The state herald., 1899-06-16

| 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 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 p. Grant,
chairman of the advisory board, sent
for the president Of the union to confer
with him Wednesday afternoon. The
company requested the union to ap-
point committee of five employees
which met Mr.. Grant yesterday after
noon to discuVs the question of hours
and wages. A similar concession to
the employees Of the Globe smclter 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 cour-
teOus hearing by Mr.. Grant, who ask
ed the views of the union men pegnrd
ing the elght-hOur law and the sched-
ule OF wages announced mt 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. MIR. Grant sub
mitted for the company n schedule of
wages the same as announced to the
men the first Of the month nnd 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. II 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 he without result.
Assessor Willard l.. Ames of Arapahoc
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
board. that any favorable outlook is
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 n speech
at the opening of the meeting. In
which he referred to an extra session
as n dire alternative" hut 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: "Thc
board should take the bull by the
horns and use Its constitutional pow
ers. The state constitution gives II
the right TO equalizc taxes all over the
state, and the statutes which attempt
to restrict this constitutional preroga-
tive should be ignored. The board
has power to 90 all over Colorado. into
every county. and equnlize valuations.
As conditions now are. horses In one
county are valued on different basis
than horses in adjoining counties. 1t
Is the same way with cattle and other
property, and to equalIze these valu-
ntions Is the province OF the board. II
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 he res
cucd from the dilemma now confront
Ing II. In making values conform to
some agreed basis. II 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"