Rocky Ford enterprise., 1915-01-01
PLANS FOR NEXT
STATE ASSEMBLY
Important Legislative Action
that is Being Proposed
BILL CREATING
INDUSTRIAL COMMISSION
Experts Investigating Laws with View
to Reduce Cost of State Govern
ment and Yet Give Efficiency
Especial to The Enterprise.)

the Republican party are planning
for Il legislative session that will
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
most efficient government at the
least possible cost. In order to do
this two important bills are being
drafted: First, the bill creating the
Carlson Industrial Commission; and
second. bill that will reduce the
number OF employees to the very min.
imum 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 appropria-
ton bills and the laws creating boards
and bureaus with a view of making
recommendations that will reduce the
cost and still give more efficient gov
crnment. 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 number
of experts at work, some OF whom
were the same men who made the
recommendations in Minnesota.
So far these experts have made rec
concentrations which, if put into ef-
feet, will save the state one-half mill
lion dollars annually. The general
proposition is to abolish all boards
and bureaus and to create one or two
commissions to handle all of the
work now handled through the
boards and bureaus: also to abolish
the general clerkship and minor posi-
tions and to create one position TO be
filed by capable person TO do the
work now being done by. four or FIVE
The gcnral plan will include the crea-
ton OF one board to have charge OF
all state institutions instead OF one
board for every state institution. In
short. il will mean 4 reduction in the
member of employees in the lcgisla-
tive, executive and judicial depart
ments OF the government.
Those who have been working on
the plan have figures TO show that ii
costs Colorado more to maintain her
government when compared with the
number of people in the state and
when compared with the amount OF
money expended for governmental
purposes, than any other state in the
Union. For instance. last year Wis
consin distributed 200,000,000 fry from
three fish hatcherics at cost OF
$1,000. while Colorado distributed
4O.000000 fry from thirteen fish
hatch cries at cost of $4,000. The
same proportion OF expense holds
good in almost every department OF
the state. The general plan as out
lined by Chairman Stewart and the
other leaders is to have the legisla-
ture most and remain in session thir-
ty days. During this time Il c bills
that are intended to be erIctcd INTO
law can be introduced and III" prop=r
committees appointed and ADJOURN
ment can then be taken for another
,hirty days. Under the Constitution
an adjournment for over three days
closes the Assembly. Governor Carl!
son can at the end of the second tnir-
ty davs issue call for a special ses-
sion and include only those matters
which are really necessary Tor con-
sideration. This would hyc the cf-
feet OF killing all unnec 'sSary pro-
posed bills and would give the As
sembly all of its time on the meas
ures that are supposed to he oi vita'
importance to the people. Certainly
this is an unprecedented manner OF
handling legislation. Yet tfose who
have the matter in charge ieel 'na'
this is the only way the cost oi
maintaining the state government can
be reduced to a poiit something Ike
it should be. To be sure. II will meet
with violent opposition from iho2e
who have positions or from those
who feel that they should be appoint-
ed to positions that are 10 be abolish.
ed under this plan. The leaders OF
the movement reaii:c that they Viii
have the dead weis IT of all tins cp-
position but they feel that the vote
at the last election indicates that the
people want the state put on sound
basis and that public sentiment Will
support the move. "If the opposition
is so great that we cannot put TINS
reduction scheme through, said
Chairman Stewart. 1--WE will go be
fore the people at the next election
with the bill we want as an initiated
measure and fight it out at that time.
The general plan is to get back as
nearly as possible to the expenditures
under Mcdonald and Buchtel. 1t is
we'll known fact that the state gov
crnment is no more efficient now than
il was then and that it costs over
SlO00,00O bicnnially more now than
then.
p1oycd drafting proposed bills; One
sci is drafting a bill which will Gre
ate the Carlson Industrial Cominis-
sion, and the other is drafting the
bill which will make the necessary re-
ductions in governmental costs lie