The Lamar register., 1914-12-23
By Alva A, Swain

that VIII only enact Such laws as Will
carry out the principal promises made
by the party during the last election,
and that will give unto Colorado the
efficient government at the least pos
sible cost. In order to do this two
important bills are being drafted,
first: the bill creating the Carlson
Industrial Commission, which has
been explained before, and, second, a
bill that will reduce the number of
employees to the very minimum
with efficiency still maintained. 1t
has not been generally known but for
the last few weeks the leaders of the
party have had some of the best
known governmental experts in the
country going over the appropriation
bills and the laws creating boards and
bureaus with view Of making rec
concentrations that will reduce the
cost and still give more efficient gov
ernment. Some years ago the state
Of Minnesota employed experts to do
this with the result that millions of
dollars were saved annually. Chair
man Stewart of the republican state
central committee has had a number
of experts at work, some of whom
made the recommendations in Mime
sofa. So far these experts have made
which, if put into
effect, will save the state one half
million dollars annually. The general
proposition is to abolish all boards
and bureaus and to G. cate one or two
commissions to handle all Of the work
now handled through the boards and
bureaus; also TO abolish the general
and minor positions and to
create one position to be filled by a
capable person to do the work now
being done by four or five. The gen
eral plan will include the creation of
one board to have charge of all state
institutions instead of one board for
every state institution. In short, it
will mean a reduction in the number
of employees in the Legislative, exc
cutive and judicial departments of the
Those who have been working on the
plan have figures TO show that it
costs Colorado more to maintain her
when compared with the
number of people in the state and
when compared with the amount of
money expended for government pur-
poses, than any other state in the
Union. For instance, last year Wis
consin distributed 200,0OO,OOO fry
from their fish hatcheries at cost of
81 900, while Colorado distributed 49,
100000 fry from thirteen fish hatch
cries at cost of $4,000. The same
of expenses holds good in
almost every department Of the state.
The general plan as outlined by
Chairman Stewart and the other lead
ers is to have the legislature meet
and remain in session thirty days.
During this time the bills that are in
tended to be enacted into law can be
and the proper committees
appointed and adjournment can then
bt IdhtiA AOI dlOALAtA AALll " udgS- IN
der the constitution an adjournment
for over three day closes the assem-
bly,. Governor Carlson can at the end
of the second thirty days issue a call
for special session and include only
those matters which are really nee
essary for consideration. This would
have the effect of killing all unnec-
essary proposed bills and would give
the assembly all Of its time on the
measures that are supposed to be of
vital Importance to the people. Ger
tainly this is an unprecedented man
ner of handling legislation. Yet those
who have the matter in charge feel
that this is the only way the cost of
the state government can
be reduced to a point something like
it should be. To be sure, it will meet
with violent opposition from those
who have positions or from those who
feel that they should be appointed to
positions that are to be abolished
under this plan. The leaders of the
realize that they will have
he dead weight of all this opposition