Gilpin observer., 1899-02-02
WHAT THE COLORADO
LEGISLATURE is DOING.

optiou plii.
Committees from both branches were
appointed to attend the funeral of Rev.
Myron w. Reed.
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.
Representative Mclean has intro
duced bill appropriating money for n
bridge across the Arkansas at Granada.
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.
The citizens of Dolores county peti-
tion for an appropriation of S3,ooo 10
build a wagon road from Rico to Nav
ajo basin.
A committee has been appointed to
investigate the survey of the Maxwell
many complaints.
The committee appointed to investi-
gate the marble used in the construc-
tion of the capitol building is bringing
out much diverse testimony.
Representative Dickerson of Elbert
county made lengthy and carefully
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.
An appropriate resolution upon the
death of Miss Helen MAXWELL daughter
of Senator Maxwell, presented by the
special committee appointed for the
purpose, was adopted.
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 bargained for
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 by
Senators Ammons and Harris. 1t Is
opposed by McCreery, 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.
Senator Hill has introduced bill to
prohibit the publication of the ballot
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.
Illuminating oils are TO be looked
after by state inspector, whose sal
ary will be, if the bill passes, $1,000 a
year. He is to inspect every barrel of
oil and mark it, as is done in other
states, the flash test at 100 degrees
being the proof. The deputies he may
appoint are to receive salary accord
ing to number of barrels of oil in
spected.
A bill is being prepared for introduc-
tion into the Legislature providing that
superintendents of irrigation and irri-
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 as much as
the large county of Arapahoe.
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, it 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. Zen en-
ployes of the house, all of the pages
and the docket clerk of the Senate
are interested. The decision cuts down
the pay of the docket clerk 81 n day.
reduces the pages 30 cents and leaves
the other employees named without
jobs.
A bill to tax gifts, legacies and es-
tates seems to meet with favor. Ac-
cording to its provisions all legacles, life
insurance and estates are to be taxed
at different rates, according to their
cash value. Those which are valued at
less than $1,000 are exempt; those rep
resenting between 5000 and $4,000
will pay tax of three per cent; be.
tween $4,000 and $4,000 a tax of ten
per cent, and all above $4,000 tax of
fifteen per cent
Representative Ovington is having n
bill prepared to provide for the estab-
lishment of n board of examination for
mine superntendents, mine bosses and
fire bosses of coal mines. The bill pro-
vdes that the governor shall appoint
two men to assist the coal mine lnspec-
a. ,t,,,