Gunnison news-champion., 1921-04-01


ported the valuation of cattle and
sheep as follows:
Steers In Bunches
One year old TO 500 90
Two year old 25 to 27.5O
Three year old - 40 to $500
Range Cattle in Bunches
Aged six months. up $3.50 to $1,000
Straight punches Of range
cows 100 to $500
Note:-Ayerage of all in
each county to be not
less than $500.
Milk Cows ----------S50 and up
Range Sheep -------S3.00 to $500
lNote:-Average of all in
each county to be not
less than $3.50.
Mr.. Merchant, Delta county asses
sor; Mr.. Haymaker, Gunnison county
assessor; and Mr.. Dunn, Montrose
county assessor, were all at the con-
,yention and all assisted very material
ily in arriving at these valuations.
The Highway Bill was amended in
the Senate approximately as men
toned in my last weeks letter. The
/ difficulties which have ben SO appar-
ent in the present Highway Law
namely the necessity Of majority
vote to decide any question and the
inability Of the Highway Commission
er to construct roads, etc, without in
I terference from the commission
have been corrected in this bill, but
we still have q commission composed
of seven from seven different parts
of the state. Under this new arrange
ment of the commissioners districts,
we would be in district No. z which
would be composed of the counties of
Delta, Eagle, Garfield, Gunnison, Ou-
ray, Mesa, Montrose, Pitlin, Rio
Blanco, San Miguel and Summit-in
other words, the watershed Of the
Western Slope.
/ The counties of the northwestern
part Of the state are placed in dis
trict No. 6, and the counties Of the
southwest part of the state are plac-
ed in District No. 3. The contention
Of some Of the papers that amending
4 House Bill SO that we have commits
sion of seven instead Of commission
of three composed of the governor,
Encouragement and commissioner,
\ which we claim is a one-man COM
! mission, and this reverts back to the
present highway laws, is an absolute
mis- statement. Under the Highway
/ Bill as passed by the Senate, the OBJ
I jectional features of the present high
way law-wherein there is no appar-
ent responsibility, and where 1t is
very apparent that we are not getting
| in road construction what we spent in
money-were eliminated from the
bill, and yet the provision by which
each section of the state has the right
| to representation in preparing the
! budget is retained. Whether the
House will concur in our amendments
I is a grave question, but do hope
/ that we may be able to work out
some plan to get away from the pres
/ ent system of building highways
without placing it entirely in the
hands of one man.
The Reappointment Bill appeared
/ before the Senate this week, but suf-
I ficient votes could not be obtained to
! pass it. The bill did not effect our
senatorial district materially, because
it simply added Hinsdale county to
Delta and Gunnison counties. Delta
would still have one representative
and Gunnison and Hinsdale together
one representative. The purpose of
1 the authors Of this bill was to gain
greater representation for the more
populous counties of eastern Colora-
do. This means that eastern Colora-
| do would receive several more senat-
ors and representatives than she does
at the present time; And western
Colorado especially the mining dis
ltricts-would lose proportionately.
The argument for this reapp0rtion-
ment sounds very logical from the
/ standpoint Of the man who lives in
these rapidly increasing agricultural
i sections Of the state, but whist It really
does 10 this: II practically deprives
| the mining sections Of the state from
representation in the Senate. Incl
dentally, II would abolish two senator
ial districts, namely, Senator O'Brian's
district No. 6, which Is composed Of
1 Lake and Chaffee cohnties, and SEN
ator Slatterys' district, No. 10, which
is composed of the counties Of San
Juan ard Ouray,, Archuleta and Hins..
dale; and these counties are divided
up among the more populous coun-
ties near them.
1 As . Western Slope representative
/ Of course voted against the Reap
portionment Bill even though It
meant increasing the Republican ma
that the principle was wrong in re-
apportioning the state at time when
tie mining districts are at their low
est ebb, and the added fact that the
Western Slope is not overly repre-
sented at the present time, and this
reapportionment would give us even
even less representation than we now
have.
i Six bills for new educational in
| stitutions passed the Senate this
week, None 0f these bills should
have been seriously considered by
the IegislAture at this time when it Is
dfff1cnit 70 even care for the institu-
dos which the state has already
iestablfShed. However, due to the en-
daavor a. certain menbers to have
lEhe bill for Z normal school at Tfini-
! dad eoas;dersd without being sent 70