The Elk Mountain pilot., 1901-02-26
SUMMARY OF THE WORK OF
THE COLORADO LEGISLATURE

composed cf Senator Charles r. Ward,
Senator Tanquary, Representatives
Kennedy and Bradley. 1t will consid-
er and prepare general report on the
situation in the northern fields. The
other committee is composed of Sena-
tor Frank A. Moore and Representa-
tives Martin and Raney. 1t will pre-
pare the findings and digested evidence
as to the southern fields. When both
subcommittee reports are ready, the
entire committee will meet and COM
bine them in one general finding.
There are two ways of looking at
things. While speaking on the en-
ployes' liability bill before the labor
committee of the House, d. G. Beaman
paid his respects to the rule of the
Twelfth General Assembly excluding
lobbyists from the floor. Il have al
ways understood" said the judge,
that the members of the Legislature
were not only willing but anxious to oc-
casionally confer with their constitu-
.ents. When a Legislature passes a
rule shutting itself off from all COM
munication with constituents, and max
ing itself sort of exclusive body that
knows more than 1t can be told, then it
needs close watching"
Senator Casimiro Barela, president
pro TEN of the Senate, secured favorable
measure, S. B. 22T, to provide for a
constitutional convention. Senator Ba-
rela was himself one of the members
of the constitutional convention which
in 1876 provided Colorado with it's or
ganic law, and he now insists that get
ting new coat would be much prefer
able to patching the old one" He de-
clares further that constitutional con-
vention will be great saving to the
state over the continued submission of
amendments. Senator Barela has fig
ures showing that to submit n single
constitutional amendment to the people
costs more than S10OOOO he asserts
that a constitutional convention would
cost less than that amount. S. b. 22I
was advanced on the calendar, consid-
cred and passed on second reading.
Legislation is not all play. Sometimes
it is very hard work. The Denver Re-
| publican of the 18th instant says:
! "Chairman Ammons, chairman of the
senate finance committee, and Represen-
| tative Mcclure chairman of the House
appropriations committee, remain
| ed at the state capitol yesterday morn
! ing after the joint committee had work
ed nearly all night and completed its
! report and had passed upon all the i'm
portant features of the bill They were
| still there aiding the clerks in making
out the amendments in proper form
when the committee members again
appeared for the caucus at 9:3O o'clock
| in the morning, when the entire work
was formally agreed to again Just as
| 1t had been decided upon before ad-
| journment at o'clock in the morning.
| Both men remained hard at work with
the committee clerks until late in the
afternoon without any sleep whatever
i nd 1,A, A al l,,l l,tJ
| from the Joint committee was turned
over to the appropriations committee of
| the House, according to agreement"
An agreement has been reached by
| the supporters of the two new proposed
counties of Adams and South Arapa-
hoe, and both will be recommended for
| passage. The counties will include all
the territory outside of the proposed
county and city of Denver. The ex-
treme end of Arapahoe county, includ-
ing all the territory east of range 81,
has a valuation of $3.50, 900 and popu-
lation of 1900. This section will be a
portion of Adams county, but as pro-
posed. will be ultimately divided,
throwing two tiers of counties into the
contiguous counties to the north and
three tiers of townships to the counties
Immediately below. The county of
South Arapahoe, under the terms of the
bill now in the Legislature will have an
area of S64 square miles, with a total
valuation of $3.50, 900, and a popuIa-
ton Of $500. South Arapahoe will
rank eleventh in the list of counties,
exclusive of the proposed county of
Denver, and Adams county will be
ninth. The new counties of Adams and
South Arapahoe will have almost equal
standing when the east end is appor-
toned as is contemplated, and will
comprise one senatorial district.
The Bucklin Australian land tax
amendment, as amended, was finally
passed by the Senate by vote of 26
to 6. The features of the bill as it now
stands are included in these provisions:
''Once in four years, but not oftener,
the voters of any county in the state
may, by vote at any general election,
exempt or refuse to exempt from all
taxation for county, city, town, school,
road and other local purposes, any or
all personal property and improve
ments on land; but neither the whole
nor any part of the full cash value of
any rights or way, franchise in public
ways, or land, exclusive of the i'm
provements thereon, shall be so ex-
empted; provided. however, that such
question be submitted to the voters by
virtue of a petition therefor, signed and
sworn to by not less than 100 resident
taxpayers of such county, and filed
with the county clerk and recorder.
not less than thirty nor more than
ninety days before the day of election.
The rate Of taxation on property for
state purposes shall never exceed 4
mills on each dollar of valuation; but
the provisions of this section shall not |
apply to rights of way, franchises in |
public ways, or land, the full cash i
value of which may be taxed at such |
additional rate, not exceeding mills |
on each dollar of assessed valuation,