Arizona republican., 1921-01-26
BLUE LAW SUNDAY IS URGED IN BILL IN LEGISLATURE
Measure Prohibits Unnec- essary Work On One Day In Seven-Bill Introduced To Validate the Highway Bonds


 To Validate the Highway
 Bonds
 The long-expected bill to compel the observance of Sunday, or at least one day in seven. made it's way into the legislature yesterday. IL was intro duced into the house by Mir. Frazier oy request The way for it was paved by two communications which were read in the house immediately after the opening of the morning ses sion ono of them bearing the sigma - lures or l9 persons and the other from the W. C. T. IT., with IS signatures.
 The bill prohibits all secular occu- patiOns except those of necessity for . public welfare and acts of mercy or charity. It is not insistent that Sun day should be the day to be observed. put persons of religions recognizing some other day as the Sabbath are re- quired to abstain from labor on that day.
 Another bill which had been in prep aration for several days was intro duced by Mir. Phillips. It proposes the validatlon of the county highway bonds in the sum of S4,0OO. 900 which were voted by the taxpayers of this county on May IT, 1919. Though there is no real doubt of the validity of these bonds, they had recently been sub Jected to an attack which since has been abandoned and it was thought as a matter of precaution that this legis- lation should be taken against any other objection that might be raised to the bonds.
 First Real Clash
 For the first time this session a seri- ous difference of opinion on an impor- tant matter manifested itself in the house. and it was the occasion of a running debate involving a dozen or more of the members of the house. The subject was the first of the edu- cation bills to come before the commit tee of the whole house. It was house bill 8, by Miss Boehringer. providing among other things for a state tax levy for tho schools, amounting to $50 for each child of school age, disclosed by the census. There were other re- formatory features of the bill, but it was this proposed tax levy amounting to more than S2,500. 900 around which tho battle ragged. Whether there would have been enough votes to insure its defeat for that reason Is doubtful. But many of the members objected to other features of the bill. which they did not understand were parts of a systematic reform of the educational code. to be accomplished through several bills.
 The bill came from the committee on judiciary with an unfavorable rec ommendation. When it was taken up in the committee of the whole Mir. Miller of Tavapai suggested an amendment of it in that part providing for the apportionment of the funds which he thought discriminated against the rural districts. This was followed by a motion to re-commit the bill to the committee on education, and on that simple motion a general debate cnsued involving the merits of the bill. A motion to recommend in- definite postponement finally prevailed by a decisive majority and the house aser acted upon that recommendation. lt is understood, however, that the matter Will be presented in another form, when it is hoped that there may be a better understanding of it's pur- pose and it's effect upon taxpayers.
 Another Dispute
 There was another dispute about a matter of economy. Mir. Neal moved that the per diem of the chief clerk be increased to $10 a day and that of the assistant chief clerk to sS a day. Mr. Jones of Maricopa failed to see why this increase should be made. Mrs. Bush advocated it on the ground that NHb SOiItopOH0iuk dlldCneS or the senate had recently been voted that much and that they had less work to do than the clerks of the house. Mir. Wylie offered a motion limiting the increased pay to the remainder of the 60-day session and providing that 1t should not be effective in the time aft crward spent in making up the jour nal. He doubtless had in mind that after the last session something like sS0OO was consumed by an army of clerks who were unable to finish the work so long as any part of the ap- propriation remained. This motion was defeated and the Neal motion pre- vailed
 After receiving the committee re- ports and new bills the house resolved itself into the committee of the whole with Mir. Betts in the chair. and spent tho rest of the morning and the greater part of the afternoon session fin that deliberative attitude.
 The first measure called up was substitute house bill 2, providing for placing cotton gins under the super vision of the corporation commission This bill had been allowed to stand al the head of the calendar from the first meeting of tho whole committee. II had been recommended by the com mittec on corporations, but the report of another committee which also had it under consideration had not yet been received.
 As Q reason yesterday for again de fcrring action upon it, 1t was stated that a meeting was to be held by the senate - corporations committee next Friday. Accordingly an arrangement was made by which the bill should be taken up in the whole committee next Saturday.
 Postpone Education Bill
 Then came the education bill about which the contest was waged result ing in its indefinite postponement.
 House bill f3, making an appropria- lion of s5000 10 meet the expenses oi the motor vehicle department Of tho secretary of states office until the enc of the fiscal year was next considered Amendments as to the phraseology only of 1t were offered and agreed tC and it was recommended for passage Later the house ordered 1t to the com. mittee on enrolled and engrossed bills whence 1t probably will be reported to. day and passed.
 The committee sat again in the aft ernoon, taking up the bill for the reliei of the Barrows Furniture company appropriating S121 for the payment oi freight on certain merchandise tn, company had sold the commission ol