The Coconino sun., 1925-01-23
In THE STATE
LEGISLATURE
THIS WEEK

Compulsory teaching of the consti-
tutions of the United States and Ari-
zona, with a course emphasizing de-
votion to American institutions and
ideals, is called for in an American
ism bill introduced in the house on
Wednesday by Representative Charles
e. MacMillin.
Under the proposed law the in
struction along this line is made
necessary for at least one year during
the grammar school period, one year
of the high school course and during
one wear of college courses. No GER
tificate Of graduation would be grant
ed without the completion of the pre-
scribed course.
The bill adds a qualification for
school superintendents and teachers,
making it necessary to pass a salts
factory examination on the provisions
and principles of the constitutions OF
the country and state before a state
certificate is issued.
Senator Donnelly of Pima intro
duced lengthy bill making import
ant changes in the law governing the
board Of regents. The proposed law
says that majority of the nine men,
bers of the board shall constitute
a quorum. The present law says
three may constitute a quorum.
The present law names five depart
ments of the university. This is
changed to provide for five colleges
of the university, thereby allowing
the several colleges to have number
of departments each. The law school,
which is now operating as divisioe
of the department of arts, letters and
sciences would become the law col
lege under the new arrangement.
A drastic change in the prohibition
enforcement law is suggested in a
new bill by Representative Smith. 1t
provides for custer proceedings of any
public enforcement officer for failure
to prosecute, declaring that if any
Justice of the peace, district attorney
or sheriff shall neglect or refuse to do
his duty in the enforcement of the
prohibition act, any freeholder, or the
governor or his agent or the attorney
general of the state may file COM
plant in any superior court, setting
forth the specific charges of such neg
tCCL VI IC1QSnlIJ any QUILL OII1
cial Proceedings shall then be had as
in civil actions. If the defendant is
convicted he shall be deemed ousted
from office and a decree entered ac-
cordingly, and the vacancy created
filled as provided for in the consti-
tuition.
A bill by Wisener of Yuma, remov-
ing the discrimination against women
in acting as executors and administra-
tors went through final passage in the
house by vote of 43 to O.
The house recommended for passage
companion bills by Bradshaw, clarity
ing the law with respect to the right
of women to vote in school board cleo
tions and school bond elections, where
taxes have been paid on community
property.
The house committee on banking
and insurance brought in an adverse
report on the bill reducing the legal
rate of interest from 10 per cent to
Is per cent.
The house recommended for passage
Representative Wisener's bill elimin-
ating the discrimination against
women in their appointment as execu-
tors and administrators of estates.
The Dubois bill, permitting the hir-
ing Of extra deputies by the sheriff
in counties of the second class was
recommended for indefinite postpone
ment.
Two other house bills were held
over for further consideration. One
was for $4,000 relief for the child well
fare board and the other for a sepa-
rate industrial school for girls. The
committee on public institutions had
reported adversely on both.
In the senate on Tuesday Thorn
burg of Yavapai introduced Memorial
No. 1 on the subject of the public
lands within the state of Arizona
which the memorial states constitute
70 per cent of the area of the state.
In the enabling act congress made
what seemed at that time a liberal
gift to the new state for the endow-
ment of it's schools and universities
and state institutions. But that gift
has been rendered inadequate by the
growing needs of the state.
The lands so transferred to the
state were mostly of an arid or semi
arid character and in consequence all
that the state has derived to date in
the last 13 years from the sale or leas-
ing of them has been $4,700,000. In
consequence of this situation a re-
striction is laid upon the states fl
nancial and progressive development.
Then, too, the increased need for
through highways over or through the
federal controlled area makes more
urgent the necessity for relief. Con-
gress is therefore asked to increase
the federal land gift to the state by
100000 acres.
The following new bills were intro
duced into the senate
Mr.. Moore providing for the estab-
lishment Of a state cement plant for
which an appropriation of $250,000 is
proposed. The plant would give en-
ployment to prison labor.