The Colorado statesman., 1917-03-24
A new UTILITIES BILL
REQUIRES CONSENT OF coMMIs-
SION FOR IMPROVEMENTS.
Long Appropriation Measure Present
ed BY Senate Finance Committee
and House Appropriations Com
mittee.
western Newspaper Union News Service.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Denver-The State Senate, by q
vote of % to IA, approved on second
reading the Rogers and Mishou House
bill. which gives to the Public Utili-
ties Commission the power to prevent
the construction OF any new public
utility within the state without the
consent of the commission.
The long appropriation bill for the
expenses of the executive, legislative
and judicial departments of Colorado
for the fiscal years of 1917 and 1918
was advanced on second reading last
week in the House of Representatives.
There was little opposition to the bill.
which represented the efforts of the
finance committee of the Senate and
the appropriations committee of the
House. In fact, the members. instead
of trimming the measure, incorpor-
ated an additional $50, 900 for the vari-
Gus departments. This increased the
total, s1,S66,355, to $1.916,355, or $780,
354 in excess of the long appropria-
tion bill passed two years ago.
Attorney General Leslie E. Hubbard
was allowed $4,000 as an additional
appropriation over his general ex-
penses to conduct the inheritance tax
department, which falls under his su-
pervision.
The actual expenses of conducting
the present Legislature are estimated
to be less by $S,725 than was neces-
sary to conduct the Twentieth General
Assembly. The Legislature will ad-
journ March oath of this year. Two
years ago it was in session until April
10th. The total provided fer this year,
exclusive of $4,000 premiums for the
insurance of state employees under the
industrial act, is $165,000. Two years
ago it was s173,725, not including an
appropriation of $4,000 for the work
of the State Survey Committee.
Although the secretary of states Of
flee in the last two years has had two
commission merchant inspectors, eact
receiving $1,000 year, the House de-
MED that privilege to Secretary Of
State James R. Noland by voting to
retain but one inspector.
An attempt to vacate the office of
John Lynch, pure food inspector, by
consolidating his duties with those OF
the secretary of the board of health,
failed. The House increased his sal
the secretary of the health board from
81 900 to $500. The salary of the
secretaryship under the proposed
amendment in the bill would give him
a salary of $4,000.
Other increases proposed for state
officers and employees included deputy
superintendent of public instruction,
$1,000 to $2,4O0; chief accountant. sec
retary of states office, $1,SO0 to s2,-
900; secretary tax commission, $1,000
to $4,000; clerk, State Geological Sur
vey, 5000 to $1,000
Appropriations for two bureaus
which did not receive state assistance
two years ago are the free travelling
libraries of Colorado, $4,000, and the
State Humane Society, $4,000.
The House received the report of
ehe committee on appropriationssrec-
ommending the payment of the dam
ages suffered during the coal strike
by certain coal mining companies.
THE report awards to the Southwest
ern Coal Company, Aguilar, $26,S87,
provided in bill by Representative
Mishou of Pueblo; $50,990.35 to the
Empire Coal Company, Las Animas
county, provided in bill by Repre-
sentative Bills of Denver, and $13,-
359.59 to the Sunnyside Coal Company
of Walsenburg, provided in bill by
Representative Rogers of Denver.