The Delta independent., 1917-03-02

There has been quite a little qulDp-
ling over bills this week. Bills were
put up and then the Committee of the
Whole would undertake to fashion
them to the needs of each particular
section of the state. The first of this
kind was H. b. No. 3S4. The theory
of this bill was excellent and it looked
well on paper but the results did not
seem satisfactory to us all. This bill
undertook to change the system of
payment of our county officers. In
stead of being paid out of the fees of
their office, the way most of them are
now paid, it put them on a monthly
salary to be paid out of the general
county fund. At the present time it
is up to the county officers to collect
enough fees to pay their salaries and
| if they don't, it is their own loss.
Under the new bill it would have
meant that when there are not enough
fees collected, the taxpayers would
have to make it good out of the gen.
eral fund. On this gorund had made
up my mind that the bill would
be satisfactory to the taxpayers of
Delta county, and when re-
ceived a resolution from the County
+ Commissioners of Delta county asking
me to protest against this bill. l got
up and moved the enacting clause be
/ stricken from it. said that no amend
ment could possibly be made which
would make it satisfactory to us and
that further discussion was unneces-
sary. Two or three others followed
me along the same lines but when it
was put to vote we lost by a small
majority Another motion was made
/ however. to report the bill back to
the committee from which it came.
I One of the signers of this bill asked
me this morning if he could amend
/ il in any way to suit my objections
4 but l told him that l did not believe
compromise was possible. l do not
/ believe the bill will be heard from
again.
The next bill over which we had
al
which undertook to revise the present
game laws. This bill opened the sea
son on deer in 1918, limited the hours
of fishing from a. m TO p. m. and
changed the season on most of the
other game. ! altered an amendment
to close the season on deer until 1924.
which was passed. Others had other
amendments to offer and when we got
through there wasn't much left of the
original bill. 1t was referred back to
the fish and game committee. where it
will be held until the fate of the sen
ate bill. which was framed by the de
partment of fish and game. and meets
most of our objections, is learned. II
this senate bill is lost in the senate
we will bring this bill back out of the
committee as amended.
A bill passed by the house this week
which increases the powers of the
boards of directors OF incorporated
towns so that they can appropriate
money for purposes of giving concerts
entertainments. advertising communi
ties. etc The bill was amended to
limit the total amount to be expended
at 6 of n mill of the assessed valua.
tion. and as such it passeo.
The representative from Mesa coun
ty was put in an embarrassing posi-
tion when his bill creating the county
of Pabor came up. 1t seems that Mr.
Canon had promised to put in this bill
but he wished to remain neutral. II
was hard thing to do. Pabor county
wishes to be created out of a part OF
Garfield and part of Mesa county
with the county seat at Fruita. The
tion that the residents of Somerset
and of Crystal creek are in relation
TO Gunnison county. Neither the rep
resentatives from Garfield nor Mr.
Canon would say whether he believed
such division necessary. However
when it became known that Mr.. Canon
would vote for the bill it passed on
second reading.
There was quite an opportunity for
the older representatives to orate
when the bill came up to make it 4
misdemeanor to play our National An
them, The Star Spangled Banner" in
any amusement or public gathering in
n medley. We all know that it is Gus
} tomary. especially at this time wher
} our country is in a critical condition to