The Coolidge examiner., 1941-04-25
return to the capitol about June

minds of most folk, who are close
to the governor, on the likelihood
of call. This column reported a
month ago that the governor told
a state official he definitely plan
ned a special session even though
he strongly suspected 1.-The legis-
lators will not accept my propos.
ais"
The governors present plans re-
putedly embrace three subjects
taxation, Colorado river author
ity and home defense-for inclus.
ion in the call.
His excellency senses the DO
litical need of an attempt to shift
the bonus of a $1.9O tax rate onto
the legislature. The Colorado
River authority is viewed as a
project possessing great potenti-
alities, politically and otherwise.
1t is one of Mr. Osborn's pet
schemes. Home defense affords
an opportunity to do a bit of flag
waving.
In connection with the latter
subject, military men point out
that Arizona is Sitting pretty" as
far as safety is concerned. Suf-
ficient regular army troops are
stationed at Fort Huachuca to
cope with any emergency which
can be foreseen at this time. Many
hundreds of young filters soon will
alton aid could be obtained from
the west coast in few hours.
The only possible need for an
organized home guard, as seen by
military men, is to protect Ari-
zona's vital defense industry
copper production-should agita-
tors effect a strike and any at
tempt be made to sabotage the
mines.
Overtures have been made to
at least few legislators to deal
more generously with the COVER
nor's program than they did dur
ing the regular session. Mean
while, Rep. Nellie T. Bush, Yuma,
leader of the minority bloc in the
house, continues to entertain fell
low members. Her most recent
party was fishing expedition on
the Colorado river.
Failure to WOO a sufficient
number of solons into the admin
istration web, the governor, as
unanimously predicted by the
states several political commen-
tators, will adopt the Huntian
plan of taking his cause to the
people" in the next political cam
paign. BY employing this strategy
the governor will try to convince
the voters that all government
benefits are his work and that in
creased tax burdens and mistakes
are the doings of the legislators.
Mr.. Osborn's inaugural state
ment, Il welcome the responsible
tiles of the governorship," is
bouncing back to plague him.
HB 3, designed to take the state
hospital out of politics, was both
campaign and legislative issue.
1t was on the governors must"
list and the legislature gave it to
him with the emergency clause at
tached. HB 3 has been a law for
many weeks while the chief exec
utive procrastinates on naming a
board of control for the institu-
ton.
The charge is made, and largely
substantiated by payroll records
in the state auditors office. that
hospital attendants are being re-
placed by Osbornites on a large
scale prior to turning the institu-
tion over to a non-political board.
Another responsibility. which
has so far been sidestepped, is ap-
pointment of additional members
of the state fair commission, en-
larged to nine memers by the last
legislature.
Those close to the governor
confide the chief executives en-
barrassment for having made a
campaign issue of what he last
year characterized as "the shame
full slaughter on our state high
ways" The traffic toll has in
creased since Mr. Osborn assum-
ed this responsibility.
Another responsibility, which he
welcomed with a vitriolic attack
upon Charles F. Willis, a director
of the mineral resources board,
has proved to be a boomerang.
Small mine operators are indig-
nant over the governors veto of
the appropriation to continue the
mineral resources boards activi-
hes in behalf of small mine opera
tors. While the governor charged
the board was a propaganda bur-
eau for the "big interests" those
close to the situation say the veto
voc nromDfQd nv tho chief Qyapu-