The Raymer enterprise., 1921-02-10
Pawnee County Facts for Senate

discussed for the past eight years
A bill passed the House for the
county In the Twentieth General
Assembly, receiving on final passage
43 votes. including In the number
Messrs Colgate and Puffer, now
members OF the State Senate. tsee
House Journal OF the goth G. A
page 667.
The bill was lost in the Senate,
that body adopting the adverse re-
port OF the committee en- County
Affairs, on Senate Bill l04, but IL
votes were recorded against the re-
port. or favorable to the bill. Two
senators from Denver now sitting in
the State Senate, Senators Dodge
and Knauss favoring the bill. tSee
senate journal fer 1915 at page
7l3)
Two years later. the same bill
passed the House In the 2lst Gen
eral Assembly. by still more de.
cisive vote, SO votes being in favor
OF the bill. and only five recorded
against It. or those favoring the
bill, five are now members OF the
State Senate. Messrs Baskor, Col
gate, Girard, Rockwell and Steele.
(See House Journal Of 1917 page
S36)
The bill never came to vote In
the Senate in 1917.
The bill was not introduced in
the 22nd General Assembly. The
war was on at the time Of the 1918
campaign, and agreement was made
not to push the bill during the war.
A year ago steps were taken TO as
certain the sentiment OF the people
Of the proposed county, Several
public meetings were held. Parties
representing the Greeley Chamber
OF Commerce attended these meet
ings. II was agreed to submit the
matter to q vote Of the electors of
the proposed county at the time Of
the school lection. and unless at
least two thirds Of all the votes cast
at the election were In fav.r Of the
division program the matter was to
be dropped,
Committees were appointed to in
vestigate and report what the pro-
bable cost OF the movement would
be. and wide publicity was given
to all available matter. Total costs
OF county government from the time
OF their creation up to the present
time were gathered for all cOun-
ties created In the state since the
beginning of the century.
An exhaustive study was made
OF reports by the Colorado Tax Com
mission for all counties OF the state
Oppcnenets OF the measure were
offered opportunity for publicity OF
their views and offered every cour-
tesy possible to show any facts de-
trimental to the movement without
expense to themselves.
The election resulted as follows;
For Division ------ $50
Against Division - 343
Total votes l,223
Hon +. c. Abbey was nominated
and elected by all the people OF
Weld county. 1t being well known
that he was an ardent supporter OF
the movement. In fact the Pawnee
club carried paid announcements Of
their intention to press the county
division movement prior to the hold
ing OF the party assemblies.
Some reports were circulated that
this or that legislative candidate
had promised to oppose the bill II
elected, but such reports were
promptly denied. II there was a
candidate for the legislature who
was pledged to oppose the bill, 1t
was kept very quiet. no one in the
proposed county was allowed to ad-
vertise the fact.
We think 1t fair to say that the
attitude Of every legislative candi-
date who was not notoriously
known to be favorable to the bill
was this: I'VE will give the matter
fair consideration; II the people OF
the proposed county want division
their wishes should be considered
rather than the wishes Of the bal
ance of the county. II they have
been fairly informed Of the proba-
BILE cost Of the movement and want
It they should have It,"
The above details have been CIV
en- that the members Of the legisla- !
ture may know that the movement
il not one hastily conceived, and
more hastily considered.
II has been before the people OF
Weld county for a long time and
thoroughly considered BY nearly all
n ~ neople OF the county. We