The Delta independent., 1917-03-16

ingorder. The proposition was this:
Some years ago the State Penitentiary
applied and got a lease on several
hundred acres of land at Avondale for
the purpose of working some of their
| TRUSTEES on the farm and at the same
time create little revenue. 1t seems
the people of Avondale did not know
that this land had been leased to the
! penitentiary until it was too late to
object. The two sides of the argu-
ment as l understand them were as
follows: Those who desired the con-
tinuation of the lease (this bill de-
mands that the Land Board shall ere
ate a 20 years extension to the lease)
claimed that they were saving the
State money, that it was a chance to
reform some of the criminals in the
| State Penitentiary. and that the rea-
son that the people of Ayondale de-
sired that this lease be stopped was
to allow them to buy this land which
had been developed at the expense of
the State at very little cost. Those
who opposed the extending of the lease
believed that the bona fide residents
of Colorado had the first cosideration
that criminals should not be made to
interfere with the property and per
sonal rights of residents. Those repre-
senting the people of Avondale stated
that they were continually under
strain, fearing for their children going
/ to and from school and for their fam
lilies alone at home. They claimed
that they were unable to sell their
| property because no one cared to have
home next to a penitenitiary farm.
and that the Peniteniary Farm land
could be sold today for something like
s35 to $50 an acre. This land is
school land and if it could be sold for
this price for tn ebenefit of the school
fund, was is fair to lease it to the
Penitentiary for s1.00 an acre when
the profits from the farm represented
something like $4,000 a year into the
State Treasury? l voted against the
| bill.
Another bill which had a great deal
of dynamite in it, but was short lived
was that seeking to consolidate the
Senate and House in one body This
it was claimed would save so many
House Bills being killed. in theSenate
I could see very little argument in
favor of such law and was glad when
the enacting clause was stricken.
The bounty law passed as amended
by the Stock Committee OF the House
The bounty on wolves will be $50.
coyotes 81 lynx 50. The money is to
be raised by assessing all livestock
and poultry throughout the State at
one-half mill. took this matter up
with the Delta Livestock association
and as many of the stockmen OF the
county as could get hold OF. They
all seemed go favor such law We
raised the bounty on wolves from sl5..
as in the original bill, to $50 each and
cut the bounty on coyotes from 80 so
| to 50. This was all we could get and
as it seemed to be the desire Of our
stockmen that such bill be passed
we raised no further objection.
Considerable time was spent in try
ing to change the matter of licensing
our motor cars, specifying the speed
limits on our public highways, etc
There was so much to the bill and so
many opositions that it was finally
killed.
Other bills OF more or less local
character were the creating OF Pawnee
county out of Weld county, the chang
ing Of our law regarding alcohol so
that it may be sold to laboratories
hospitals an dcertain prescriptions to
people. and food and drug act max
ing our State law conform to the Fed
eral Law regarding the labelling Of
goods, medicines. foods. etc.
Some time ago I was appointed as
the Republican member from the
House on a joint committee Of the
House and Senate to look into the
Managers, the condition OF the build.
ing and in regard to room for some
Of the new boards and comissions htat
have been created. and buying OF land
for new buildings, etc. In our report,
which we handed in this morning, we
recommended that the State buy three
vacant corners not to exceed a speci.
fled figure. These corners being at
present vacant and in a condition
Whara fhnv ron ta hOp1ht 49,