Gilpin observer., 1899-06-15
GOSSIP FROM DENVER
AND THE STATE CAPITOL.

Agent Pollard of the Burlington sys.
TEN, in behalf of all the Colorado
roads. Pollard is chairman of the Tax
Agents Association. If the plan is
agreed upon by the commissioners, the
increase of mills on the tax will be
more than enough to meet the def
cheney. Secretary Of State Beckwith
thinks the plan can be put through,
and Governor Thomas also is hopeful,
although" he says, 1.-The action is
merely voluntary and cannot be ell
forced" He seems. however, to think
that the people will agree to the in
crease in taxes to save the state from
practical bankruptcy, the condition
which now confronts it.
The American Smelling and Refining
company has agreed to arbitrate the
wage question with its employees, says
the News. The smelter hands are jubi-
liant over the prospects of n peaceable
settlement of the questions arising
from the enforcement of the eight-hour
law. Wednesday the corporation rec
ognized the existence of the Denver
Smeltermen's union. James =. Grant,
chairman of the advisory board, sent
for the president of the union to confer
with him Wednesday afternoon. The
point a committee of five employees
which met Mr.. Grant yesterday after
noon to discuss the question of hours
and wages. A similar concession to
the employees of the Globe smelter in
dicates that the smelter owners are
willing to meet the question fairly and
arbitrate the differences. The commit
tee from the union was given a cour-
teous hearing by Mr.. Grant, who ask
ed the views of the union men regard
ing the eight-hour law and the sched-
ule of wages announced at the Grant
plant June 1. The committee replied
that the demand of the union would be
for regular pay of twelve hours for
the eight-hour day. Mr.. Grant sub
mitted for the company n schedule of
wages the same as announced to the
men the first of the month and said
the smelter owners would stand firmly
by this proposition. The hour system
will be followed to the letter. with an
option of working eight hours or more.
The old scale of wages in force in
1893 is the maximum that the COM
pany will pay. The men objected to
this. If no satisfactory agreement can
be reached, the question will probably
be submitted to the State Board Of
Arbitration.
The conference between the State
Board of Equalization and the county
assessors, which opened here Wednes-
day, will probably be without result.
Assessor Willard L. Ames of Arapahoe
standing as he claims between the
railroad corporations and individual
taxpayers, is strongly opposing any
raise by assessors unless more taxes
are placed upon railroads by the state
hoo .lxl IL 10,
dubious. He is supported by the other
assessors. On the other hand. Attor-
ney General Campbell claims that the
railroad assessments are higher than
those levied on private property. Gov
ernor Thomas not only made speech
at the opening of the meeting, in
which he referred to an extra session
as dire alternative" but later in the
day he urgently and eloquently urged
the assessors to take action to save
the credit of the state, his speech elic-
iting much applause. Assistant Attor-
ney General Reed says that the State
Board has the power to remedy the
present embarrassing situation con-
cerning assessments. He says: THE
board should take the bull by the
horns and use its constitutional pow
ers. The state constitution gives it
the right to equalize taxes all over the
state. and the statutes which attempt
to restrict this constitutional preroga-
tive should be ignored. The board
has power to go all over Colorado, into
every county, and equaliZe valuations.
AS conditions now are, horses In one
county are valued on n different basis
than horses in adjoining counties. 1t
is the same way with cattle and other
property, and to equalZe these valu-
ations is the province of the board. 1t
has no absolute power to simply raise
valuations for the purpose of securing
additional revenue, but in the process
of equalization of values in many
parts of the state would necessarily
be raised. and the state would be res
cued from the dilemma now confront
ing it. In making values conform to
some agreed basis, it would of neces-
sity follow that the valuations of Ara
pahoe county would he raised to con-
form with valuations in other count
ties. and with the general schedule
agreed upon.'