The Elbert County tribune., 1909-01-14

Win tnt vi llt ouDtL-
intendent of Public Instruction that
teachery should be better paid than
any other individuals serving the pub
lie. We ought to make the teaching
vocation attractive. as a life vocation.
both to men and women OF the finest
edge of faculty.
The State Land Board.--rhe vast
business of the State Land Board has
been managed in n thoroughly capable
and business like manner The in
crease In the receipts OF that board
discloses the fact that Colorado In
growing in healthy manner The
constant thought of the Board OF Land
commissioners has heen to sell the
state lands to actual home makers,
The receipts for the biennial period
have been ss25 ,9Of.67 The prices Sc.
cured for lands have been decidedly
better than in any former period. The
register of the Land Board makes
three recommendations in which !
heartily concur. First: That you
create by act of the Legislature a
Board of Land Commissioners. to be
appointed by the governor. with the
State Superintendent OF Public Instruc-
tion as member OF that board ex
offcio. At the beginning of the history
of the state the executive officers. of
tut Slitt were lluue IntIuDtTs OF tne
various state boards either by the CON
stitution or by early statutes Al that
time the population OF the state was
small and the revenues were not ade-
quate to justify an expenditure for sep
arate boards. All that is changed now
The executive officers now have abund-
ant work to do without being required
to give any time to these boards which
require technical knowledge. So II Is
hoped that you will make new de-
parture and create such n Board OF
Land Commissioners. Second The
state ought to be permitted by law,
to go Into irrigation districts to secure
water for state lands just as private
individual. Now the state is prevented
from obtaining water for It's lands and
therefore we are estopped from max
ing certain state lands valuable. You
all understand that 1t is important that
water should be secured for these state
lands when the irrigation district is
formed. Third: The law now prohib-
its the sale OF less than forty acres to
one person, but the state owns tracts
of land of less than forty acres Legls-
lation should relieve this restriction.
The National Guard.-I am glad to
report that the National Guard OF Col
orado Is in an exceptionally fine condi-
ton at this time. The officers and
men of the Guard are all pulling to-
gether now, without petty quarrels. for
the advancement of the Guard. have
handled all the business Of the Ma
tional Guard absolutely without any
political consideration Two things are
fundamental to the welfare of the
Guard. First: A re-enactment or
amending OF the present state laws
which will enable the National Guard
of Colorado to conform In organization,
armament and discipline to that pre-
scribed for the regular army of tho
United States. Second: The State
Military Board has now undertaken tho
purchase of site for an armory for
the sum of $4,000. That means an
expenditure of approximately $4,000
| annually for three years. SO the State
Military Board with its present re-
sources can not erect proper armory
for that portion of the National Guard
of Colorado which is stationed In the
city of Denver. We, therefore, ought
to have an appropriation which shall
be adequate to the erection Of a large
armory. That means quarter of
million dollars.
The Soldiers and Sailors Home
From the National Guard to the State
Soldiers and Sailors Home Is a nat
ural transition The national inspector
of soldiers homes reports that the
most home-lixe home In the country
is our beautiful hoLNe at Monte Vista.
Captain Aldrich, the commander, has
served with marked success In a posi-
ton which few men are competent to
FILL Old soldiers, with nothing to do,
growing weaker In body and some
times weaker in mind, day by day. are
liable to become somewhat querulous.
Now when you have few very quer.
ulous and very disagreeable and very
opinionated old soldiers on the outside
who give their time chiefly to foment.
ing discord in the home. you can see
that the commanders position Is one
requiring tact and self-control and pa
tience. All that Captain Aldrich has
had in plenty. He has been sustained
by as fine a board OF commissioners
as ever served Soldiers Home In
such capacity in the history OF our
country. I am 80 proud of the fine
work that has been done at Monte
Vista to make the old soldiers com
Portable and happy that | wish at this
time and in this place to thank most
warmly Captain G. s. Aldrlch. the com
mander; and the commissioners, Cap.
tain l.. II. Cheney OF Monte Vista,
General II. 5. Vaughn OF Denver. Gen
eraI II. O. Dodge of Boulder. and Cap
tain Harry c. Watson OF Greeley. the
Department Commander of the Grand
Army of the Republic. May God give
to all old soldiers comfort and cheer
during all the years OF life, and in the
end a quiet heart for The Long Fur.
Tough.
Civil Service.-The passage OF the
Civil Service Act by the Sixteenth
General Assembly made a beginning in