Arizona republican., 1922-03-03
| LEGISLATORS
GO THROUGH.
UNEVENTFUL
DAYS WORK
Stubborn But Intellectual
Opposition Develops To
Amendments Proposed
BY Industrial Congress

AS a legislative day, yesterday was
almost uneyentful. There was an
echo in the senate Of the stubborn but
Intellectual opposition which had been
Offered there to the proposed consti-
tutional amendments introduced at
the instigation Of the Industrial con-
gress. 1t was heard when Mr.. Ell
lott introduced an amendment to
Senate Bill Is proposing an amend
ment of the initiative and referendum
provision. AS originally drawn the
amendment would have had the eff
feet of almost multiplying legislation
by the legislature as well as that
proposed by the people.
In order to save the former it had
been suggested that the bill be
amended so that a referendum should
prevail against a legislative act only
when a majority of all the votes cast
should be adverse.
The Elliott amendment however,
did not go that far. 1t restored to
the referendum the position it now
enjoys under the constitution: that is
Of prevailing when there is a majority
of the votes against the submitted
measure, that is, q majority of the
votes cast on the proposition, while
an initiated measure must secure a
majority Of all the votes cast at the
election. This amendment was
adopted and the bill was referred and
will come up for final passage today.
Citizens Committee
In the course Of the discussion,
Senator Larson who has headed the
fight against the constitutional
amendment took occasion to criticise
the activity of the legislative COM
IL. 81
asked where the committee had been
given authority to propose the
amendments. He said that he had
talked with several members of the
congress and they knew nothing of
the matter He had been unable to
find any reference to it in the pro-
ceedings OF the industrial conference
last winter which gave birth to the
congress.
NO effort was made in the house to
take up the constitutional amend
ments which had been sent over from
the senate the night before. They
were allowed to take their course and
were placed under the order of sec
ond reading. But a pretty fight on
them is brewing.
A new form was given to the leg
islation to enable the state TO assist
irrigation districts with the intro
duction in the afternoon OF a bin by
Senator Eddy providing for the guar
anty OF irrigation district bonds in
lieu of the proposition to exchange
state bonds for them as was offered
In House Bill 139 OF the regular ses-
sion, under an amendment to the
constitution as was proposed in the
much discussed House Bill So.
Senator Eddys bill proposes that
the bonds OF irrigation districts shall
be underwritten by the state. the dis
tricts to sell them and turn over TO
the state five per cent Of the pro-
ceeds of the bonds to become a part
Of a redemption fund. Machinery is
provided for determining what bonds
the state shall undertake to guaran-
tee and that the total amount OF its
guaranty of such bonds shall not eX-
ceed five per cent of the total valua-
tion Of the state for taxable purposes.
Amendment Proposed
Senator Lines had introduced
House Bill 23 which is the same as
House Bill SO Of the regular session
| That authorizes an exchange of state
| bonds for irrigation district bonds
But in order to make the proposed
amendment conform to the purposes
OF the Eddy bill the following amend
ment of the Lines proposed constitu-
tional amendment is to be proposed:
'In addition the above limited
power to contract debts, the State
may loan its credit to promote and
assist the reclamation of arabic and
irrigable lands within the state lying
within the confines Of irrigation dis
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