Gilpin observer., 1911-02-09
EDITORS PUSHING
PUBLICITY MEASURES.

The Colorado Editorial association
Is backing two bills in the present
legislature, each OF which tends tc
greater efficiency and safer adminis
tration. The first bill is known as s.
b. No. 49 by Senator Van Tilborg
and in the house as H. B. No. So by
MIR. Skinner. The bill provides that
all town and city councils and boards
OF trustees shall publish a record of
the proceedings wherein they allow
bills, let contracts or give rebates.
Senator Van Tilborg, who is back.
Ing the bill In the senate, has had a
wide experience in city affairs, havinf
been for many years mayor Of Cripple
Creek, and he takes a deep interest
In all matters pertaining to better
municipal administration He is firmly
OF the opinion that this bill If enact.
| ed,will tend to make municipal boards
more careful, for then there will be
no star chamber methods and no fay-
oritism. for publicity is always the
foe of crooked methods. Senator Van
Tilborg's force and ability and his
standing in the upper legislative body
make it pretty certain that the SEN
ate will take favorable action on the
bill. 1t is also getting along we'll in
the house, having been reported out
of committee and is on the calendar
for early consideration.
The other bill is known as S. B.
No. 81 by Senator Joyce, and is also
along the line Of publicity. but applies
to school districts. 1t requires school
boards in districts of the first and
second class to make report of their
financial standing twice each year. The
public spends hundred of thousands
OF dollars each year on schools, yet
there is not one taxpayer in a hun
dred that knows anything of the
standing of his district; how much
money has been received, for what
it was expended. and how much re-
mains on hand. The cost of the re-
ports will be small, but the value to
Senator Joyce, who is pushing the
bill. is one of the leading country ed
itors of the state and also takes
great interest in educational matters,
being chairman of the committee on
education and educational institu-
tions in the senate.
Three bills that are being watched
by the executive committee of the
State Editorial association, and which
will be. strenuously opposed were in
troduced last week by Senator Skin
ner, and are numbered 229, 23O, and
231. They are evidently bills prepar-
ed by the Direct Legislation league,
and that organization, or at least a
portion OF 1t, seems determined in
some way to ignore the country paper
in getting initiated and referred laws
before the public.
Bill No. 229 would seem to be an
attempt to interpret a constitutional
amendment by legislative act. It
directs that the secretary of state
in submitting constitutional amend
ments and initiated and referred laws
shall publish the same in one paper
in the state only. having a general
circulation in all the counties of the
state.
This would mean that such meas
ures be published in one Denver
daily. The constitutional provision re-
quiring such publications to be made
in one paper in each county in the
state is somewhat obscure, but It
would seem to be question for the
attorney general to interpret rather
than an Interpretation by legislative
enactment.
With the evident intention Of cut
ting out the state papers in one way
II not in another. the next bill at
tempts 1t in different form.
Bill No. 230 would amend the stat.
ute relating to the legal fees for pub
lications. 1t cuts the rate on initiated
and referred laws to 4 cents a line
for the first insertion and 2 cents a
line for each subsequent insertion,
about one-half Of the legal rate for
this kind OF work. The editorial asso-
citation and all newspaper men will
oppose this as being below the cost
Of production.
Finally. bill No. 231 provides that
all initiated and referred laws be dis
tributed in pamphlet form. which is
wasteful and more expensive than
newspaper advertising and has been
repeatedly proven.l like the handbill Of
a business house, the poorest way
to reach the people.
The executive committee Of the
State Editorial association has agreed