New Mexico state record. (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1914-19??, 1917-03-02
De BACA COUNTY
NOW AUTHORIZED
BILL IS S|GNEL
THE COUNTY OF LEA DE-
PENDS ON THE SENATE
ALVARADO, AGUILAR AND
PYRAMID NEW COUNTIES
PROPOSED
De 2aca County.

Governor Lindsey on Wednesday
afternoon Of this week signed the
bill which created the new county
Of Debaca Tins county is Just about
nine townships square and include,
portions OF Roosevelt, Chavcs, and
Guadalupe. The county seat is Ft
Sumner.
The senate gave a landslide vote
to the new county on last Friday,
this sudden action following a
thorough examination of all facts
of the situation. The senate com
mittec on counties held hearings for
"a number of days, and listened to
delegations from all sections affect
ed, and compromise was finally ar
rived at that appeared satisfactory
to all The bill had been previously
passed by the house, but the senate
amended it with changes which fill
ed six typewriter pages.
The house gave the bill similar
reception.
Lea County.
A surprising spectacle was enact
ed in the lower house when the
county of Lea, in the extreme south
western corner of the state was re-
ported cut of the committee. The
new jurisdiction was originally call
ed Liano county, but was changed
in honor of Captain Lea a pioneer
OF the southeastern part Of the state
and one of the founders of Roswell
Though the bill was originally a
Democratic measure it appeared
with support of all the Republicans
and the minority was sadly divided.
The claim was made by some of
the Democrats that the people of the
section Affected were bitterly op-
posed to creating the new subdivi-
sion. kilograms were sent to the
governor and to various rcpresen-
tatives by their constituents. claim
ing that the people in that corner
of the state would like to take re-
ferendum vote on the proposition
and if not defeated by a two-thirds
vote wor'd cheerfully abide by it
An amendment calling for this re-
ferendum vote was lost in the house
having been opposed by Barnes, in
skilful speech in which he said
that the judgment OF the legislature
in the matter could be depended up
on, and that there was no valid rea'
son for a referendum vote on the
proposition. No such vote was re-
quired on the DeBaca county bill.
P. s. Eaves Of Lovington, which is
named as the new county seat, came
to the support of the county's esta-
blishment, declaring it to be a ne
cessity to the people of that COM
munity who had many miles to
travel, and without the aid of rail
roads to get TO the existing centers.
Mehlhop, Lewis, and others de-
nounced the Republican action and
the cry steam roller was raised when
the bill passed the house. Something
like fifty people were in the city to
present arguments to the commit
tees which deliberated on the mea-
sure prior to its passage. There ap-
pears to be favorable opinion in the
senate though the bill has not come
up there.
The senate has adopted resolu'
tion to the effect that it will not take
up any further county division bills
dl tHlS SeSSiOH dlteT Lea COUNTY -
disposed of.
Alvarado or Aguifar.
Portions OF Mora and Colfax
would be carved off to make the
new county of Aguilar, fostered by
Alexandra Arellano, OF Mora in a
bill which was introduced this week
in the house. A similar bill by Re-
preventative Frank A. Roy. of Roy
in Mora county, would create the
county of Alvarado. Roy would be
the county seat of the fomer, and
Wagon Mound of the latter.
Still another county is being talk
ed of, and this is Pyramid county to
be sliced out of Union county. Be-
fore any of these measures can be
considered in the senate that body
must needs reconsider its no-more
counties resolution.