The Colorado statesman., 1905-01-28

IlOuSe JILL c, W pIONlue lOl lue pay
ment of a part of the expenses of the
Soldiers and Sailors Home for the
years 1905 and 1906 was passed by
the House on third reading, also
House bill IL, for the payment Of a
part of the expenses of the State In
dustrial School for the same period.
A joint memorial introduced by Sen
ator Taylor protests against the repeal
of the desertland laws. The memo
rial recites that the present desert
land laws facilitate the requirement of
homes by certain of our citizens by re-
claiming ard developing numerous
small inter-mountain valleys that can
not be reclaimed under any other law,
and have been of great benefit in the
development of this state, operating
satisfactorily wherever their provis-
ions have been carried out in good
faith.
Secretary Lueders of the Board of
Capitol Managers, has made public his
report on the work of that body for the
biennial term. 1t is stated i'll the re-
port that S65,000 is needed to complete
the building. There is still consider
able work to be done. The dome should
be gilded, the metal painted. interior
decorated, metallic vaults installed
and other work done. The secretary
particularly recommends the building
of vaults, because there are thirteen
departments in which the valuable rec
ords may be destroyed by fire.
| The Fifteenth General Assembly is
the first within the memory of man
wherein some attempt has not been
made by a Spanish speaking member
to secure an interpreter for his
thoughts. From the days of the old
territorial legislature, when the Span
ish speaking members made up a much
greater percentage of the member
ship, to the present, each legislature
| has been beseeched to furnish inter
prefers. The fourteenth refused to
employ them. which may have been
one good reason for no demand at all
being made upon the Fifteenth.
House joint memorial No. l. by Mr..
Baer, was referred to the committee
| on federal relations. 1t asks Congress
that the act approved January 13. 1897,
| relating to the construction of storage
reservoirs for free stock water. upon
the unoccupied public lands of the
/ United States be amended so as to pro-
vide for the privilege of allowing
springs and water seeps to be cleaned
out and fenced, and the waters con-
Quoted on the outside of said reser-
/ voirs or troughs and in less quanti-
ties than now required by the regula-
tion of the Interior Department and
that the same may be kept for the free
use of range stock.
A noticeable feature concerning the
bills being brought to the attention of
the Fifteenth General Assembly is
that almost all put into one house Are
duplicated by bills introduced in the
other. This is good thing for the
public printer, as bills being word for
word alike, enables the mere changing
of the headings for the printing of two
bills. This practice has grown through
the last several legislatures bui in
none has been so noticeable as the
present. A senator will put his bill
before his own house and then give
IT to a representative to be introduced
in the other; and the members of the
House will repeat the plan with their
own measures
bill introduced in the House by
Messrs. DUNCAN and Alexander pro
vides for the selection by the governor
OF railway commission of three mem
bers. These commissioners shall re-.
ceive the salary of $4,000 each, a sec
retary at $4,000 year. one clerk at
Sl,2O0 and a stenographer at SIS per
month. They may also employ such
other clerical assistance as the office
shall need. The commissioners are to
nave complete charge of the railway
business of the state. to regulate
rates, compel the roads to furnish cars
at points where desired. The bill pro-
hibits the Issuance of passes. save to
employees and in few other instances
that 1t specifically names.