Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-02-15
penyer, colo, Feb. II. lDol.

tItsi Attcs anu some III INC i-asi, Over
the provisions OF some OF the proposed
revenue laws that are before the State
Legislature. The so-call.i Montsom-
cry bill. which seems 10 be considered
amended. To become n law. contains
some provisions which In its original
form might well have been entitled to
lie headed. "a measure 10 iiS the de-
gree OF criminaiiiy OF various kinds OF
property holders. and Ia assess fines
accordingly" one OF the provisions is
To tax all thc money that goes through
I'll. hands OF real estate agents. wheth-
er In III. form Of loans or collections or
Insurance. II the agent has To pay the
tax. he must collect ii either from the
lcancr or borrower. In casc OF loan.
and from the owner or the tenant In
the ease OF rcnials. The Real Estate
Exchange has taken up the matter and
protested against the measure: aud one
or two meetings have been held nj
which Representatives OF the Exchange
and OF the Legislature have conferred
In regard 10 the provisions OF the bill.
Some OF the most Objectionable may
L. stricken out. hut the one mentioned
above. taxing the funds that 20
through the hands OF agents. seems
likely to remain.
The effect OF such n measure on In
rcs,mcnt by any one outside OF the
state in Colorado properties may casl-
iy be seen. II il becomes law. or.
dcrs 90 sell Will bc In the large major.
iiy over orders TO buy. There are some
things In the financial and business
and canno; TX: but by taking property
sufficiently II Is way easy 60 drive
away Investors and discourage home
buyers.
No doub; the provision OF our consti.
tuition. Intended TO restrain legislators.
and 10 prevent the Introduction OF n too
cnormous mass OF bllls-thc provision
which requires all bills to be introduced
In the first thirty days OF the session
has something TO do with the crude and
hnsty character OF much OF the icgis.
lniion proposed. II leads to the intro.
ductIon OF bills covering every possible
phase OF n subject. most OF which are
not intended TO be passed. but which
arc introduced so that II needed they
may furnish the basis OF law after
the bills have all been gone over and
sort OF digest made Of them. In n
matter Of this kind. IL Is simply Impos-
slblc for n legislative body In sixty
days 10 digest the mass of bills intro
duccd and frame a respectable measure
that Will answer the purposes for
which II Is Intended. A revenue law
Is something that requires study. even
by experts, and the average legislator
Is not an expert, and you can hardly
expect him to become one In sixty or
ninety days. The appointment of a
revenue commission was n good idea:
but the commission that was appointed
does not seem to have had sufficient
time TO present symmetrical and
complete measure for the consideration
Of the Legislature
One thing is evident cnough-that in
stead of studying how to reduce ex-
penses, and keep the outgo of the state
government from exceeding its income.
the study has been. and is likely 10 be,
to devise new sorts of taxation that
will enable the Legislature TO meet all
the appropriations which 1t desires to
make. Perhaps this was what the ma
jority of the people of the state want
ed when they chose Fusion Legisla-
ture.
Republican Advisory Board.
The arrangement for the banquet of
the Republican Advisory Board to-
morrow evening, on Lincoln's birthday.
are practically complete. Something
over two hundred members of the Or
ganization will be present Mt the ban
quet. The total membership at this
writing is just about seven hundred.
The speakers at the banquet are to be
Colorado men. 1t was found imposs-
BILE to get senators to come from Wash
lngton Mt this time in the closing days
of short session of Congress, when
their presence at the capital is required
by the state of the public business.
At the time this organization was
started, there We're many who doubt
ed whether there were 800 men in the
state who would be willing to contrib
ute $40 year each to help the regu-
lar party organization. Three hundred
was set as the minimum number, be-
cause 1t was estimated that the sort of
work that was desired could not even
be attempted with an income of less
than $1,000 Il year. As soon as the or
ganization was fairly formed. however.