The Springfield herald., 1897-01-15

dress and occupied over two hours In read
ing. The Lcndville trouble was gone into
fully and the governors reasons for sending
the militia there explained.
Recommendations were made for changes
in the financial policy Of the state. for n
better method of collecting the poll tnN
and 10 provide some sort OF employment for
prisoners In the prntcntnry. All the state
institutions except one Were praised, ana
the question of protecting game was touched
The Legislature asked 10 enact much
needed new laws, as to prevent leaks that
now occur.
Below are given the more important por-
tions of the message:
Fellow Citizens Of the Eleventh General As
srmbly:
Neither the people of the state nor the
state Itself have escaped the effect of the
long business depression since the panic
Of 1So3. Particularly has this effect been
felt during the past two years. The iinan
cial crisis mentioned resulting both in the
stngnution of business and Industry and
the lowering values of tue products of ngrt-
culture, Of the mines aud The mill and the
factory. and. in fact. of about every com
modify, except that produced by, our gold
mines, has not only diminished the in
comes of the Individual members OF the
community. but uf the state itself. 1t is
our chief industries the one last mentioned.
that OF our gold mines. has In great meas
ure preserved Ms from that degree Of ad-
vrrsity which We had anticipated would he
come our lot. Another factor In the amelio-
ration of our condition must be considered.
namely. the recent Improvement in prices
OF our agricultural products. including sheep
and cattle. The people of Colorado for
many years easily prosperous on account Of
the development of our natural resources,
both OF the mine and the field. are little
accustomed To the scrlmping economics al
Ways Way, found necessary by The people of many
came, it was not without difficulty that they
adjusted themselves TO the new conditions.
but by an enforced economy. they found u
way To make ends meet where mt first II
seemed well 9ieh impossible. In the end.
fects of this added virtue and as times be-
come more prosperous through natural i'm
provcmcnt of business conditions. which
have been depressed below the normal. as
sisted toward prosperity by rapid dcvel-
opment. first. OF the gold industry. and
later on. through natural commercial syIh-
phthy. OF the other Industries OF the state
they will see the blessing In disguise. So.
In state affairs. restricted revenues first
create confusion and embarrassment, and
finally systematic economy. Patience. self.
denial md wisdom were necessary TO enable
the Individual to meet the condition nfrunt.
Ing him. II is not different with the body
polite. Wise and economical management
OF the financial affairs Of The state will un.
ravel the tnnglc. and good rnthcr than evil
VIII b" The hnnl frsuli. 1t Is you. the law
making body OF the state. who must possess
the pniicnce. sclfdcninl and wisdom in per.
forming Your high function in public affairs
In behalf of the whole people. that they
may not have added to their already suf-
hctent burdens that Of an unfair and undue
contribution for the maintenance of govern
mcnt. You will not obey the behcst of tn.
sovereign people who sent y0m here clothed.
as their representatives. with sovereign
power. nor Will yom be true to your oaths
public servants which the people themselves
have been obliged to learn and practice
You viii have many wcighty matters to con
sidcr. but none of greater Importance than
the proper caring for aud adjustment of the
finances OF the stat" In all good things you
VII he Sy,npnthe,ically and ably. assisted
by the wisdom and experience of him whom
the people have chosen to he their chief cN-
,rcntlve for the next two years He has
known intimately during the whole period
OF MS manhood the people and their ways
amd ana The g,o growth @ and Geyelopment of The
wanting In the dihicult place which he is
now chosen TO again occupy. and. however
IRVING the duties may he that will soon de-
expect a careful nnd successful manug,-
ment of their affairs.
State Finances.
=, The assessed valuation of the state stead
Was 100000. Until 1893. when ii reached
S2;sS. ooO. 900: In lsDi Its valuation dropped to
$S,s 3 geo 900; In Isl, the total was $aO2. .5sI-
In this biennial period Of Si09. 81 S.,5. 10 the
lowest assessed valuation Of any like period
since 1880, resulting In n corrcspondingIy re.
duced revenue to the state. which however
has been In n measure relieved by the cx,
trnor,linary receipts of the secretary of
states office
The present state administration hns
lived within MS income, besides paying out
bl Tue Revenues OI Tue present wear,
some Of the dchclcncics Of past ndmnistri,.
tions, and will haze Il balance left in the
treasury.
The surplus revenues Of 1So5-9G, after nII
warrants shall have been paid that have
been issued against them. should be trans.
ferrcd 10 the revenues OF lSg3-al for the
purpose of taking up the warrants issued
during those years. As IL seems to me. un
better use coull be made of This balance
than the payment of the warrants of these
years which remain unpaid on account of
the tremendous aud unexpected falling on
IN the revenues caused by the panic which
occurred In those years.
The state auditor estimates the revenues
Tor Tor TIE years lSoT-9s; available for the gen
erhl fund.thnt Is. for general state pur-
poscs-nt Si.092,950. which is tho totilI to he
derived from the tax of 81 mills and from
sources. Out Of tnlS sum must be met tb,,
expenses of tlle state government which
have been estimated by the state auditor nj
mate Is less rather than greater than th,
amount that will bc found necessary. While
IA some Items reduction may he made
there are others which almost inevitably
must be increased Undoubtedly. some saw.
lnrs may he made IN certain directions but
these likewise will he almost certainty on
set by he demands In other directions which
must must be met. Most of the items going to
make up the last mentioned sum are iixe,,
nution
The expenses must be kent within tho In.
come. Therefore there must he either II crt
In expenses or an increase In revenue FOR the
uses of the state government and this in.
crease can III all human probability he d..
rived only from the funds furnished by
whit Is called special mill evies. which nr.
rreEate IL mills. and are estimated by The
auditor 10 yield SI300J0 In lSg7-9S And
right here ! desire to call attention to thn
fact that the institutions. the capitol build.
Ing and Interest on capitol building bond :
and stock Inspection which are aIl suppoFt.
ed by the special mill levy. In addition to the
special appropriations which are annuaIlv
made to some of them. receive IL mills or
nineteen forticths of the total revenues or
the state derived from taxation as against
-forticths for all departments of
the executive. judicial and Legislative
branches of the government. plus the nddI-
ilonal appropriations made for the use of
tn" bcneiicarics Of the special mill levy.
giving To the ''institutiuns'' more than bnif
of all the revenues derived from the state
tax. Under the present law providing
special mill levics, in the event of failure
OF the IL mills to provide sufficient revenue
10 carry on the state government. the money
to meet that deficiency must he taken from
the funds produced by the special mill Ioyirs
In the inverse order of the dates of the nets
creating them. with the result that the in.
stttutions-and for convenience / will class
all of the hcnoficnrlcs of the special mIII
tax MS instltutions-w the result thut the
Institutions prior In date would receive Inc
full amount Of their income. even when
more than sufficient for their needs and
those latest In order mentioned would he
Obliged to close their doors.
In 1891 the income Of the educational In.
stitutions, except the State University was
reduced to onc-siSth mill each by tho Cen
Assembly. "A wi