North Park union., 1901-02-22
SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF
THE COLORADO LEGISLATURE

10 recommendations Professor Lakes.
the well-known teacher Of geology. is
one of the early comers. A. NJ. Wells
IL also In the race, and John w. Finch.
a Victor expert. Is making an EFFORT to
secure the place. Mr.. Wells has lived
In Denver for number of years. and
10 now on the Pacific coast doing ex-
pert work. While the position does not
carry any salary. 1t Ii said to be valu-
able from the prestige that goes with
1t. In Europe such honors are highly
priced. The News adds: 1t 10 un-
derstoOd that the new state geologist
will not be Installed until April, and
thnt he will be a Democrat.
There was considera bile excitemen;
among Senate employees recently. upon
the discovery OF what WAS apparently
m attempt to steal bills. The desks of
Secretary Kelley, Docket Clerk Con
molly and the clerk OF the judiciary
committee bore marks of having been
pried open with chisel: the papers III
them were disarranged and everything
went to show that some one had gone
through them. All the bills. however.
were locked up In the snfc. so that no
harm was done. In the House Mr..
Sprague called attention to the fact
that wooden desks are unsafe recepta-
cleS for important Nils and he would
not trust them. He said the Senate
had steel box In which II locks up
bills, and urged that the House pro-
cure one so that he might empty his
pockets and rest of nights. 1t was dis
covered that the House possesses
steel box, but the key Is lost. On Mr..
Sprngue's earnest appeal the sergeant
alarms and the committee on House
expenses were specially charged to find
the key at once.
Under the provisions of Mr.. Martins
registration bill elsewhere noted, new
voters sign mn affidavit setting out the
necessary facts. All the data required
by the present law is noted. The pre-
cinct books have stubs, which are torn
off and delivered to party chairmcn.
The books themselves are delivered to
the county clerk. who corrects his per-
mancnt registration books thereby. The
bill provides that when dispute
arises as to who is county or city chair
man of n political party. the state
chairman makes final decision. Be
cause of opposition of some members
from Arnpahoe county the bill was
amended so 1t does not apply to cities
under special charters. The amend
ment was vigorously opposed by
Messrs. Bartels, Cannon and Dicker-
son. who favored the bill ms 1t stood,
but the amendments prevailed. The
measure IL urged as one of the most
important In the House. Its friends
claim that it simplihes registration.
greatly reduces the cost and effectually
prevents fraudulent registration.
There was n spirited debate In the
House over amendments to II. Il. 81.
which. introduced by Mr.. Martin. pro-
poses radical changes In the registra-
tiOn of voters. Under the present law
voters are registered mt great expense
| to parties by system OF youching.
which not only opens the way for
fraud. but sometimes prevents registra-
tion of voters OF the minority party.
After the election the clerk strikes or
the list the names OF all who have not
voted, SO that registration must be
made again. The system Is expensive.
and is claimed to be Intellectual. Mr..
Martins bill provides that the county
or city chairmen of the two largest
parties shall certify to the county COM
missiOners the names Of two persons
for each precinct to be appoint,V reg
istrars. These two take registration
book especially prepared and list
from the permanent books of the coun-
ty clerk. With these they proceed
from house to house. ascertain the legal
voters there. and each must vouch with
his Initials. II n voter moves into the
precinct the former address is noted.
The joint resolution introduced by
Senator Taylor of Glenwood Springs,
to combat the claims OF Kansas In re.
gard to the waters Of the Arkansas
river reads RS follows: "Whereas, the
Legislature Of the state of Kansas has
adopted a Senate concurrent resolution
instructing the attorney general Of that
state to employ legal assistance and
bring suit at once against the state of
Colorado md our citizens to prevent
the further diversion of the waters of
the Arkansas river for irrigation pur-
poses: and. whereas. 1t Is the sense of
the Thirteenth General Assembly Of
the state of Colorado that the citizens
OF this state have an unQucstioned le
gal and moral right to continue to di-
vert the waters of said stream for ir
rigation purposes In this state: now,
therefore, he II resolved. by the Senate.
the House of Representatives concur
ring. that the attorney general Of this
state be and he hereby la instructed to
employ such counsel and take such fur
ther steps ms mny be necessary In the
premises md to protect the legal rights
of Colorado to the use of the waters OF
the Arkansas river"
The Senate has passed the Ammons
road bill which proposes TO innugurate
n system of permanent road improve
ment In Colorado. The bill provides
that "the boards of county commission
ers of the several counties of the state
may levy property tax for road pur-
poses which should not exceed 81 on
each 500 to be levied and collected In
the same manner and Mt the same time
MS other property taxes are levied and
collected each year. Boards of county
commissioners shall appropriate at
least twenty-five per cent. Of such road
fund for permanent road work, such
as grading. making stone or other per-
manent enlverts md bridges. and the
making of firm rOadbeds. The money
10 set apart shall be used independent
ly of road districts. For this purpose
boards of commissioners are authoriz-
ed to employ persons other than the
road overseers. The money so appro-
priated shall not be used for ordinary
repairs. shall he kept In separate fund
and shall not be transferred to the gem
i eral road fund or any other fund. The
balance of such road tax. after the mp
preparation for permanent road work
shall have been taken therefrom. may