The Springfield herald., 1899-02-03
WHAT THE COLORADO
LEGISLATURE is DOING.

day.
A vast number of petitions have
been presented favoring the new local
| option bill.
So far there have been 26S bills In
troduced In the House and 2s9 In the
| Senate-a total of 557
The bill to admit ex-Confederates to
the Soldiers and Sailors Home seems
TO meet with general favor.
| The anti-scrip bill of Mr.. Bell has
been recommended for passage In the
House by committee of the whole.
The citizens of Dolores county peti-
ton for an appropriation Of $500 to
build wagon road from Rico to Nav
ajo basin.
A committee has been appointed to
Investigate the survey of the Ma1weli
land grant, about which there are
many complaints.
A petition has been presented by thir-
ty-four taxpayers of Florissant, asking
that If Ell Paso county be divided they
be retained in the old county.
Representative Dlckerson of Elbert
county made lengthy and careiuil!
prepared speech in the House Wednes-
day in reply to the speech of Mr. Bryan
| of Nebraska.
Governor Thomas expresses the
opinion that the only way out OF the
present financial dilemma of the state
was an act re-establishing the levy
limit for counties.
Mr. Garcia has introduced bill for
an artesian well on state land in Con-
ejos county. which is designed TO wa
ter lands that have been bargaincd Tor
by the Mormon colony in that section.
The bill to do away with party EN-
blems on the ballot seems to be cham-
pioned in the Senate principally Dy
Senators Ammons and Harris. IT ls
opposed by McCrcery, Barela, Adams
and Whitford.
Representative Adams intends to
amend the election law SO that among
the illegal acts that come under the
head of bribery will be the hiring OF
carriages or other vehicle for the pur-
pose of conveying voters to the polls.
A bill is being prepared for introduc-
tion into the Legislature providing that
superintendents Of irrigation and irrl-
CATION commissioners be paid by the
state. Under the present law the COM
missioners are paid by the different
counties. the small county of Phillips,
for instance. paying just ms much as
the large county of Arapahoe.
Illuminating oils are to be looked
after by state inspector, whose sal
ary will be, if the bill passes, $500
year. He is to inspect every barrel OF
oil and mark it, as is done In other
states, the flash test at 40 degrees
being the proof. The deputies he may
appoint are to receive salary accord
ing to number Of barrels of oil In
spected.
Senator Hill has introduced bill tC
prohibit the publication Of the bnllot
advertisement in daily papers in coun
ties of the fourth and fifth class. Pa
pers, the author states, have been es
| tablished in the small towns Of the
state for the sole purpose of printing
| the ballot advertisements at the time
| OF elections.
A majority of the House committee
on counties and county lines, led by
Chairman Morris, favors the passage
| of the bill for the new county Of Tel
Ter. Two members Of the committee
Jones and Cannon, have declared
against the present consideration of the
bill Mr. Jones will, 1t is understood
vote against the new county, and Mr.
Cannon is undecided.
The protest of Representative Nc
Lean against the payment of the extra
employees provided for by the law OF
1895 has been sustained. Ten EN-
ployes of the house, all of the pages
and the docket clerk of the Senate
are Interested. The decision cuts dowI
| the nav of the docket clerk 81 day
reduces the pages 80 cents and leaves
the other employees named without
Jobs.
Representative Ovington is having .
bill prepared to provide for the estab
lishment of board OF examination fol
mine superintendcnts, mine bosses ant
fire bosses of coal mines. The bill pro
yldes that the governor shall appoin
two men to assist the coal mine inspec
tor in these examinations, and that NJ
man shall be employed in any of tn,
positions named who has not certifi
Gates to show that he is experienced
competent and a sober person No sal
aries are provided.
A rather interesting encounter tool
place between Senators Philip and Ba
rela the other day. when Senator
Philip called for his usury bill from tn,
judiciary committee. This is bill
fixing the maximum legal rate of in
terest at 10 per cent. Some little dis
cussion arose over the rule permitting
the calling of n bill from the commit
tee on twenty-fours' notice. Amons
other things Senator Barela said tha
Senator Philip was too fresh. Senator
Philip responded that he would rather
be that than be ancient and stale.
| Favorable reports have been made
| on the following: Taxing live stock i'm
ported into the state for pasturage
taxing gross receipts Of express, tele
phone and telegraph companies: TO reg
ulate telegraph rates; to regulate rates
for electric lights: to regulate telephone
and telegraph companies; to provide fol
local improvements In cities and towns
of less than 100000 populations; to per
mitting the use OF wire fences on rgh
of way on public roads; to require
cities of the second class to advertise
for bids for street lighting and tc
award the contract to the lowest bid
der.
A woman on the board of lunacy
| commissioners Is n provision of the
| bill introduced by Representative Bal