The Elk Mountain pilot., 1902-03-04
PROCEEDINGS OF THE EXTRA
SESSION OF THE STATURE

The revenue bill is now ready tc
emerge from the house committee OF
the whole. That committee Monday
afternoon completed its consideration
of the last sections, the amendments
being those necessary in order to trans.
form the state board of assessors sec
tions into a scheme for a state board
of equalization. The amendments were
ordered printed as fast as the clerks
could prepare them for the printers.
There is strong sentiment growing
in the Legislature in favor of the Mon
tana system of taxing mines. In Mon
tana the full gross production of each
mine Is taxed, after deducting the cost
of extracting the same from the mine,
with the cost of transportation and re-
duction. This catches the great divi-
dend producers. and yet is fair to small
mine owners. 1t will undoubtedly meet
strong opposition from the mining
members. yet may be acceded to as a
compromise measure.
At midnight Wednesday night ]. j.
Bradley, one of the representatives
from Arapahoe county, stood at the
bar of the House and received scath-
Ing reprimand from Speaker B. II.
Montgomery, and was ordered to pay a
fine imposed by the House. 1t was an
impressive scene. and was fitting eli
max to the most intensely interesting
session of any branch of the Colorado
Legislature held within recent years.
Mr.. Bradley had been absent without
leave, seriously delaying the business
Of the session.
AT its meeting in Pueblo February
10Th. the Retail Grocers and Butchers
ASSOCIATE ton of Colorado elected the fol-
lowing named officers: George \. Ord
way of Denver. president; J. a. Gal
braith of Fort Collins. first vice presi-
dent; j. r. Gardner of Victor. second
vice president; w. Il. Hazen of Law
son, third vice president; A. =. Nelson
of Canon City. fourth vice president;
G. V. Richards of Denver, secretary;
w. C. Wilson of Greeley, treasurer
The next meeting will be Mt Denver, in
January next.
In the House Mr.. Adams. OF Dolores.
moved to amend section TOE of the rev,
enue bill so that the auditor should
give written notice to corporations
which had failed to pay their tax in
stead of publishing the notice in a
Fifteen per cent. of the
revenue derived from the HAT tax has
been paid to two newspapers for pub
fishing the list of delinquent compa-
MES. They received over $1,000. If
this enormity is not remedied l Will
vote against the entire bill" The
House readily agreed to Mr.. Adams
After long discussion the Senate
voted to accept the majority report on
the Clayton bill TO repeal the Bucklin
land tax amendment. This action re
suited in tabling the bill, as recon-
mended in the report, and is n substan-
tial victory for the Bucklin amend
ment. The report was adopted by the
following vote: Ayes-Adams Gone
Ios). Adams tArapahoe). Ammons, An
near. Buckley. Bucklin. Copp Ehrhart.
Graves, Hallett, Hill. Jefferson. Lewis.
Moore. Philip. Roe, Roberts. Rush, Sell
domridge. Smith, Tanquary. Taylor,
Ward, Whitford-24. Nays-Arthur
Barela. Clayton, Farwell. Mcclure,
Newell, Parks. Stewart. Wcst-9.
A struggle over the mining section of
the revenue bill caused an unexpected
delay in the consideration of the meas
ure Tuesday. The representatives of
the mining counties were determined
that the Neeley amendment should not
Dt sent 10 lDt anu MI
Briscoe they offered a substitute which
assesses producers at one-half the gross
proceeds, providing the latter exceed
5000 per year. and non-producers at
not more than the value of the small
est producer, which would be not more
than $3.50 per acre. The discussion
dragged. and finally when some one at
tempted to secure II recess until morn
inD fhn snlnnS hnnuntn annflSn1 and
Speaker Montgomery, in despair, urged
an adjournment, which was carried.
The following is the text of the Nee
ley amendment for the taxation of
mines. as adopted by the House: Sec
ton S2-That all mines and mining
claims bearing gold. silver, lead, cop
per or other precious or valuable met
ais, and the gross proceeds of possess
ing rights in unpatented claims. shall
be listed and valued each year, and
shall be assessed at their full cash val
ue. All surface improvements and all
machinery located upon any mining
claim or claims shall be separately val
ued for taxation. Provided further.
that non-producing mining claim or
claims shall be assessed and taxed like
other property, according to the value
thereof; and in ascertaining such value
the assessor shall. in addition to other
requirements of this act, take into con
sideration the location thereof. the
proximity to other mines or mining
claims, and any other matter which
may tend to assist him in arriving at a
fair and equitable valuation of such
property.
In the discussion OF the Montrose
canal bill in the committee of the whole
of the Senate. Senator Buckley took
the floor to explain the measure, which
has for its purpose the diverting of the
water of the Gunnison river into the
Montrose valley. He gave the history
of the bill. repudiated the idea that
there was any politics involved, and
asked that the bill be taken up section
by section. and that as few amend,
ments as possible be made. The Gun
nison tunnel flows 1.Oo0 cubic feet pei