The silver star. (Dolores, Colo.) 1897-1901, 1899-06-23
GOSSIP FROM DENVER
AND THE STATE CAPITOL.

The military board Is informally CON
sidering plans To construct "A large ar
mory in Denver and pay off the cost in
insrallments from moneys which
would otherwise be paid for rent Of
halls.
A telegram received at the offices OF
the Colorado Fuel X Iron company
states that the mines of the company
nj Coal Greek and Rockvalc. employ
ing ca men. will resume work Mon
day The men will 20 back entirely ON
their own volition at the same sc;,ic
as that formerly paid. working by The
hour. This leaves idle only two of the
twenty-six mines owned by the com
pany. 1t is expected that these will
soon be working again. The iron
works and all other plants of the Colo
RADIO Fuel Il Iron company are all stili
in active operation. with no signs OF
trouble.
The miners seem either TO be against
the eight-hour law or fast coming to
that view. They say they never asked
for it and that II an extra session were
called would send men down here tn
Denver TO demand its repeal" said
Dairy Commissioner Munson. who re-
turned from Central City Friday. Il
did not find n man favorable to the
cight-hour law Most of them were
working only nine hours before The
Jaw came along. and some Of them
were not working as long as that. Tie
miners were hit hard by the law and
the act intended to help them will In
the long run hurt them. How it is
with the smelter men | don't know 70
well. but the future may prove the law
will not be of any material benefit To-
them"
In reply to the denunciations hurled
AT him by the State Federation of
Labor, General Merriam. in an inter.
view. says: THE chief bitterness
that has expressed itself. originated
from the fact that the people. ana
perhaps the press. fail to realize thar
my position was subordinate entirely.
1t was the governors martial law and
the governors campaign TO restore
the state functions in the rebcllious
county. My function was simply to
maintain order and protect the state
authorities in the discharge of THEN
duty. ! did not make and did not
order single arrest, nor have had
anything whatever to do with the
prisoners. except to guard them and
prevent their escape Their shelter
support and medical attendance. like
their arrest. was wholly in the con
troll Of the state authorities. The same
Is true, absolutely, with reference to
the conditions fixed by the state au-
thorities for the employment of miners
] do not now understand that any
union miner is refused a permit for
employment provided lie can declare
his own innocence of the crimes
which have been committed In the
district. and the innocence of his
union"
the State Board of Equalization. he,
cause OF the low valuation IL has
placed ON railroad property. the rail
roads have voluntarily come forward
to oner assistance to the state to help
1t meet the 100000 deficiency. The
state levy is 4 mills on the dollar. and
is limited by constitutional provision
The railroads yesterday offered yolun.
tarily to ignore the constitutional limi
tation and pay mills on the dollar ms
a state tax II the county commission
ers throughout the state agree to
make similar levy OH all other prop.
erty. The offer was made by Tax
Agent Pollard OF the Burlington sys-
TEN. in behalf OF all the Colorado
roads. Pollard Is chairman OF the Tax
Agents Association. II the plan is
agreed upon by the commissioners. the
Increase of 2 mills ON the tax will he
more than enough TO meet the def
cheney. Secretary of State Beckwith
thinks the plan can he put through.
s..l
although" he says. "the action il
merely voluntary and cannot DE en-.
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 II.
Three mllllons-not S7J.OOOOOO-
the amount Of increase probable In the
entire valuation OF state property This
year after the State Board of Eq,aliz,i.
ton finishes It's work OF equalization
In September. The latter il the amount
OF increase needed In valuations ia
avoid II deficit. The almost daily secret
sessions of the state board are bearing
fruit. but the board considers itself
handicapped. II has been practically
decided by tile b0nrd to cpunlize all the
valuations Of the state this fall. to "a
into every county 10 TO do. But the Ia "
provides that not more than n pei
cent. aggregate OF Increase cnn b,
made. and. although Arapahoe valin
lions VIII go up. valuations In some oi
the other counties must ncccssnrll,
come down In order to balance the ng
grcgate. The state bonrd realizes that
Its efforts to make the aggregate vain
ntioDs larger will bc handicapped h,
the reduction OF xiO.WOO.OOO announce,
to take plncc In Arnpnlioc county
ltnilrond valuations viii 90 up. The,
ARE being forced up an II rising seal,
and II looks like nm Increase Of Just
about xfO.OO0OOO on railroad vnlun
tlons In the state. SO fnr ny the total,
ARE concerned In making u comparison
with Inst yenr. the increased rallront
valuations will bnlnnce the Arnpnho,
reduction md the xI.OOO.WW increns,
In the tOtnl state valuations. II |,
calculated. win come from voluntnr,
increases In valuations Of other co,in
ties md nm equalization process II