The Delta independent., 1919-02-07
RoCkWELL'S LETTER

which the house passed and was so
"A accord with the general feeling of
the people of our county in that they
desired to repeal the laws of our
statutes which We're not being en-
forced and which were being super
seded with local laws, that l did not
think to mention it. I refer to repeal
ling the Sunday closing law. This law
was made at the time Colorado was
wet and it's purpose was to keep the
ilsaloons and cabarets closed on Sun
day. At that time it had the endorse
ment of by far the majority of the
people of the state. After Colorado
went dry, most of the towns of the
regarding Sunday closing, and little if
any attention is paid to the state law.
At the present time Denver let's every
picture show and every theater run
on Sunday and the picture show
men consider it one of their biggest
days 1t is amazing to me that the
lAnti-saloon League which is criticiz-
| ing the house for having passed this
llaw, has not taken some action toward
closing the theaters and play houses
of Denver The question is not wheth-
er we prefer that theaters should be
run on Sunday, because personally /
believe they should be closed, but
whether we wish on our statutes
| law which is not enforced, in fact
which is being violated every Sunday
! by the larger cities of our state. The
| matter stands now as it did before.
the local authorities to decide on the
question of letting their picture shows
run on Sunday or not.
The second matter was called to my
attention by an editorial in the North
Fork Times regarding new boards and
commissions. The Republican mem
bers authorized the Speaker to appoint
committee on Boards and Commis-
sions. whose duty it will be to cut out
all the old Boards and Commissions
as possible, consolidating several of
| the boards under one head where it
can be consistently done, and discour-
aging any attempt to create new ones.
If these men fulfill their duty and
their personnel insures that they will,
great deal of duplication and polite
lal patronage will be cut out in the
future.
We are extremely busy at this time
in committees and on the floor of the
house, in discussing proposed bills.
Among those that passed this week
are:
H B. 6S which changes the election
in small towns Of 1000 inhabitants,
from one to two years. think this
will meet with the approval OF all
hold office in the towns
H. B. 76 This allows the towns and
cities to increase their bonded indebt-
edness from per cent of 10 per cent
of their valuation to straight 3 per
kcent of their valuation. for such i'm
Orovements as drains, sanitary con-
ditions. etc.
| H. B. 1853. This is bill which defin-
es dentistry. raises the standard OF
dentistry in Colorado. does away with
quack dentists and makes it possible
to take away dentists license for
| incompetency or misbehavior.
! H. b. SO limits the number of cars
a train may carry on grades of one
per cent or more. 1t is done to make
it more safe for the employees on
those trains. to protect the shipment
of livestock and perishable goods go
ing over the mountains, and to assist
somewhat in the delay caused by the
railroads who refuse to move cars
until they have the proper tonnage.
Whether this law would have any efA
feet on the government regulation.
do not know. but If passed by the SEN
ate 1t could be enforced If the roads
are returned to the owners.
constitutional amendment provid-
ling for the increase in salary OF state
| Legislators was defeated. of course,
voted against the bill taking the stand
that a legislator is not elected for the
purpose of making money or to get
salary, but simply to serve his district
at actual expense.
Another bill which has not been tho
roughly threshed out yet, provides
that constitutional amendments must
receive the vote OF majority of the
| entire number of votes cast at that
election. At the present time. as you
know. many people do not vote on
initiated and referred bills with which
they are not familiar. In some cases.
not over 10 per cent OF the voters have
voted on this bill and II majority OF
that 10 per cent favored. 1t changes
the constitution just the same In the
legislature 1t requires a majority Of all
the members elected to decide the fate
OF bill, and SO 1t would seem to me
that 1t should require the majority Of
all the people who vote at that elec.
ton, to decide the fate of that bill