The Coconino sun., 1926-07-09
ROTARIANS HEAR ABOUT
CONSTITUTION AND TOO
MANY ARIZONA LAWS

Ralph r. Davis had a more than
usually interesting program at Ro-
tary tuesday, presiding with dignity
while lot Of interesting information
was given out by the two principal
speakers, Grady Gammage, vice-pres-
ident Flagstaff Teachers college, and
Matt Walton, Phoenix attorney and
member of Judge F. C. Struckmeyer's
special state code commission head
quartered here for the summer; also
while Miss Selma Aas sang with her
usual sweetness Of voice and manner,
and /. B. Koch introduced Rotaryann
Winona, bride of George I. Herring
ton, and following a few words of
tribute to Miss Aas, who soon is to
leave Flagstaff, led the bunch in Wig
orous applause Of her graciousness
in helping out in the programs dur
in gthe three years she has been
here.
With which longest sentence in this
weeks Sun we'll go on to say that
Mr. Walton's talk on the work being
done to revise the code and the need
for that work was interesting. There
have been 765 laws enacted in this
state since 1913. ADDED to many
handed down from territorial days, we
have too darn many, in which there
are many contradictions and conflic-
tions. The commissions work is to
harmonic them, eliminating parts of
many, perhaps some altogether, and
rounding them out into harmonious
whole that it is hoped will be adopted
by the next state legislature
Even the recently enacted coopera-
tive marketing law, drawn up by at
tolneys, the speaker said, has many
contradictions that the commission
has ironed out. Then he spoke Of the
appalling number of new laws enact
ed in congress and all of the states
every year, and the tendency TO add
new departments and bureaus, all ad-
ding their burden in taxes and their
interference with the taxpayers af-
fairs. The trainers of the U. S. con-
stitution, Mr.. Walton said, planned
as little government as possible and
to leave the power as far as possible
in the hands Of the people, while the
tendency HOW is the reverse. ''Our
forefathers fought for our liberty" he
said "but we seem to be afraid of
it. He said government can't club
or Iaw-abidingness into peo-
pie. The way to make thera moral
and law abiding is through education
and inspiration.
Mr.. Gammage, whose talks are all
ways crammed full of interest ana IN
formation, spoke of the declaration of
independence, tracing the develop
ment of the love for government
which inspired it back to the early
invasion of England and the develop
ment of democracy there to the con-
ditions imposed by England that re-
suited in the Revolutionary war Our
written constitution comes largely
from England's unwritten constitu-
ton, the English bill Of rights or
magma charta.
Mrs. Harrington at Mr.. Koch's re-
quest, stood, blushing, while he in
troduced her, insisting that the first
| in her given name now has the long
pronunciation instead of the short one
to which she is accustomed. In her,
he said, he found the explanation why
George SO often used to drive to Wi
mona station and gaze at the name
on the depot there.
President Ed Miller opened and
closed the meeting.
Visiting Rotarians; jim FELTON,,
Tempe; George Meredith, Bisbee; AL
fred Skeels, Williams; Bill True
heart, Houston, Tex. Other guests
Mrs. Harrington, Miss Helen Herring
ton, Miss Aas, Miss Elsa Myers, Miss
Louise Switzer, Mr.. Gammage, Mr..
Walton, w. r. Renshaw of Holbrook,
DR.. A. L. VanI1orn of Phoenix, Mr..
Joe c. Dolan of Los Ange-
les and Phoenix.