Arizona republican., 1922-03-31

Matthews. Mccullough. McGrath,
Miller. Neal. Perry. Phillips. Reming-
ton. Schupp, Udall, Wilson. the
Speakers.
Nays-Barkeli, Cobbe. curlee. ELS
worth, Kimball. Knight, Rickerson,
Snyder, stewart, Wylie-10.
Two new bills were introduced into
the house, one by Mr.. Jones, making
a small appropriation for the state. TO
be used in affording information re-
gardine the farms OF Arizona for the
agricultural department. The other
bill by the committee on the capitol
building and grounds approprlating
s2500 for the installation OF drain
age system for the lower floor OF the
capitol and for repairing the ravagee
of tho Cave Creek flood OF last
August.
IN the Senate
The senate session was given al
most exclusively TO the committee OF
the whole. House bill 81. one OF the
many irrigation district bills, was
taken up in the morning. This bill
proposes an amendment OF the exist
ing law relative TO the issuing OF
bonds by the district under the
authority Of the certification board.
Under the present law the board is
obliged to proceed with little infor-
nation, either by itself or bv anybody
else. Its certification therefore Is
OF little value and not at all impress
sive to bond buyers. The penang
bill requires that before bonds may
be issued the board must be informed
Of the character OF the land within
the district, with the sources Of water
supply as ascertained by a survey,
and with some knowledge OF the
character OF the irrigation works TO
be established
But in the course OF the considera-
ton OF the bill. much obscuritv was
encountered and the bill was allowed
to 60 over.
senate Bill 81, the Wilkinson Ell
liott measure requiring for auto
passenger and freight lines using the
public highways for profit to pay to
the state treasurer q dividend annu-
ally amounting to 20 per cent OF their
gross receipts, was taken UP, and At
first there was developed good deal
OF opposition. Members did not at
once grasp the purpose of the bill
and believed that the regulation OF
traffic on the highways could be bet
ter secured in some other way.
Mr.. wilkinson, however said that
Il was not the purpose of the bill to
regulate traffic, but to secure the
states share OF the profits OF the
traffic. For that reason. he said. It
had been decided to call the states
share OF the receipts dividend" on
an Investment by the state far greater
than that made by the transportation
companies. At great expense to the
taxpayers the companies had been
provided with rights of way which
had enabled them to conduct their
business at much greater profit than
formerly.
Reduce Dividend
objection was raised TO the amount
Of the dividend. Twenty per. cent
was believed TO be excessive. That,
however. was not insisted upon, and
there were suggestions for a lower
ratio. Finally s per cent Of the
gross receipts was agreed upon.
Another amendment was adopted
without objection. The companies
were to pay on the receipts from traf-
fic on all public highways. 1t was
urged that the companies should not
nav for the use OF natural" roads;
that is, those in which the state had
made no "investment." Accordingly.
paved" was added to highways"
and "any other public highway that
has received any aid in construction
from the state OF Arizona" was fur
ther added.
The bill provides that the money
so derived shall be divided between
the state and the counties in propor-
ton to the traffic over The roads OF
each. the states share to. 70 into
"hiehway dividend fund 10 the credit
OF the appropriation for roads" Here
was another amendment by the addi-
ton of the words "for maintenance OF
roads only"
Throughout the bill reference had
been made only to auto transporta-
ton. Another amendment included
''othcr vehicles" AS amended, the