Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1921-01-13

When Governor Mechem had
concluded his eleven minute, ad-
Iress the Joint assembly of senate
and house arose and the senators
retired to their chamber. Immedi-
ately after they had been called
to order, e. r. Wright, majority
floor leader, introduced senate joint
resolution No 2, amending section
two of article seven of the consti-
tuition of New Mexico to permit
every citizen of the state to hold
public office. This would remove
the present restriction against
women as office holders. 1t was a
pledge in the republican platform
and was the first recommendation
made to the legislators by the gov
ernor in his message.
The house of representatives ac-
complished little during the day
Upon meeting this morning a mo-
ton was carried for the appoint
ment of a committee of three to
seat the members. Later it was
moved and carried that a commit
tee of five be appointed to draft
rules for the conduct of business,
but that pending the preparation
and adoption of the report, the
rules of the last house should apply
The republican members of the
house went into a caucus this art
rnoon on the matter OF employees.
The special COMMITTEES of ten has
been busy in it's task Of preparing
a list of possible selections, but
final ratification of it's work is up
to the caucus. The employees Will
probably be announced when the
house convenes again at 10 O'CLOCK
Thursday morning.
Senate Completes Organization
The senate, which gives every
indication of becoming the most
valuable legislative body In the
history of the state, completed its
organization by the adoption of the
report of the committee on COM
mittees.. Two bills and two joint
resolutions were introduced. The
senate also went into a committee
on the whole to consider questions
pertaining to the economical con-
duct of the legislature.
The message of Governor Me-
chem, received in joint assembly
in the hall of the house of repre-
sentatives, again sets a record for
brevity, as did the governors in
augural address. Exactly eleven
minutes were required for its de-
livery and Interpretation.
The similarity of the two state
platforms and of the plans for re-
form held by the two parties was
shown in the reading of the mes
sage. Applause came almost equal
ly from the democratic and repub-
lican sides, with possibly more ap-
plause from the democrats than
from the republicans when the sub
ject of a direct primary for all Of
ficers, state and county, was
broached.
Applause Interrupts Message.
There were three places in the
governors brief message where the
legislators saw fit to interrupt by
applause. One was his reference
to the direct primary. A second was
his request for the repeal OF the
law allowing the Judges and clerks.
of election to mark ballots or ad-
wise voters how to register their
preferences. The third, which
drew by far the heartiest applause,
was his recommendation for the
repeal of the laws creating the
mounted police force, the office OF
legal advisor to the governor, the
superintendent Of insurance and
the county road superintendents
The governors recommendation in
this regard was absolute and with
out qualifying phrases.
The message was unique in its
directness and in the absence of
explanatory material. The gov
ernor seemed to feel that the points
he was making had been clearly
discussed in the campaign and that
1t was only necessary for him to