Arizona republican., 1922-02-16

, 1925; practically three times as
many machines, but the fees eleven
times greater than the fees OF Ari-
i zona-
| I'm the As states there are II dif.
| ferent bases for determining the la
cense fees, being figured on the horse
| power, gross weight of vehicle, cost,
piston displacement, various combi-
/ nations of the foregoing, and also 4
flat rate per vehicle, but the modern
trend of motor vehicle registration,
and that recommended by the joint
| committee of motor vehicles and the
! highway interests is based on the
horse power and gross weight of
vehicles. The fees recommended in
the uniform vehicle law seem to me
to be fair and not above the average.
This fee is~25 cents per horse power
| OF machine and fraction, and rs cents
per hundred gross weight OF machine
and load. A comparison OF this pro-
posed rate on medium priced five
| passenger car, ton and one-halt
truck, and five-ton truck, with the
| fees charged in some of the states, lis
very interesting. Our license fee for
such 26-horse power vehicle is SIS;
only two other states have as low a
fee as this: Kansas and Colorado:
/ the average rate of all states being
/
the highest with fee Of $34. The fee
under the proposed uniform vehicle
rate would be $14.90. Our license
] fee for a ton and one-half truck Is
| $40; the lowest being kansas, which
has a flat rate of $5 for all motor
vehicles; the average of all states be-
! ing between $50 and s25; the highest
being New Hampshire with a fee Of
$65.40: the uniform vehicle law fee
| gufx., H. q -
a five-ton truck is $25; the lowest
being Kansas with q fee OF So: the
average OF all states lying between
$50 and $50; the highest being okla
homa with a fee of $500; the uniform
motor vehicle law fee would be $S0.s5.
"Ou the gross weight limitation OF
| trucks the uniform law prescrfbes
$4,000 pounds as the maximum gross
weight. A great many of the high
way members OF the committee have
| dissented from this weight. II being
/ their contention that 10000 pounds
should be the limitation. A five-ton
| truck with a load will come under the
| 20.000-p pound limitation. The scale
OF fees should be considerably moro
| for trucks equipped with solid tires.
and I believe tho proposed uniform
| law provides that a fee of 25 cents
| per hundred pounds gross weight be
charged on motor vehicles and motor
\ trucks equipped with pneumatic tires
and 25 cents per hundred pounds for
trucks equipped with solid tires"
] leave these problems with you for
! your consideration. The proposed
highway legislation alone ] consider
of such magnitude as 10 well warrant
your attendance here in special ses-
sion. Properly enacted statutes OF
this character might well mean the
saving Of millions Of dollars 70 the
state
There Is another matter 70 which
would invite your attention. namely
the removal OF certain legal obstacles
now impeding development Of our
agricultural section. Experience has
demonstrated that our statute gov
erning the creation OF electrical dis
tricts is well-nigh unworkablo ana
| until IL is amended In many parti-
culars, or an entirely new law en-
acted. there will ensue delay In thg
proper development Of those agri-
cultural areas which must look TO
distribution of electrical energy for
pumping. A similar situation pre-
sents itself with reference TO the
drainage OF water-logged lands. It
| appears very desirable that the scope
OF the law providing for the creation
OF irrigation districts be so enlarged
as to permit such districts TO UNDER
take the task OF draining water
logged lands lying within their
boundaries This can be done with
our interfering with the existing law
! providing for the creation OF drainage
districts. and will result in material
saving to the property owners af-
! fected for the reason that the bonds
| OF irrigation districts are legal In
vestments for savings banks. and can
| therefore be disposed OF TO better
advantage At first thought the nec-
essity for bringing these matters to
your attention at this special session
may not be apparent, but I am con-
| vinced that they constitute genuine
| emergencies and to postpone action
until the next regular session OF the
legislature would mean the imposition
OF real hardships upon the property
owners OF important agricultural
areas and would delay for at least
a year that development work which
is both desirable and necessary. The
remedy in both instances I have
mentioned lies through legislative
action, and / am confident that you
will not hesitate to give to both OF
these important matters the atten-
ton which they so manifestly deserve.
Amendments to the Public Inn
provement Act OF 1912. which were
designed to provide for increased saw
ings in the cost of municipal i'm
provements have failed from a legal
standpoint TO make II definite and
certain that the bonds issued under
the provisions OF such amendments
are valid, and in consequence con-
tractors have been unwilling TO un-
dertake such work. Competitive
bidding, which the amended law
aimed TO provide has consequently
in many instances been lacking In
order that this situation be rem
edied, recommend that you give
careful consideration TO enactment Of
such amendments to the Improve
ment Act OF 1912 and amendments
thereto as will make promptly ef-
fective the alternative plan OF public
Improvement. and that you take such
other steps as may be necessary TO
validate public Improvements now or
dered or ir course OF construction
under this plan.
Proposed Constitutional Changes
The reflex of public opinion as IL
comes TO me, indicates the conviction
that changes in our Constitution are
necessary az a means OF effecting
permanent economics in our system
of government. Having In mind that
feeling ! have so worded the call for
this session as TO enable you to draft
amendments to the Constitution for
submission to the people for their
approval or rejection at a special or
the next general election. The argu-
ment advanced IN favor OF a special
election, eliminating the question OF
expense. is that II will afford better
opportunity for free and untrsm-
melod expression and the exercise OF
calm deliberate Judgment divorced
from the turmoil, confusion and strife
incident N ceOeraI elections In which