The Raymer enterprise., 1917-02-08
MORE THAN 200
LAWS PROPOSED
LEGISLATIVE GR|sT REDUCED
TOTAL NUMBER OF BILLS IS LESS THAN
THE NUMBER TWO YEARS AGO
But THE LAST DAY BEATS
PREVIOUS .REe0RD.

Last Thursday was the last day for
the introduction of bills in either branch
of the Colorado Legislature. By con-
stitutional provision all bills must be
introduced during the first thirty days
of the session, and none may be intro
duced thereafter. So no more laws
may be proposed until 1919, unless
special session should be called and
then the governor would indicate what
measures should be considered
Over two hundred proposed measures
were introduced into the house the
last day this year, some increase over
the crop produced on the Both day of
two years ago, but the total for the
session is not so large as two years ago
by about forty bills. have not had
chance to make comparisons of the
senate record, but few days ago it
was large enough. There are at least
six hundred different measures await
ing the consideration of the law-mak-
ers.
The legislature will be in session for
about sixty days longer A bill must
be read at length twice. 1t would re-
quire an hour to read several of the
bills, and we are told that one could
not be read in less than five hours. OF
course, many of the bills are very
short, change just word or two, and
can be disposed of quickly. But it will
be seen that il the six hundred bills
were to be considered, it would be
equivalent to having twelve hundred
bills passed at once, or twenty every
day including Sundays, for Sunday is
counted in as a legislative day.
The above will show why the real
consideration should be done in small
groups or committees. For short
time there will be few afternoon ses-
sions and perhaps very short morning
sessions. This will be called by some
killing tirle, but the best way to ex-
pedite matters at present would be to
meet for fifteen minutes each morning
call the roll and accept reports made
by committees, then adjourn and have
the committees put in their time con-
sidering bills and reporting them out
and keep at it until every bill was be-
fore the house with some sort of a
report, except in rare instances where
committees desired to consult with in
terested parties. After that was done
the daily work would be such as to
show results.
Governor Gunter seems to have run
into his first snag over the appoint
ments made on the Industrial Commits
sion. The officials appointed by Gov
ernor Carlson failed Of confirmation, so
it left the whole commission to be APP
pointed by the new governor. 1t would
seem as though the governor had not
selected men of the type needed. They
should be very able men and very fair
men.
The Legislature was not in session
Saturday when the last war news
came, but the house had previously
passed resolution unanimously pledg
lHg all Colorado to stand behind the
president. The few expressions heard
Saturday were unanimously in favor of
the stand taken by the president.
We do not want war, but neither do
we want to get off the earth.
Last week the fifth annual report of
the Colorado Tax commission came
from the hands of the printer. The
report shows some very interesting
figures.
The taxable property Of the state
shows falling off of almost 500, 0O0-
900, and that is approximately the de-
crease in the assessment on the city of