The Delta independent. [volume] (Delta, Colo.) 1886-19??, 1903-02-20
COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
AND DOINGS AT THE CAPITAL


| agricultural and irrigation committee
| to protest against the bill before the
Legislature that abolishes the offices
of the district superintendent Of irri-
| cation and puts the work the state
engineer. The ranchmen were unani-
nous in their opinion that the system
in vogue is better than the one con-
| templated.
The contest of R. w. Bonynge for
the seat of ]. F. Shafroth, congressman
Tor the First district, is being heard in
Denver. Under the federal statutes,
ninety days are allowed the contest
ant. Mr.. Shafroth may take forty
days for his side and Mr.. Bonynge
fifty, which includes ten days for re-
buttal. Both sides are expected to
take their full allowance of time,
which will carry the contest forward
until the middle of May.
A memorial by Senator Taylor, ask
ing Congress to pass the pending bill
appropriating $2O,OOO,OOO for national
highway construction, has been passed
and sent to the House. The memorial
requests that $145,000 Of the $20,OOO,-
900 be specified for expenditure in Col
orado, Senator Taylor believing that it
could be applied to perfect his long
projected road across the Continental
divide, which he hopes will some day
be link in the national railway from
the Atlantic to the Pacific coast.
| The worlds fair board is correspond
ing with Daniel Wing. vice president
| of the First National bank of Boston,
with the object of securing nugget
| of Colorado gold valued at $500 for
| exhibition at the fair. The gold was
found two or three weeks ago in the
| Breckenridge district. and is lump
| of pure metal valued by the United
States mint at $499.S2. 1t is said to be
the largest nugget known to have been
discovered in Colorado.
The Senate printing committee has
| engaged E. c. Stimson Of Ell Paso
| county, late Democratic candidate for
governor, to codify the printing laws
| Of the various states as an index to be
used in compiling new printing law
| for this state. Otto Thum, one Of the
proprietors of the Colorado Chronicle.
| and a partner of former Lieut.. Gov. D.
| c. Coates, was appointed clerk to the
committee. The committee met the
attorney and clerk and laid plans for
the investigation of the printing con-
tracts during the last four years.
The bill of G. w. White Of Lake
county for the creation of the Office OF
supervisor OF state printing was agreed
to by the House in committee of the
whole and recommended for passage.
The bill provides for supervisor OF
state printing, who shall hold office
for two years and he must have the
qualification Of being practical print
| er and he must have been actively en-
| gagged at the trade or in the printing
or publishing business for five years
and he must be a resident Of Colorado
a year before his appointment. and he
must give bond of 10000. All print
ing must be done by contract. but the
bill fixes a maximum price for all
kinds Of printing and binding. 1t is
made the duty of the supervisor. wher-
ever practicable, to use the label Of the
International Typographical Union or
Allied Printing Trdes Council upon all
work.
At the request of State Auditor
Holmberg, Governor James H. Pea
body has appointed Louis B. Schwan-
beck q special examiner to investigate
all books. papers. vouchers and other
matters pertaining to the fiat tax de-
partment in the state auditors ONCE,
and to submit his findings to the exec
utive. Mr.. Schwanbeck has full auth
ority, and is instructed by the gov
ernor to go into the records OF the
department thoroughly. About two
| weeks ago there were mailed from the
auditors Office 5000 notifications to
corporations informing them that their
fiat tax was due. and that. under the
law, should be paid on or before May
LIST. This number Is only a small frac-
tion Of the actual number Of corpora
tions doing business in Colorado. In
1901 State Auditor Crouter sent out
| over $4,000 notifications. Those cor
porations who failed to comply with
the law and either pay their tax with
or without protest were advertised out
of existence. Recent suits instituted
by Attorney General Miller against a
few Of these delinquent corporations
are intended to settle the dispute as to
the constitutionality Of the law.
House Bill No. SO. by Mr.. Morris of
Arapahoe. for the pensioning of school
teachers, was recommended for pass
age by the House after a very lively
discussion. 1t was voted down In COM
mittee of the whole, but the report
was afterward amended in regular ses-
sion. The bill provides that after
having taught Tor twenty-five years,
twenty Of which service is in the state
OF Colorado any teacher can. on his or
her application. be retired on one-half
pay. In discussing the bill. Mr.. Nor
ris said: Nearly four years ago. the
labor commissioner OF this state sent
out schedules in order to get statistics
OF wages, the cost Of living and other
data, usually compiled by such officers.
Out Of thirty-two different occupations
which included the different trades,
professions in the cities and mining
and farming. Of these employments.
the only ones that received less pay
than the teachers were the clerks,
walters. gravel roofers and laborers.
The teachers receive an average salary
of $493.280 four Industries Just mem
TONED receive still less. BARRIERS re-
ceive $7O4.25. Bricklayers receive $500,