The Holly chieftain., 1908-10-09

siAty-IVe miles OF wagon road has
been repaired and constructed, not in
, Guiding the public state highway from
Trinidad to Fort Collins.
The cost Of public printing, thanks
largely to w. A. Plat, the present COM
missioner. has been less than $4,000
during the present administration.
During the Orman administration the
public printing cost $4,000, with elev-
en- less departments to be supplied.
/ The present printing bills paid by Colo
RADIO are lower than those of any other
state in the Union.
The State Auditing Board has ex-
pended less than $5O,O0O for incidental
expenses during the present admin
istration. the smallest amount appro-
priated for this purpose in many
years.
Six hundred thousand cattle and
more than 10000 horses are inspected
annually by the State Board of Live
Stock Inspection. About 1000 estrays
are taken charge of by the state each
year and the money realized from their
sale returned to the owners when pos
sible. During the past year about
$21 800 was refunded from this source.
The State Railroad Commission is
now actively in operation, although lit
igation attacking its rights is still
pending in the United States Circuit
Court. Its hands are no longer tied by
injunction and 1t is now hearing COM
plants of shippers, collecting informa-
tion concerning the railroads, and has
already demonstrated capacity for ex-
cellent service to the people. The rail
roads have in some instances refunded
money to shippers and seem disposed
to recognize the efficacy Of the bu-
reau. although they still bring litiga-
tion against it.
Colorado creameries and cheese fac
tories are now closely inspected by the
State Dairy Commission. The scope
of the department has been greatly in
creased by new Republican legislation
and violations of the law in the sale of
inferior products have been reduced to
minimum. limitations of butter have
been shut out of the market and the
milk supply Of towns and cities has
been greatly improved. The Repub-
lican party is in favor of good health.
twenty-five new coal mines we're
opened up in Colorado in 1907. The to-
tai production of coal was 1896, $40
tons. There have been no serious Ia
bor troubles during the past five years
in the coal fields and the rigid inspec-
ton OF the State Coal Mine Inspectors
department has greatly reduced ia
talities.
twenty-five unfit slaughter plants in
Colorado have been closed since the
new meat inspection law passed by the
last Republican legislature went into
effect. Fifteen of these have been re-
placed by new, sanitary plants. The
meat inspector regularly visits 300
slaughter plants, 600 retail shops, $50
wholesale houses and 10 rendering es-
Establishments. The meat supply of
Colorado is now clean and wholesome,
The state department for the in
spection of steam boilers has been self
supporting under the past Republican
administration, the fees of the office
paying all expenses. All boilers are in
spected regularly for the protection OF
life and property and few accidents
have occurred.
There are 700 metalliferous mines
now operating in Colorado, employing
approximately $4,000 men. During the
past year the State Bureau OF Mines
has examined more mining properties
than in any year since the department
was created. The number Of fatal ac-
cidents has been reduced from 5.45 per
cent. per 1000 men in 1898 to 2.26 per
cent per 1000 men in 1907. Compe- '
tent inspection and the installation Of
improved machinery is still lowering
the death rate.
The State Auditors department re-
ports a surplus in the treasury of over
$247, 900, left over from the past four
years, an amount which will be ma
terially increased during the present
year. Every penny of the old deficien-
cy Indebtedness created during Dem
ocratic administrations has been paid
off, clearing the boards Of everything
except the old floating and bonded
debt, which must be paid by vote
of the people and special legislation.