The Grit-advocate., 1903-04-03
COLORADO GENERAL ASSEMBLY
AND DOINGS AT THE CAPITAL.

Governor Peabody has signed House
Bill No $40. authorizing the diversion
OF irrigating water from bitches at
points other than those designated in
appropriation. The bill passed for the
aiding of municipal water works in the
San Luis valley.
Attorney General Miller has handed
to Governor Peabody an adverse Opin-
ion in the case of the claim of f. II.
Hegwer, boiler inspector under Gov
ernor Waite. The claim was for
$G04.74, for which he had received a
certificate, afterwards lost. from At
torLey General Carr and Auditor Low
ell, Mr.. Miller says: Il believe it is
proper at this time to say that this
account is more than eight years old,
and that with the ever-shifting incum-
bents in Office and the continual intro
duction of new officials who are not
conversant with the facts of former ad-
ministrations, that it is entirely just
and necessary that the state should in
woke the statute of limitations against
state claims. Especially should this
be done when former administrations
have refused to pay an account"
Inspection of the work done by the
Senate on its own bills up to the ex-
piration of the time limit for their con-
sideration. shows several important
measures slaughtered. Among these is
the bill by Ballinger creating a rail-
road commission; Vests. creating a
board of control for the State Reform-
atory in Chaffee county; Taylor's bill
pensioning school teachers, and a grist
of bills relating to local option. The
antitrust bill. by HILL was killed in
the committee. Rush had two measures
relating to franchises both of which
were killed. One of these was said to
affect the Telephone company. Vests
bill to abolish the State Board of Ar
btration was smothered and death was
meted out to the measure to create a
state auditing board. Other bills gen.
orally considered important which
nave been killed include: Clayton's
pure food bill Graves appropriation
for the State Historical Society, Wards
providing escape shaft and proper ven
tilation in coal mines, j. Frank Adams
measure to prevent those who are di-
vorced in Colorado to-day from be-
ing married in Cheycnnee Tomorrow
Rush's bill regarding the election Of
United States senators. and Buckley's
measure to create bank examining
department.
The state land board is preparing to
dispose OF the north and Middle parks
grazing problem, which has been
avoided by successive land boards for
several years. The state owns i'm
mense tracts of land in both parks
which are valuable for grazing pur-
poses. Before the state acquired the
tracts, certain small areas were taken
up by settlers, and these holdings are
entirely surrounded, in half dozen
instances. by the state lands. The
state has had propositions from large
cattle interests to lease these tracts
at rates which would return consider
able sums of money, but no leases
have ever been given. because it was
feared that the settlers would be en-
tircly cut off from range privileges if
all the land was leased. Two years
ago Register Joyce. of the land office.
appointed Mrs. Lucille Jenny plat
clerk. She took the confused records
of the board and marked down. town
ship by township. in regular plats, all
land owned by the state. From these
plat books Mrs. Jenny has been able
to make map of North and Middle
parks, showing all the land in ques-
tion. Another plat will be made show
ing all the sections upon which two or
more applications to lease have been
filed. With these maps before 1t, the
board can go ahead and grant leases
to the settlers of the sections which
will give them outlets to the open
range. and then the remaining lands
may be leased to the larger companies
to be fenced and held as private range.
An eight-hour day has been put into
force in the land office. which is the
only Office in the state house on this
basis. The step was made necessary
by the large amount Of work on hand
in the Office, and is one of the reforms
inaugurated by the present state ad-
ministration. on the principle that the
people of the state are entitled to the
same service from employees that
would be required from the employees
of corporation.