The Delta independent., 1921-01-28
Rockwell's Letter
January %, 1921.
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January %. 1921.
The signs have failed again and we
find that there are even more bills
presented in this session of the Leg
islature than there have ever been in
] the history of Colorado. Probably the
/ unusual conditions throughout the
state and nation have made members
feel that legislation of unusual kinds
is necessary Some bills would abol-
ish the Public Utilities Commission,
while others would give it jurisdiction
over packing houses, commission firms
coal mines and almost every other
kind of business.
| Many of these bills are of course
Implications, and many are introduced
by title only, so that changes can be
made if it is found advisable. For.
instance, Governor Shoup has an ad-
ministration bill which would create
one-man commission to handle our
state highways. I believe that the
| County Commissioners, in their al
1 most unanimous vote against this one
man commission, voted the general
feeling of the people outside of the
cities. On this account l have intro
duced two titles SO that the present
highway law can be amended to cor
rect the faults we find with it now af-
ter the Governors bill has been dis
posed Of
The Delta County Commissioners
waited upon me this week to see if
legislation could be passed which
would in any way assist tax payers in
that felt nothing could be done so
far as the Legislature was concerned,
except that the Legislature do as they
and everybody else must do this COM
ing year in cutting out all unnecessary
expenditures so that the taxes may be
lower for 1921. In this connection,
wish to suggest that those of you who
feel that the 1920 taxes are unusually
high study your assessments and le
vies l think you will find that this is
the case: Only little over three
mills is levied for state purposes
There is no levy for national purposes
the Federal Government derives its
money from income, excess, profit
and corporation taxes, tariff, etc.
and about rs per cent of these taxes
expenses. l am one of those who be-
lieve that teachers must receive ade-
quate salaries, and that our school
children shall have every advantage
we can give them; but we must real
ize that when we give them these
advantages we have got to pay for
them.
III All of us who are interested in the
Gunn;son Normal are ambitious to
procure money to finish the new Nor
NAL School building. After many con-
ferences with the Attorney General,
State Land Board, Governor Shoup.
Lieutenant-Governor Stephan and
others, 1t has seemed to me absolute
ly impossible to get any money for
this purpose at this time by direct ap-
preparation. They informed me 1t was
understood that. when the presidents
! of the various state institutions met
with Governor Shoup and decided up
on the amount of money they needed
for their work out of the Mill Levy
which was passed by the vote of the
people last election, no further ap
preparations would be asked for In
talking with the heads OF the other
institutions, find that the State Uni
versity says that they will be $500, 900
shy of their needs out of this Mill
Levy, and DIR. Lory of the Agricultural
College informs me that they are SO
crowded at the College that many of
their students are forced to live in
cellars and to have their classes un-
der the most unfortunate conditions.
According to the Budget COMMISSIONS
er's reports, Gunnison Normal will re-
ceive $4,000 more in 1922 than it will
in 1921, which, with salaries paid by
the Gunnison High School and other
income, will amount to total of
$170,850 not counting the $4,000
year set aside for building purposes
and the additional $4,000 which
should be available ON the. unappro-
priated 1-15 part which has gone to
Gunnison the last two years. As 1
understand the condition, this is am
pie money for all the running expenses
of the Normal with some twenty to
thirty thousand dollars year avail
able for building.
. The only bill which has passed both
, houses is the Short Appropriation
Bill which pays the expenses of the
employees OF the state from December
1920 to April 1921. Bob Curtis dis
covered that they had omitted the full
salary and expenses for the Commits
sion Merchants Inspectors. AS soon
as he called my attention to 1t, | got
together with the two chairmen of the
Appropriation committees and per