United labor bulletin., 1912-06-13
UTILITIES COMMISSION BILL
FILED BY ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE
Committee Congratulated on Its Work Attorney Cohen
Deserves Much Credit Chamber of Commerce
Debates Two Measures

Chairman Bryan of the legislative
committee of the Trades Assembly re-
ported at the meeting Sunday that the
legislative committee. of which Dele
gates Ahlstrom and Hoage are the two
other members. had filed the petitions
to submit the public utilities bill to the
voters of the state, with the secretary
OF state The bill was drawn by Attor-
ney Henry Cohen, and was adopted by
the Trades and Labor Assembly, en-
dorsed by the Colorado State Federation
of Labor, and filed with Secretary of
state Pierce, containing over $4,000
names.
This has been a Herculean task. and
the committee deserves great credit as
well as Attorney Cohen, who has devoted
weeks of his time to the task. Work
was begun on a public utilities bill in
the latter part of 1911. After months
spent with the committees of the Direct
Legislation league and the Farmers
union, all of which proved to be time
lost the assembly committee decided
that it would take Mr. Cohen's bill and
initiate it alone. The assembly accom-
plished its task in remarkable time, and
Chairman Bryan and his committee are
receiving congratulations.
But the bill has not yet been voted ia
vorably upon by the people. 1t will have
league has adopted bill drawn by At
torney Rush, who made such bungle of
the Denver city and county charter that
it took over nine years in the courts be-
fore it could be decided what was meant
by the language used. This bill of the
league has the support of what is known
as the governors kitchen cabinet 1t is
desired to have the governor name the
commission before he retires from Office
THa of le,ax rSx- -
the right to name commission with
absolute powers with the right only to
appeal to the supreme court from its de-
cision- The commission is also empow-
cred to draw what money it desires from
the state treasury on its own motion.
The sponsors for the league measure
took the bill before the Chamber of Com
merce at a special meeting held Tuesday
evening and desired to have it adopted
by that body. and after Secretary to the
Governor Malone and Attorney Rush
took the floor in its behalf. Attorney
Cohen, w. H. Leonard and the chairman
of the legal committee of the chamber
took the floor in opposition 20 it and in
support of the Trades Assembly measure,
and the debate resulted in bringing out
the good points of the assembly measure
and in showing up the scheme of the
members of the Direct Legislation league
who desire to have retiring governor
name a commission, the members of
which Will hold office for two. four and
six years after Governor Shafroth has
retired from Office. Both bills were re-
ferred to a committee to report at the
earliest possible moment.
The Trades Assembly measure gives
the incoming governor the right to name
the commission. His appointments are
subject to the approval OF the senate,
and the awards and decisions of the
commission are made renewable by the
district court. The bill places all such
decisions at the head of the trial cal
endar of said court
The bill drawn by Attorney Cohen is
fashioned after the public utilities bills
of California, Wisconsin and New York,
and is said by attorneys to be one of the
best measures for the regulation of pub
lie utilities ever drawn. Should the bill
become a law it will be an everlasting
monument to the Denver Trades and
Labor Assembly and those members
whose energies were responsible for
having the petitions filed with the secre-
tary of state.