Bisbee daily review., 1919-02-09
CITY ELECTION LAW
 AND SOLDIERS PAY
 BILL PASS IN HOUSE
cBy Review Leased wire1


 i PHOENIX, Ariz.. Feb. S.-After s lengthy debate in the lower house oi the legislature today Delbridge's bill No. fl, relating to the election of off cers in towns. passed as amended by a vote of IS to 1S.
 The bill as originally drawn pro vided for the election of all town off, cers. including the town marshal clerk. engineer and treasurer. An amendment last was approved provid- 1 ing for the appointment of city off cials on the presentation of a peti- tiOn bearing the names of 51 per cent of the voters.
 The protracted debate today hinged on this amendment The initial con tentiOn in the argument was that the bill as amended would so affect the city commission form of government that it would be necessary for peti- tiOnS to be circulated to determine if officials now holding office should be retained by a vote of 51 per cent of the electors.
 The majority opinion of the house | tiOn of the measure was not correct. but no one volunteered an absolutely definite construction or Snis debated clause.
 Believe It UnconstitutionaI.
 Opinion expressed in the Hobbies of the house was that the measure as it now stands is unconstitutional, that government by petition is against the principles of the constitution and that the measure will not live to get through the senate
 Lines said that the argument made against the bill was reversion to prehistoric times and outlined a con ditiOn incompatible with modern progress. If that interpretation of the measure was correct, Lines held. then everybody would know every body else's business and the result would be the wiping out of direct leg islation by the people.
 Those who favored the amendment providing for the option of circulating a petition asserted it would get quick results and that there would be no time lost and money spent in calling an election.
 
 ture of the bill that the amendment was violating no law and would meet a peculiar condition existing in the state.
 Petition Proposal.
 One side took the stand that the petition proposal. if enacted into law, would practically throw the gift of public offices into the nands of poli- ticians and the reply to this was that suoh an idea was entirely wrong, since the petition would make it even mora difficult to control votes.
 An attempt was made to refer the matter to the committee of the whole house, but this failed on a vote of 19 to F and on a subsequent vote the measure passed as amended.
 Joint memorial, No. 1. introduced and passed in the house, asks con gress that upon his discharge from tine service each fighting man in the United States forces be given S2OO extra pay and be allowed to retain his uniform, including his great coat.
 The original form of the memorial specified three months pay for all men honOrably discharged, but this was altered to read S2OO.
 Passing from the proposal for the welfare of former service men. the document addressed tO congress took up the question of an ocean-to-ocean highway and military road. which it heartily endorsed.
 The memorial provides that a CODY be sent to every legislature in session Tn the United States.
 Mechanics Lien Bill.
 4 bill declared to be of first i'm portance to all workmen, house Bill 97, was introduced before the house adjourned over the weekend. This measure would alter the law to pro- vide that mechanics liens on any work would take first place over all other claims. regardless of when the other claims were filed. The existing statute gives priority to other liens.
 Bill 96 aims to amend the civil code to eliminate the practice of exc cutting fraudulent conveyances to escape just debts. A measure along similar lines appeared in the senate this week, drafted at the instance of the national commission on uniform state laws
 Bin 95 would amend the civil code relating to verdicts in equity cases.
 The vOluminOus bill 94, making pro- vision for the holding of party conven- tions, also was brought in