Estancia news-herald. [volume] (Estancia, Torrance County, N.M.) 1912-19??, 1919-02-06
LEGISLATIVE NOTES


Santa Fe, N. M, Feb. 3.-Demo
cratic members of the legislature arr
seeking the solution of the problem
now confronting the cities Of New
Mexico in which the latter are strug
Cling without avail against a constant
tendency to exceed their budgets
The laws now covering the city budg.
ct proposition are not elastic in the
least, nor is it felt by Democratic
members that they are adequate.
Nearly every city in the state is run
ming into financial straits, and muni-
cipal operation is being badly Grip
pied by the fact that cities are not
accorded enough money for the main
tenance of affairs. The problem will
no doubt be solved at this session of
the legislature.
Thirteen bills touching upon laws
of vital interest to the stockmen of
the state are having the hearty sup
port and encouragement of Demo-
cratic members of the legislature.
Changing the classification of crimes
against the cattle interests from mis-
demeanors to felonies, and providing
penitentiary sentences rather than
Jail sentences, is the object of a por-
ton of the bills which the Democrat
ic members are seeking to place upon
the statute books.
Frank Veseley, Democratic floor
leader in the lower house, won a
place in the hearts of all eXponents
of the filthy weed this week when he
sought by crafty diversion to circum-
vent ruling of Speaker Sedillo
which brought into play the house
rule prohibiting smoking during the
session. Veseley called the attention
of the house members to the fact
that the rule prohibiting smoking was
suspended during the last session of
the legislature, and since the House
was operating under the old rules,
pending the adoption of the new,
Frank thought he saw the way out.
However, Speaker Sedillo put the
question to a test vote, and amid the
confusion which followed, declared
the "nays" had it and smoking was
barred. Now the discourse of the
house is rather liquid and spittoons
have been doubled in number on the
House floor.
T. J. Robertson, Democratic repre-
from Union county, has in
troduced bill in the house which
will greatly facilitate rural school
operation and aid in the solution of
their financial problems. The bill
provides that where two or more dis
tricts of adjoining counties see fit
they may consolidate their school dis
tricts under one management. The
plan will aid many districts of coun-
ties that are hard pressed for school
funds by permitting two or three
such impoverished districts to con-
solidate under one corps of teachers.
Laudation for President Wilson
was drawn from both houses of the
legislature this week by joint res
olution offered in the Senate by SEN
ator L. C. Mersfelder, Democratic
solon from Curry county, wherein the
President was invited to the Sunshine
state on his tour of western states.
The measure though savoring of par
ty tendencies and eliciting many
grave expressions from the Republi-
can. members of both houses, passed
without undue friction, and goes
down in the history of this session as
a Democratic stroke for the worlds
greatest leader.
Two Democrats and one Republi-
can were responsible for causing an
uneasy feeling in certain quarters
around the capital this week when
they introduced an anti-gambling bill
that would have made games OF
chance something that could only be
by those who might be will
ing to risk a Jail sentence or a stiff
fine in order to crafty their sportive
instincts. Representatives Blanchard,
P. Carter, and Howard were the dis
turbers of the holy calm of the state
capital, but as their bill was referred
to the committee OF. public defense
and reconstruction, admittedly
of dangerous or unpopular
bills, the situation has lost the tense
ness that marked it for short while.
The drastic revision of number
of the laws that effect the stockmen
of the state has been under consld-
Grafton of the cattlemen's assocla-
tions in New Mexico, and twelve
bills, amending or changing the pres
ent laws were introduced in the legis-
lature on Monday. The passage OF
these bills will assure the stockmen OF
more adequate protection from the
cattle thieves who have been respon-
sible for so many of the losses in the
cattle raising districts of the state,
and the penalties that are urged BY
the proposed measures will have the