The evening herald. [volume] (Albuquerque, New Mexico) 1914-1922, 1917-01-29

santa Re. y. NJ. Jan. 2s-No more
legislatures FOR New Mexico. This Is
the purpurt OF a bill which q. w.
| diversion and r. II. Lewis have pre-
! pared for presentation In he Gus
today. The bin would substitute a
commission form OF legislature for the
present law-maklng machinery. which
l.hcy claim Is entirely too clumsy.
Thoy wvuld delegate the law-mako
Ing power to a commission of eight
mcmbers. chosen from the eight iu-
dlclal districts OF the state There
would be onIy one noase" of The leg
i~siature. II would convene every
year on the second Tuesday IN jan
uary. While the members would be
nominated one for each judicial dis
trlct. they would be voted on az large
thar Is BY all the people OF the state.
The trainers Of this law would pro-
hlbit more man four members Of any
ione political parry SERVING on The COM
mission. Their term would be for
two years.
Fig saving To state.
New Mexico would be the only state
in the union tina did not have two
houses IN its legislature. and would
have the smallest legislative bOdy Ia
the country. were the law TO pass.
The state would save about $500
annually in the matter Of salaries
alone.
Commission form Of government Is
growing more popular and il proNin.
more successful THAI the old unwicld-
~ forms" said Mr.. Lewis. This APP
plies to cities and smaller bodies, and
should work equally well for the
state. The statcs rave all patterned
latter the federal plan, but there is no
legal reason why they should. The
state Is "a unit within Itself ANA could
manage its affairs IN q business like
manner. am told that tho present
LEGISLATURE Is the best New Mexico has
ever had. and { surely think that the
system we are working under is far
from efficient"
SALARY of $500 Zach.
The commissioners would receive
an annual salary Of s. 500 each. un-
der the terms of the bin. ana they
would have "a chief clerk az $4,000
who would rave 10 be ON the Job all
tho year around to receive enroll.
land tabulatc petitions memorials aud
lbuls Of every character. attend 60 the
correspondence. and furnish lnforma-
ltion that the lawmakers might re
lquire His assistants would be linz
iitcd TO those strictly necessary Co ear
Irving ON The work. The salary stem
would Doe held down. end mileage
would Doc llui1ted Co one trip each way
Tor the commissioners from their
home towns. each year at 10 cents O.
mile.
Five members bcins q majority THIS
luumber would oc entitled TO pass
HAVE. and SIX members. or three
fourths. could carry "a measure over
itht governors yC-o. The governor
would stand % the same relationship
TO the COMMITS ION as To- the lesisla-
turc now. rhe lieutenant governor
would preside. and cast % vote iu
event Of IL te.
Qualifications FOR Members.
Vacancies Ii the commission would
De- nllcd az "a general election cilFd
lhy the governor. A commissioned
would have 10 be over 80 years old.
land "a qualified ~eloctor. ana a rcsi-
dent 81 the state for three years prio'
10 election. \ president pro-te".
Would bc elected from the member
ighIp ~ tho body TO act when the lieu
Tenant governor vas away. The chief
clerk would -cVc Tor two Year,.
The repeal az ala present senatorial
land representative districts OF th'
state would follow uu the adoption OF
tho new system one amendment I'D
the state constitution would Dee neccs-
sary tu garry this new scheme 81
Things into effect that b. Go ,ny that
the voters could vote eyes or mo
lon the proposition as a whole. Several
sections of the constitution ~ IL now
READS would oe completely revised. oi
eliminated by such action.
visionary a. the plpn Stems. "a SUR
prising favorable sentiment Iias rail-
lied around q. several members from
both houses having assured It's au-
Ithurs their hearty support. The lat
ter have strong hopes that 90 VIII pass
lthc house. More Democrats than Re
Ipublirans have asserted their sym