The Elk Mountain pilot., 1903-10-13

Attorney General Miller has given
an opinion to County Clerk Frank Lo-
mister OF Leadville, to the effect that
all constables whose terms of Office ex-
pire in January, 1904, must give up
their positions at that time. Consta-
bles should be elected at the next cleo
tior, which will be next month, as At
torney General Miller has construed
that this election is general election.
The last Legislature passed an act to
the effect that justices of the peace
were to hold over until 1905, II their
terms of Office expire in 1904. BY an
oversight the constables were not in
cluded in the act. The act provided
that the justices Of the peace were to
be elected in the years in which the
members of the Legislature are elected.
In order to do this it would be neces-
sary for the justices of the peace to
hold over until 1905. But according to
Attorney General Miller the next cleo
tion is a general election and the con-
stables whose terms expire on the first
of January, 1904. must run for re-elec-
ton. -
The firm OF Skinner & Tabor has
paid in to the State Land Board $3.04S
as part payment on $500 due the
state for rent on grazing land leased
by the firm in 1898. Sixty days were
allowed in which to pay the balance.
Skinner & Tabor according to Regis
ter Woodruff, of the Land Board.
leased from the state in 1898, $4,000
acres of land in northern Pueblo and
southern Ell Paso counties. Rent, it
is claimed, was never paid on the
lands, and the bonds of the company
are said to have disappeared from the
state land office. The land was first
leased to a number of persons, who
were later found to be employees at
the Brown Palace, the Metropole and
Albany hotels. A few weeks ago Mr..
Woodruff ran across the lease in the
books of the Office and found that none
of the rents had been paid. He imme-
diately sent word to the bell boys, and
then discovered that the leases had
been transferred to Skinner & Tabor.
That firm was then notified. Payment
was not Forthcoming Immediately, but
Register Woodruff grew insistent, and
payment was finally made. October
9th.
officers of the Colorado Humane So
ciety are about to begin. campaign of
enforcement of the non-support law,
which will make the parents OF chill
dren who are now in the state homes,
who are able, in some degree liable for
the expenses of the children while they
are in such homes. For the last few
months the society has been flooded
with children who have had to be sent
to state homes. Their parents in many
cases have been well able to take care
of them This has been because of
some disagreement in the families, and
in two or three of the cases the step
mother plays an important part. The
officers believe that parents who have
been responsible for the wrong-doing
of their children should be made to
contribute to the support while they
are confined in state institutions.
Parents VINO live in such surroundings
that their children ought not to be left
with them ought to be made pay for
the better treatment which their chill
dren receive while they arc in the
homes of the state. 1t is believed that
the non-suppoft law passed by the
Legislature is sufficient to cover this,
and the society is going after these
parents who have not done their duty.
1t does not seem right to the officers
of the society that children whose par
ents are well able to take care of them
should be cared for entirely at the
states expense.