Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-02-22
LEGISLATURE Of
n. NJ. ADJOURNS
AFTER BEING IN
SESSION 6 DAYS
Every Item in the Governors
Call Is Carefully ConSid-
cred and Acted Upon By
State Lawmakers.
SOLDIER SETTLEMENT
BILL GOES THROUGH
Most of Its Teeth, However,
Have Been Drawn VOL
Unteer Employees Thanked
For Their Services,

/
Santa Fe, Feb. 21.-With every
item in the governors call for a
special session carefully considered
and acted upon, the Legislature ad-
| iourned at o'clock on the sixth
| legislative day. The session cost
| $6,546.92 and passed bills repeal
| ing the state income tax, appoint
! ing a commission to study the en-
tire question, providing for a soldier
| settlement board, allowing special
| levies for carrying out the health
laws, rules and regulations, pro-
viding for public defense and for
building roads in Grant, Sierra and
Socorro counties, permitting Hidal-
go county to make transcriptions or
records applying to the new county
and in addition, passed the resolu-
tion which made New Mexico the
thirty state to ratify the
woman suffrage amendment to the
federal constitution.
The last action of the legislature
was the recalling of the memorial
to congress asking that the unre-
served public lands be granted to-
the honorably discharged soldiers,
done at the request of Governor
Larrazolo, since it conflicted with
the policy of the western governors
conference. The New Mexico eX-
ecutive asked that the legislature
substitute for the recalled mem-
orial another asking that the pub
lie lands be granted to the states
with proviso that soldiers be
given preference, This was not done.
The soldier settlement bill war
revived during the session today
and finally passed with most of Its
teeth carefully extracted. Instead
of providing that q bond issue OF
81 900, 900 be submitted at the next
general election, the bill appropri-
ates 100000, but provides that nd
appointments are to be made nor
any work started until the proper
| laws for cooperation are passed by
congress. Instead of three COM
missioners drawing from $4,000 70
$4,000 yearly, there will be only
two salaried officers, the commis'
sioner and the secretary of tho
board. The third member will be
the state commissioner of public
lands. The bill passed the senate
Is to and went through the
house 80 to 2.
The appropriation bill made pro-
vision for $6,546.92. The members
drew $3.50 for each of the six days.
The printing bill amounted to
s2945O, while 500 was allowed
for translating the laws.
House bill 13, providing a fund
of $4,000 for public defense. was
passed by, the senate by a vote OF
13 to 7, a number of the democrats
voting against 1t. House bill IL.
providing for commission to
study the mine tax laws, was
passed by vote Of 20 for and one
against.
Prior to adjournment, both the
senate and house passed resolu-
tions thanking the volunteer en-
| ployes for their services during the
session. BY this volunteer work, 1t
was estimated that $500 had been
saved the state.
The income tax question seems
to have been cleared up by the
special session. The legislature re-
pealed the 1919 law, refused to pass
the new income tax bill, but passed
a bill creating a commission of five
to study the question and report
not later than January l, 1921. 1t
is regarded as likely that Judge
Reed Holloman and Herbert J. Ha-
german will be members of this
commission.
The health bill passed by the
| special session makes it possible
| 10
boards of incorporated municipali-
ties to make special levies for car
rying out the provisions of the 1917
health act. The levy must be not
in excess of one-half mill and IS
subject to the review of the state
tax commission. The state COM
missioner of health is to be con-
suited before such a levy Is made.
The salary of the county and city
health officers may be paid from
the special health fund which
would be created by the levy.
That the work done by the special
session should prove pleasing to the
people of the state is the opinion OF
the leaders in the legislature. Menu
bers of both parties regarded the
feat of settling ten important ques-
tions in six days as remarkable in
legislative experience.
II regard the session as very sue
cessful." stated a. A. Sedillo,
speaker of the house. while we
have not passed all the bills pro-
posed, we have carefully studied all
matters submitted and have acted
upon them all with fair delibera-
ton. / predict that the results Of
this session will be generally ap-
proved by the public. The session
proved inexpensive and in my judg-
ment 1t was good thing 1t was
called. l feel that the people of
New Mexico are better prepared 20
face the problems of the future"
Judge r. p. Barnes, republican
floor leader of the house, declared
last night that he was satisfied
with the actions of the legislature
and that he believed the people OF
the state would be. Lieutenant
Governor B. f. Pankey, presiding
officer of the senate, expressed
himself as being very well pleased
by the speed with which the ten
subjects in the governors call had
been handled. Governor Larrazolo
did not make a formal statement.
but it is known that he is glad the
Legislature made good his promise
to the people Of New Mexico that
the session would not last more
tthap a week, -....-.----,-..,.... s,