Gilpin observer., 1910-02-03
CONGRESSMAN
TAYL0R'S BILLS
ooLlAR-A-DAY PENSIONS FOR
CIVIL AND MExIcA NWAR
VETERANS.
BILL TO CREATE PARKS
AGRICULTURAL ClLLEGE GRANT
AND SPECIAL BILLS FOR
PARK LANDS.

Denver.-In letter to a newspaper
man in Denver, Congressman Edward
7. Taylor describes some of the meas
ures that he is trying to push in the
House. Among them is the general pen
Sion bill, introduced by Mr.. Taylor
some time ago. OF this bill he says:
In the first place, it applies to the
survivors of both the Mexican and Civ
IL Wars. 1t provides $50 month for
every survivor of both wars under
eighty years of age, and for those that
over eighty, $40 month, and those
that are blind receive $50 month
The average age of the few survivors
OF the Mexican war is now eighty-six
years; SO that the $40 dollar provis-
Ion would apply to practically all Of
those. There is another provision that
makes the law applicable to the wild
ows of all soldiers who were married
to them prior to January 1st, 1905
This bill does not interfere with any
person who receives a larger amount
than provided for in the bill, and it
does not interfere with any person
prosecuting claim or receiving a pen
sion under any other general or spe-
cial act.
The bill also abolishes practically all
OF the pension agencies and travelling
pension examiners and local pension
examining boards. and all other pen
sion department expenses, excepting
those that are absolutely necessary
for the official disposition of the bust
ness of the general pension office. My
Idea is to cut out all of the million
dollars annually expended and other
high expense that the government is
now paying out on this pension busi-
ness; and also obviate the necessity
OF these fifteen thousand pension bills
that are already introduced in this ses-
sion, not ten per cent of which can
possibly be passed. In other words, it
cuts out the red tape and delays and
harassing expense and annoyances of
this whole pension business, and gives
the few surviving "Old Boys in Blue"
what is coming to them during the
Few brief years of their remaining life,
rather than compel them to look for
their reward in the hereafter. OF
course l do not flatter myself that
will be permitted to pass this bill in
my name; at the same time, may as
sist in the engrafting of the substance
OF this bill upon bill of some major
ity member, and / believe it will be
passed within one or two years, if not
at this session.
enclose copy of my general
park bill The present law allows cities
and towns to select 160 acres of land
within three miles Of town for park
purposes. Hardly any of the towns
have any suitable government land
within three miles. and 16O acres does
not give them enough land. So am
raising the distance to within fifteen
miles in which they may select the
site, and raised the amount of land
from 160 to 1880 acres, and making 1t
general all over the United States.
This, of course, is a general bill. I
have specific bill directly conveying
the already selected park sites to
about fifteen towns in the state, which
I am quite confident will be able to
pass.
Il also enclose a bill granting to the
Agricultural college at Fort Collins,
six townships of land for forestry and
general agricultural purposes"
Mr.. Taylor also alludes to the COM
petitive examination for appointments
to the Naval Academy at Annapolis,
which he had conducted at the State
capitol in Denver last December
There were about thirty-five boys who
started in, but many of them were en-.
tirely unable to qualify, and of those
who took the examination five were
rejected because of physical defects.
or the twelve who finally took the ed.
ucational examination the result was
as follows:
Principals Ned Ellsberg, Boulder,
and Fred Pelton, Denver.
Alternates: in the order named: 1.
Walter t. Brockway, Ouray. 2. Lewis
c. Davidson, Denver. 3. Arthur G.
Jellum, Fowler. /. Charles w. Cope.
land, Aspen. 2. Carl Il. Hooker, Rifle.
3. Stanlcy S. Cooke, Denver.