for ourselves the encomium, "Well
done, faithful servant" and for our
state a place among the progress
sive and forward looking states of
the Union.
The Battleship New Mexico.
I am advised by the secretary of
war of the United States that the
battleship New Mexico will be
ready to launch and christen in two
or three months. This will be one
of the largest ships in the United
States navy On such occasions it
is customary for the state after
which the vessel is named to pre-
sent for use on the battleship some
suitable gift The time for action
on this matter is rather short, and
I recommend you take it up for con-
sderation Immediately after your
organization is completed, and that
you appropriate sum sufficient to
purchase the gift you decide to pre-
sent.
Liquor.
The question whether we should
continue to license the saloon or
prohibit the sale of Intoxicating IL
quors entirely, has been agitated
among us for some time At every
session of the legislative assembly
it is brought up and enters into the
discussion and consideration of all
important political measures. The
question is one of morals entirely,
and should be speedily removed
from the domain of politics. No man
has the moral right to legislate the
saloon into a state or community,
if it be against the wishes of
majority of its inhabitants. The
two dominant political parties have
declared in their platforms in favor
of an early submission of the mat
ter to a vote of the people of the
state. I recommend. therefore, that
you take the action necessary to
submit to a vote of the people, at
the earliest possible date, the ques-
ton whether or not our constitution
should be so amended as forever
liquors within the limits of this
state.
Federal Aid Road Act.
The last session of the congress
of the United States passed an act
known as "The Federal Aid Road
Act" By this statute congress ap-
propriated large sum of money to
be used to aid in the construction
of roads in the several states, ex-
tending over a period of five years;
said appropriation to be apportion-
ed among the states in the manner
provided in the act There is a
further provision that the federal
shall nav only 50 Der