Arizona republican., 1920-02-13

might be affected by legislation pro- viding for the reformation of the high | 1 way department of the state, and its reorganization on a basis which would 1 discontinue it's operation as political
 machine. SSIard against wasAe,~ ex- i travagance and possibly worse, and result in the construction Of the high !
 ways so insistently demanded by the public interest. Brings in H. C. of L. Tt would seem, however, to be pue- | rifle to attempt to measure the value of 1 legisla tive action in terms of dollars 1 and cents a statement which is strik- l ingly exemplified by deplorable l feature of the existing situation with respect to the states educational sys tenn. The advancing cost of living, | ! which has affected every calling, has i rendered very difficult, and in many i cases impossible, the employment of competent teachers at prevailing sal
 aries. The consequences are serious in | the extreme, being particularly felt in l the rural communities where district 1 funds are so limited, under existing i laws, as to preclude the payment of salaries which will enable teachers to
 maintain themselves. which will I attract the character of teachers for
 which a wise educational policy should l provide. It is indeed to be deplored 1 that the efficacy of the states educa tionGl system, upon which public en- l lightennlent and the stability of society | depends, should be permitted to wane 1 because of the fear that few dollars
 might be expended in the ena ,Nment of | such sorely- y-needed legislation.
 Another subject upon which no un- certainty exists is the need for re-
 vision of the general election laws. Ii the demand for such revision were not
 heard on every hand the opinion au- l thoritativeiy expressed, of the. gover
 nor himself would be extremely per
 suasive. From the message of Cover l nor Thomas F.. Campbell, delivered at
 the regular session of the present leg 1 islature, the following is quoted:
 Governor Quoted
 Experience has demonstrated that
 revision of the primary and general
 election laws is badly needed We have
 now experimented in this direction for
 nearly seven years, with the result that
 all political parties are in agreement 1 upon the conclusion that the election
 machinery is not only cumbersome and 1 unwieldy, but permits great abuse of
 the franchise power. This is a govern | ment by parties, but when men with
 loose political morals practically com
 init perjury by falsifying as to their 1 allegiance in order to enter the prl-
 mary of those of opposite faith in fur l therance of political revenge, or to l nominate weak men, it is indeed time I to call a halt. Recent elections have l also made apparent the necessity of ! revising the general election laws to l eliminate their many objectionable | features Several schemes, I note by the newspapers, have been proposed but none of them appeal to me as be- ing practical or suitable to the rather ! unusual condition obtaining in this l state. This is a matter however | leave to your wise counsel, trusting you will give it early, earnest anl | serious consideration and that the re-
 suit will be the remedying of the de-
 fects now so glaringly apparent
 Tt IS no explanation of the failure l to include this subject of needed legis- lation in the call for a special session. that a bill fulfilling the governors recommendations was passed by the regular session. and by him vetoed
 The shortcoming is thereby only in tensified and further aggravated by
 the circumstance that other measu
 which would have obviated certain of | the needs which are at the present
 time so apparent to all, and which
 were among the wOrthiest acts of the
 legislature, met the same fate. while
 many measures of minor concern met his approval
 Gets Down to Suffrage
 l Pursuing the subject of needed leg | islation, it is a matter Of deepest re-
 gret that the governor has not at this ine laid before the people and their ] Legislative servants a plan of action 1 that would cut at the root of that greatest of existing economic evils the high cost of living We are not l immune in this state from the pressure Of high prices. ahd we are guilty of l positive neglect of remedial action. The recommendation for the adop- I tion of a resolution ratifyiny the suf rage amendment to the constitution of ! the United States presents no new 1 idea to the people of Arizona who I have expressed themselves in no un- k.a n Q l., ne I>t-a | thought at once obtrudes itself how ever. that if the utmost sincerity in- spired the calling of a special session with its attendant expense. solely for l the purpose of aiding the women of | other states to participate in the ballot
 to the exclusion of all other subjects. | however needful that action should | have been taken many moE.hs ago. | for the encouragement it would have afforded hesitant states, and the i'm
 petus it would have given the praise
 worthy movement to secure ratifica- tion of the proposed constitutional amendment in time to permit the women of the nation to participate in the presidential election. On the score
 Of economy, no additional expense would have been involved in that | course.
 Hits at Form of Call
 | Tt is deemed of importance by your 1 committee that attention should be di- l fected 10 the form of the governors l call-nOt effecting the action of the legislature in the present case. but as
 instancing precedent violative both
 of the letter and spirit of the constitu- 1 tion. which. if established or permitted l to pass without denunciaion or pro-
 test might well lead to a serious
 abridgement of the liberties of the 1 people.
 The call authorizing the special ses-
 sion specifics that the legislat gre shall
 consider and ratify" the suffrage
 amendment, thereby not only limiting the consideration of this body to the single subject. but presuming to re- strict its course on that subject to a certain, definite action. It is doubt less well for the resolution under con
 sideraion; and for the great cause a:- fected by that resolution that a con l viction of duty. placed there by the ex- pressed will ofrthe people, rests upon 1 the conscientious members of this body, since otherwise it might be deemed essential to the Drotection of