Arizona state miner., 1927-03-05

ing been convened in special session
for the purpose of passing highway
and Colorado River legislation, finds
the Eighth Legislature exactly where
it was the day following its organi-
zation so far as actual accomplishment
of the objects for which 1t was called
The Colorado River Commission bill
passed by both houses and returned
with the governors veto is dead. TWC
new bills covering this important mat
ter have been submitted, one giving
the governor a $3.50 break as to
membership (the Francis blll) and an
other senate bill introduced by Jones
(Maricopa), reducing the membership
of the proposed commission to tnree'
all to be appointed by the governor
The Francis bill has passed the house
and is now in ,ne senate for tearing
apart. The Jones bill was intro
duced in the senate on Monday.
There is a possibility of this bill be-
ing put through although the dead
lock between the administrator rep
resentatives and the senate commit
fee may make this Impossible.
The Highway bill now in the hands
of the senate committee WILL, IN all
likelihood, be amended to such an ex-
tent as to be hardly recognizable py
its introducer when reported out OF the
senate committee-if it is reported out.
When the leaders in the legislature
made ND their minds last week that
If would be necessary to meet the
governor at least half way, II any
legislation was to get by his veto thls
session. the first break was maze III
nassing the Colorado River commls-
eion measure. 1t was rumored that
q trade had been made for something
else and the something else, most
frequently mentioned was the highway
hill. This bill passed Immediately al
fer the Colorado River bill by prac-
+ically the same votes, seemed TO IN
dicate something of the kind. How
ever. when the bill reached the SEN
ate. it, was Immediately referred TO
committee and the latest sub rosa IN
formation is that it is impossible Tor
the highway department representa-
tives and the majority rot. the com
mittee to agree upon the amendments
to be made.
Conference Fails
r. is known. that a conference last
ing all of Friday nignc and most Oh
Saturday between these parties, falF
ed TO produce any material results. IL
is. suggested that the bill, as passed Dy
the house. will be discarded and the
original administration bill as present
ed nv Mr.. Lefebvre will be amended
in BONE important particulars anu
finally agreed upon. The antl-admln-
istration forces insist upon commls-
sion are against the bond issue and
are strongly in favor of all work be-
ing done by contract. The admins
tration objects to commission; ao-
yocates the bond issue as the most
practical means of financing highway
work and claim that it is absolutely
necessary for the protection OF the
state that a certain amount OF work
he done by force account to protect
the taxpayer from a contractors com
bination.
Both sides must agree that $65O,OOo
indebtedness now long past due must
be huuldated and that a large sum
he appropriated to carry on the fed
eral aid projects, or the state will lose
federal aid permanently The road
through the San Carlos reservation
which is a 100 per cent federal aid
project will require at least $50U,OOO
at once. This expenditure will OF
course be returned to the state upon
completion of the road. Maintenance
charges will have to be provided for
and there are several incomplete pro
iects which must be taken care OF.
The Lefebvre bill takes care OF all
this and in addition it provides for
new construction in connection with
federal aid which would give Arizona
a real system of roads. To hnance
this extensive (fOr AriZOna) scheme,
the bill provides for a bond issue, or
a series of bond issues, to be spread
over a number of years as the money
is used.
Little Attention Given Bill
This bill received very little atten-
ton during the first weeks OF the
session as it was the intention of the
legislature to frame, pass and pass
over the executive veto, any and all
measures that the members thought
would embarass the governor. The
investigation of the Highway Depart
ment was supported to furnish ample
grounds for destroying the department.
entirely. 1t was even thought that
sufficient corruptness would be un-
covered to land several of the officials
of the department in the penitentiary
and possibly impeach the Governor.
This investigation proved more 'or
less a joke for one or two reasons:
either there is no corruptness to un-
cover, or, the committee did not have
sufficient investigating ability to dis
cover it. About all that was un-
covered was that number of former
highway department employees were
more or less sore because of having
been separated from the pay roll for
one reason or another.
The several Investigations having
in most instances proven duds, and
the knowledge that the governor had
sufficient strength in tie senate to
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