The Delta independent., 1919-01-17
i. RockwELL's LETTER. +.
>>>> >>>> 80 =

Ihere are approximately $50 bills
| at present to be considered by the
house and senate. Compared to last
session it looks as if we would not
have more than two thirds as many
to consider Many of these are du-
plicates-the same bill being put in
the senate and house and many are
on the same subject; for instance,
there are probably five or six bills
in the house at the present time hav-
ing to do with the Public Utilities
Commission. Some of these wish to
abolish the utilities commission, some
to elect the members of the commits
sion, and others still have other sug-
gestions. With the game bills the
same condition exists. There is a
bill in forbidding the hunting of bear
another makes it illegal to hunt bear
with dogs or to catch them in
steel trap. Another bill makes bear
a predatory animal. and even goes SO
| far as to place a bounty on them
I am preparing bill classifying coy
otes, wolves. bear. lions and bob cats
as predatory animals, and makes it
unnecessary to have a big game IL
cense to hunt them. All of these bills
will be threshed out in the committee
and five or six will be consolidated
into one before it is reported out.
Thus it will be seen that out of the
six or seven hundred bills which will
be considered by the committees, only
fifty or seventy-five will ever be con-
sidered on the floor of the house.
One day this week there was a
joint session of the house and senate
to listen to the report of the election
of the state officers. This showed
that Lieutenant Governor Stephan of
Delta received the largest majority of
anyone on his ticket. He ran almost
140O ahead of Governor Shoup. This
speaks well for Governor Stephan's
popularity, and shows that the west
ern slope supports its candidates re-
gardless of party.
Monday the speaker announced
the committee appointments. I was
given every committee I asked FOR AMI
tow were added. The committees
are as follows: Agriculture and Irri-
cation, Appropriation and Expendi-
lures, Education, Fish AMI Game. For
est Reserves and Forestry, IIdusfri'l
Relations, Stock aud Pules. This last
is. of course, the most important com
mittee of the house. There are three
Republicans and one Democratic
member, and they have the power to
make the rules of the house and ar
,ange as to what bis will go on the
calendar. It is said that Billy
Adams of the senate says that if thev
will put him on the rules committee.
he doesn't care whether he serves On
any others or NJ.
Only one bill has batn passed On
third reading. That was the resolu-
tion ratifying the proposed prohibi-
ton Amendment. There were only
two negative votes in the house;
Owens OF Lake county and Downing
of Pitkin. and of these. Downing vot-
ed against it because he thought it
was impractical to enforce. Another
resolution was passed asking the fed
eral government to refund the $780,
900 which the state expended in get
ting the national guard equipped for
service.
have put in the following bills UP
to this time:
First, bill to amend the constitu-
tion SO as to make it possible for the
legislature to make a law concerning
the uniform text books in the public
schools. This would be great saving
in the purchase of books and would
make uniform course of study i.i
the lower grades throughout the stat.
do not believe that it is practical in
the high schools where more voca-
tional training should be possible. a!
lowing the boy of the country to study
subjects preparatory for farm work
and the boy of the city for the bust
ness world. One system is all thai is
necessary to learn to read and write,
and the ether foundations for ca
reer
Second. statutory provision max
ing it possible for children in one
school district legally to attend
school in another II this bill passes,
will he possible for one school dis
trict TO make contract with another
regarding the tuition, etc. for the stu
dents going into that district to attend
school. At present no such contract
is legal
Third. bill to appropriate $4,000