United labor bulletin., 1912-06-20
DENVER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
REPUDIATES DIRECT LEAGUE BILL
Opposition 10 Trades Assembly Utilities. Measure
Receives Setback Assembly Has Good
Measure. Say Attorneys

ASSIGNING variety of reasons, the
city anairs committee of the Chamber
o, commerce has reported adversely to
the amendment to the state constitution
submitted by the Direct Legislation
league creating public utilities COM
mission or court in this state
Inc hrst objection cited by the COM
nii1tee IN Its report is to the fact that
.he attempt TO change the constitution
IS expensive, and that it repeals the
poNer Oh the legislature and all other
agencies, including boards of county
commissioners. The fact thar the nro-
posed amendment places practically M
les.rietions upon the expenditures that
may De made by the proposed court is
made matter for further objection
Inc committee objects to the fact
tnat tnat the Dill provides that no quaIifica-
'~ions ~ small De exacted of members of the
commission and that they shall he on
pointed by the governor instead os az
ing elected by the people 1t is said to
oe detective further in that it fails to
pioNiue adequate procedure for carving
court. ene
me report is signed by F. l.. Bart
le.l, W. W: Case, Jr.. H. G. Wolff, H. G.
Lar noou, Seth B. Bradley, F. L. SchoItz.
fynn, E. H. Braukman, w. F. r Mills
q. L. Ritter, j. F. Symes, Henry B
Eaoo, A. j. Halter, ]. B. Mailing Henry
cohen, Fred W. Parks, George H. Knit.
ton' Frank S. Tesch and L. II. Ricbard-
son. u
Inc Dill creating a public utilities
.olnlnission was drafted by John Rush.
the man who wrote the city charter or
Rush bill, that has created such havoc
IT city affairs for the past nine wears
IN reading 1t one would think that he
was readlng newspaper article rather
tnan a constitutional amendment Jts
| language is not clear, and it is conceded
that 1t would create endless litigation
Ai'housn written by Rush, the bill is
sponsored by Secretary to the Governor
Malone, who desires to have the amend.
ment passed that Shafroth NAV. as pro-
vloed In the amendment, appoint the
commission before he retires from once
In January. 1t is argued by all real pro-
gressives and reformers that an outgo-
ing governor should not be permitted
10 appoint such an important commits
SION They argue that the commission
should be appointed by the incoming
governor that he may be held responsi-
Die for the work of the commission. The
| amendment was passed by the Direct
Legislation league when only few were
present, and it is now being Circulated
from an office in the E. & C. building
IN connection with other legislative
4 l.
ton is being financed by Mr. Malone.
the governors secretary, and is Great
ing no end of unfavorable comment.
especially since the Chamber of Com
merce has reported that the amendment
is very bad.
Beside allowing the outgoing COVER
nor to appoint the commission, it gives
the proposed commission the power to
draw unlimited funds from the state
treasury. The amendment is put in the
field in opposition to the bill of the Dem
yer Trades and Labor Assembly, drawn
by Attorney Henry Cohen and conceded
by attorneys everywhere to be the best
public utilities bill ever proposed in any
state The assembly measure has been
circulated and now reposes with the
secretary of state. and will be on the
ballot at the fall election. The assem-
bly, measure specifies that the proposed
commission be named by the incoming
governor. 1t gives the commission power
to thoroughly control the public utilities
of the state
The Direct Legislation league meas
, ure will probably get sufficient sigma
lures to place their proposed constitu-
tional amendment on the ballot, but
labor should remember that it should
be defeated at the polls.