Arizona republican., 1922-04-10
The Legislature


The legislature in special session is entering upon
its last week this morning. perhaps three or
four day stretch. 1t is possible to finish all
5rgent business within that time though there are
several bills in which a comparatively few in
.erested which may remain uncompleted
1t was thought by some in the beginning that
he business of the session might be finished in ten
lays or at the most in thirty. Others less sansune
or more pessmistc predicted that the session would
sun the fun sixty days" As matter of fact there
Is no definite sixty y-day limit on the period of
special session. though we believe members in special
sessions have somehow felt bound to observe the
limitation placed by the constitution regular
sessions special session is expected TO cit until
al of It's business has been transacted
Looking back now We that it was possi-
ele to complete the business which was out for
The special session, quickly. No doubt. in the begin
ning there was waste of time, but not such
wanton waste as it then seemed for the that
the leaders in both houses were engaged in The prepa
raion Of intricate bills to the distraction of their
attention from the great Of legislation which
had suggested itself being suggested TO each
IF the fifty eight members of both houses.
The consideration of even an unimportant bill
II the members become interested in it. is slow
process Hardly any bill is allowed to go long with
cut change. The standing committee makes the
arst and when the bill is thrown into the whole
inittee say of the house. it is possible that it
se regarded from thirty angles
Where party factional or group lines are drawn,
the process is simpler and shorter If it is party
ane the members Of each party compose their indi
vidual views or lose sight of them altogether and
the bill is quickly disposed of by majority and if
the party holds majority in both houses
he course Of the BIN is expedited.
But in the present legislature, neither party has
majority in both houses that il there had been
serious divisions on party lines there would have
been series of deadlocks But fortunately there has
been little party division in either house-none, we
believe. on any important measure that has been
presented. There were outcroppings Of the party
spirit here and there but they submerged.
The financial code in the house had unique
experience because of the various aiignments There
were party alignments and group aiignments-so
many of them that in the end they neutralized one
another and brought together majority for the bill
composed OF members of both parties and all the
groups In the beginning there were against the
code small majority of the Republicans, minority
Of the Democrats majority OF the radicals and
minority of the conservatives At the outset the
It's of the measure were considered only BY conf
paratively few members A majority influenced
only by the leaders of their various groups The
lines of separation, though. so indstinct and
weak that they could not be preserved that little
later they wiped out to the bulk of each
party group in the end only the bitter-enders
Of the opposition were found voting against the bill
This kaleidoscope change took time to accomplish
But most of the time which has been lamented
as lost not really lost unless it spent upon
which were themselves needless. and Doubt
less there have been some such masurs. Most of
The time has been spent in the whole COMMITTEES in
gaining understanding Of the matters under consid-
Grafton. Two three men could have reached an
understanding quickly but there were not less than
twenty who usually took part in the discussions SO
that the wonder they got together quickly.
And in many the result was brought about by
weaFiness rather than by understanding.