The Elk Mountain pilot., 1919-03-13
WORKING TOWARD END
LEGISLATURE WILL ADJOURN
ABOUT MARCH 20.
Much Important Work Yet Unfinished
With Only Few Days Left

Western Newspaper Union News Service
Denver. Legislators are looking
forward to the time of final adjourn
ment, which, it is believed, will be
either March 20 or April 8. There Is
general feeling that about twenty
days more is sufficient to pass the re-
construction measures advocated by
the administration, and, in many in
stances, by both Republicans and
Democrats. Up to date none Of the
big issues, including a good roads
program. the budget system Of expen-
ditures by the state. soldiers set
tlement plan and blue-sky legislation.
has been passed by either House.
The Steele bill. calling for a
railroad commission to take over
the Moffat railroad and build the
James peak tunnel. is m important
bit of legislation to be considered.
There is the general money pay bill
for administration expenses for the
next two years, and the consideration
Of legislation to make operative the
civil service amendment to the cOnsti-
tuition adopted by the voters last No
vember.
Passage Of the Booth bill for col
onizatiOn and soldier settlement on
Colorado lands Is demanded by the
people Of southern Colorado. accord
Ing to Secretary David W. Thomas Of
the agricultural and livestock bureau
of the Denver Civic and Commercial
Association.
Colorado Is assured Of getting ST.
100000 federal hospital within the
next year. according to a telegram re-
ceived by the Colorado Development
federation from w. Macdonald Lee.
an influential Virginia newspaper pub
Usher, now In Washington co-Operat-
ing with Executive Secretary Carl
Hinton Of the federation. The hos
pital will be built and operated by
the United States Public Health Serv-
ice. and will be for discharged SOL
diers under the war risk insurance act.
The Senate passed on final reading
the Warren-Andrew bill creating u
game refuge out of parts Of Larimer
and Boulder counties. us well as the
Napier bill to validate purchases of
Liberty bonds made with stnte funds
by Robert III. Higgins, former trens-
urer. The Thompson House bill. pro-
vlding for an exchange of tracts
owned respectively by the normal
school and the high school in Gunni-
son county, was given final approval
Measures adopted OH second reading
Included the Andrew-Peterson classi.
fication bill for fees Of county Off
cials, the Knauss bill. providing an in
crease in the percentage Of gross
premiums of foreign fire insurance
companies for the maintenance Of the
firemen's pension fund. and the Rid
dle-TobIn bill calling for additional
facilities for the State Dairy Commits
sioner's Department.
The House considered favOrably. on
final reading. the Stephen hill prohlb-
iting the display of the red flag" In
public. There wns no discussion. the
representatives being a unit in guard
ing against the encouragement of
nnarchistic propaganda through the
waving Of the red flag Of terrorism.
Colorado Ia on the point of getting
away from the "hoOdoo" of thirteen
judicial districts. the House giving
final approval to the GIrnrtl House
trct to comprise the county Of Boul.
der. The court will sit In Boulder.
The Dunlnp-Ha Senate bill
to compel corporations to pay en-
ploy6s twice month. was adopted on
second reading, after 1t was amended
to read that employers could pay on
any two days they chose, and not on
the 9Th and Goth, as was provided In
the original bill.
The lower House OF the Assembly
gave Its final approval to IL bill for
constitutional amendment which. II
adopted by the voters two years hence.
will rcvolutionIze to u considerable ex-
tent the administration of educational
affairs In Colorado. The proposed
amendment provides for the establish
ment of a state board of education to
he composed OF seven members, which
will take the place of the present ex-
officiO bonrd and will be empowered
to appoint state commissioner of
education, who wills take over the
duties Mt present performed by the
state superintendent of public instruc.
tion. thus abolishing M nn elective pO-
sition the office of state superintend-
eat.
The needs of the various state insti-
tutions during the biennial period.
which began Dec. last. were under
discussion MT n meeting of the ScDNte
finance committee. The demands nf