The Dolores star., 1923-05-04

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2 farmers received
stronger recognition by the law max
ers than they have for years. THAT'S
| all right they were entitled to II.
The closing hours were marked by
a deadlock, which, mt times, caused ac-
| rimonious debate, bitter inunedo and
| fierce invective. As one old-timer said,
everybody was ready for the shooting
| to begin, but out of the smoke ana
| confusion there have come some excel
lent measures.
Among important bills passed, OF
which there are over 200. may be men
toned the Colorado River pact, the La
Plata River pact, the Child Welfare
bills, the Cooperative Marketing bills,
Director of Markets bill. Anu-Discrim-
ination bill, and the blue sky law"
Woodcroft sanatorlum in Pueblo was
bought by the state to furnish larger
quarters for the insane, and will be i'm
mediately available for the states use.
The bill abolishing the Board of Cap
itol Managers was passed, also the bill
abolishing the Board Of Charities and
Corrections, the Shcpard-Towner bill,
many bills for the benefit of the state
institutions, and the long appropria
ton bill," carrying approximately two
million dollars.
The Assembly has been a costly one,
but it has been worth it. The Rangers
were discharged, saving the state
above S25O,0OO, and an appropriation
for safety purposes" such as was
made two years ago was not needed, Il
great many employees lost their jobs,
thus saving their salary to the taXpay-
crs. Appropriations for various pur
poses We're slashed right and left, and
as this is written, the conference com
mittee is working on the bills affecting
the elimination of the half-mill tax
levy, which will save the taxpayers, in
directly about ST50,000 more. The
Democrats think they have won about
everything they fought for, and the Re-
publicans seem to be satisfied with the
work of the Assembly; the people have
not been heard from. During the last
week, the teachers minimum salary
law for teachers caused bitter fight,
and in the closing hours, the bitterest
of partisan feeling was engendered,
chiefly because of the attitude of the
Senate on the reduction of the mill levy
and the appropriation bill. On various
items, the governor came in for bitter
criticism. Senator Coss of Walsenburg
charged the Republican breastworks
with fierce invective, Senator Tobin
surprised the native by his attack on
Hill, the farmers representative, and
in the House Axel Johnson Of Denver
was accused Of "bolting" the Repub-
lican party, and Abe Pollock "explod-
ed" several times, while Bob" Elder
Of Leadville, led in q filibuster that
failed. When the hair wasn't flying,
the water was flowing. Several visit
tors were fined for "breaking the
rules" and the cigars, apples. and can
dy, sometimes accompanied with
songs, marked the last day and two
nights Of the Assembly's work. 1t will
long be remembered as one Of the
stormiest sessions in the states his
tory. In this case, 1t was the Senate
that played the part of the dog in the
manger." Several good bills were
killed, not because they lacked merit,
but in political trades, and the people
be-damned" attitude seemed to be the
watchword. Good advice to the people
Is, when the next election comes, ito
look well to your ballots, and vote ac-
cordingly."
The farmers are not the only ones
aided by the Legislature. The miners
compensation was raised from ten to
twelve dollars a week, teeth were put
into the minimum wage law for wom-
en-. and fund appropriated to enforce
the law, which is badly needed. Sew
eral game refugees were created, the
herd law" died in the committee, also
the policemen's proposed pension fund
bill. the firemen's civil service
bill, the car distribution bill, and
the car limit bill. All these
bills passed the House, and all were
killed by the Senate.
Governor Sweets code bill was lost
the Lambert bill was vetoed; the reso-
luton to investigate the condition of
our state Institutions, and departments
OF government was voted down, and
the governor was denied q sum of
money to have 1t done. He was, how
ever, given the amount he asked for
law enforcement purposes All this
was done by a strictly partisan vote
the responsibility for it good or Ill ef-
fects can easily be fixed.
The Assembly has adjourned; the
members are mostly glad to 60 home
though, personally, we have enjoyed II
greatly. and like Longfellow's brook,
wish it had gone ION forever" 1t is a
great school for the study Of human
nature. As for the people, we think
4 II. q