The Colorado statesman., 1920-09-04

new LAWS
Short Summary OF Amendments OF
General Interest to Colorado
Voters.
(By David Elliot, State Senator, El
Paso County,

vember next there will be submitted
to the voters some ten proposed laws
and amendments to the Constitution
of the state. In order that the cleo
tors may be informed in at least some
degree upon what is contained in these
proposals, brief statement of the ten
laws Is given below together with
very short summary of the arguments
which are being made "For' and
Against" these propositions. The pur-
pose of this article is to inform the
voters rather than to argue the Ques-
tions at issue.
Municipal Fire Departments.
This is an initiated law calling for
the two platoon system in paid fire de- |,
partments, that is two shifts of ten
hours in the day time and fourteen
hours at night, the men TO alternate
every fortnight.
Arguments for: 1. That it will Gre
ate greater efficiency among the fire
men. 2. That 1t will give them time
with their families. 3. That no man
should be on duty for the entire "a
hours subject to call. 4. That 400 cities
in the United States have the two-pla-
toon system working effectively.
Arguments against: !. That it would
increase the cost of maintaining the
fire department by calling for more
men. 2. That fireman is public
servant subject to call and that in most
cities his duties are light and he gets
a great deal of rest between alarms.
Practice of chiropractic.
The second initiated law provides
for the creation, under appointment by
the Governor, of a State Board or
three Chiropractic Examiners who
shall have exclusive control over the
licensing of Chiropractors in Colorado.
Arguments for: /. That the present
general license law is unconstitutional
inasmuch as the word Chiropractors is
not included in the little of the Act
and that therefore there is no law gov
erning Chiropractic. 2. That the Chiro-
practic profession is better qualified to
pass upon the merits of graduates than
a profession not schooled in that tech
nique. g. That the proposed education
al standard is just as high as that OF
any other state, and yet makes is pos
sible for graduates of a qualified Chiro-
practic college to come into the state
and practice.
Arguments against: 1. That there is
now one State Board of Medical Ex-
aminers and that a multiplication of
such boards is undesirable. 2. That a
general license is issued TO persons,
who, upon examination are found quail
fled to recognize different forms of
diseases 8. That various persons are
now practicing Chiropractic who do not
conform to the requirements of the
present state board, but would receive
licenses from Chiropractic Board.
The Tunnel Bills.
An initiated bill proposing three rail-
road tunnels, one under James Peak
on the Moffat Road, one under Mar
shall Pass and one under Cumbres
Pass on the Rio Grande. The cost is
estimated at $16,000,000 for the three
tunnels to be paid for in bonds of the
State of Colorado bearing Az per cent
interest; to be built under the direc-
ton of the State Railway Commission
appointed in 1918.
Arguments for: l. That the growth
of the northwest and southwest or
Colorado is greatly retarded by made
uuate railway facilities. 2. That new
empire will be opened up for the sale
of Colorado products 3. That. the
residents of these sections are entitled
to better railway facilities. 4. That
the snow blockades in the winter great
ly increase the cost of transportation
and subject the people to long and vex-
atious delays. 8. That through line
from coast to coast will greatly bene-
fit Colorado.
Arguments against 1. That the cost
will not stop at S16,OO0,00O but will be
much greater 2. That the state Will
be thrust into the railroad business for
many years to come. 3. That such
subsidy is unwise and sectional. 4.
That it will not stop with the tunnels
but will take in the railways them
selves. s. That no railway will be
found to guarantee the interest on the
bonds and hence the tunnels will be
operated by the state indefinitely.
Two New Counties.
Two initiated bills which may be dis
cussed together. They create the new
counties of Flagler and Limon out of
portions of Elbert, Lincoln and Kit
Carson counties in eastern Colorado
Arguments for: 1. That these dis
tricts are able to support the new coun-
ties. 2. That many residents have now
to go a long and roundabout way to
the county seats. 8. That eastern Colo
RADIO is rapidly coming to the front and
rho new counties are the natural result
of this development.
Arguments against: /. That II is
Boys Ask clemeney.