The Elk Mountain pilot., 1899-03-21

clearly unconstitutional. and Chairman
| Ballinger was mt first inclined to side
with him. But after the latter had read
| the constitutional provisions over very
| carefully he expressed his doubts and
said he really believed the bills We're all
right. Mr. Montgomery has offered TO
convince him of his error. and the Ques-
ton will be further discussed The
committee will report about fifteen ap
preparation bills that call for money
from the internal improvement fund.
Governor Thomas has sent to the Leg
islature a statement of his views rea-
tive to the management of the insane
asylum. His conclusions are that the
institution has been badly managed,
but find that he has no authority to re-
move the superintendent or the men,
bers of the board of control. He says:
THE management of the State Insane
Asylum for the past few years has
been most negligent. For this negl-
gence the Board of Commissions and
the superintendent are alike respons-
BILE. A rigorous and systematic admin
istration of the affairs by the board
would of necessity have resulted in Il
similar administration by the superin-
tendent." The governor recommends
larger appropriations for the asylum
Legislative practice as regards the
dealing out of patronage is to be
revolutionized by the Twelfth General
Assembly unless the House undoes
the work that has been so carefully
| accomplished by the Senate. A def
mite step in the direction of reform
was taken by the Senate the other day
when it passed on third reading $.
B. No. &c. the McCreery salary bill,
which reduces visibly both the num-
Der and the pay of the Assembly otii-
GERS and employees. Under the law of
1895 the last act of the Legislature
passed on the subject, the Senate is al
lowed sixty officers and employees, and
the House of Representatives seventy
officers and employees, making total
of 13O. The McCreery bill reduces the
total to eighty-four, giving the Senate
thirty-seven and the house forty-seven.
BY cutting off forty-six employees the
Legislature will save to the state
thousands of dollars annually.
Friends of the anti-scrIp bill. which
has been tied up in committee of the
State Senate for several weeks past,
are beginning to wonder whether the
bill viii have chance for its life. \
peculiarity about the measure is that 1t
passed the lower house by unanimous
vote. tifty-nine members being present
when the roll was called. On reaching
the Senate the document was con
signed to the tender mercies of the
finance committee and there 1t has re-
mained. 1t is claimed that four mem
bers of the committee are in favcr of
the bill one is Indifferent and one is un-
alterably opposed. claiming that the
bill is unconstitutional. Several amend
ments have been insisted upon and Rep
resentative Bell, the father of the meas
ure, accordingly drafted five minor
I II
n majority of the committee. The
amendments relate to warrants issued
by ditch. canal and reservoir companies
Those companies are accustomed, in
Colorado. to issue warrants in the
spring to be paid in the fall. and this
feature is permitted in the amendments
The bill has not reached a vote in the
Senate. but strong efforts are being
made by MIR. Bell and others of the low
er house to bring the bill to the light Of
day before It is too late.
Governor Thomas has affixed his
official signature TO what is commonly
known as the ''the eight-hour nill."
This bill, regulating the hours of en-
ployment in underground mines and in
smelling and ore reductions. passed
both the House and Senate without
amendment and becomes law in its
lows:
Section I. The period of employ
ment OF workingmen in all under
ground mines or workings shall be
eight tS) hours per day, except in
cases of emergency where lfe or prop
erty is in imminent danger.
Sec .. The period of employment
of workingmen in smelters, and in all
other Institutions for the reduction or
refining of ores or metals shall be
eight hours per day. except in cases of
emergency, where | fe or property is in
imminent danger.
Sec. 3. Any person, body corporate,
agent. manager or employer who shall
violate any of the provisions of sec
| tions one and two of this act shall be
! deemed guilty of n miSdemeanOr, and
upon conviction. shall be punished by
n fine of not less than $50 nor more
than $500, or by Imprisonment not
more than six months, or by both fine
/ and Imprisonment.
! The bill of Judge Kennedy to remove
the Soldiers and Sailors Home from
Monte Vista was brought up in the
| House last Thursday and another
| fight was precipitated on it. George
| Smith and Messrs. Hammond, Law
| renee. Rawalt, Montgomery. Short and
| Clark spoke against the bill. The OPP
position based its objections on eco
nomic grounds and the desartion of the
quarters at Monte Vista without max
ing provision for their occupancy.
| NJ. Rawalt declared it was an Arapa-
hoe county scheme. Messrs. Cannon.
Elliott. Browning and Farris favored
the bill The vote stood i3 to 16 in
favor of the bill. The vote in detail
is as follows: Aycs-Adams. Ballin-
ger, Barnard, Bartels. Bradley. Briscoe,
Browning. Burwell. Byron. Can
non. Castetter. Dickerson. Drumm.
Duncan. Dunleavy. Elliott. Estes. Far
ris, Harter. Hermond, Hollenbeck. JEFF