Arizona republican., 1898-02-12
SIX MONTHS.

i His enemies both in and out of his
 t1on would prove failure and that six months would not elapse before
 even his friends would be compelled
 to acknowledge it. At that time the
 financial standing of the territory was
 at low ebb and it was freely predict
 ed it would soon be at lower ebb.
 The public institutions were run down and were, if possible, on lower
 plain than the credit Of the territory
 Scarcely had he assumed the duties
 of his office when demand was made
 upon him to enforce a contract made
 by his predecessor for the working of
 the cOnvicts at the prison. This con- tract had been declared to be of
 binding force by the supreme court of
 the territory and the appeal to the
 been made in so bungling a manner
 that there was little doubt but that
 the case would be set aside as soon
 as reached by that tribunal. Governor
 McCord at once set himself to try to secure certain notifications of
 the contract which he succeeded in do- ing and which made the contract, in the opinion of all unprejudiced minds,
 fair one, the enforcement of which
 would rebound to the credit of the ter
 ritory.
 For the last three months the pris. oners have been earning about S7O per day by working on the canal, pay able in water rights. It is believed these water rights will be worth par but whether they are or not they will be worth something, and as it costs the territory no more to work the p1is- onels than 1t does to maintain them in iG1eness, and as the result of their labor will result in building q large canal that will bring under c;lltiva- tion many thousands os acres of the finest land in the territory tie result will be beneficial to the territory whether the water rights gre valuable or not. As result of this labor be- ing performed by the prisoners a mil lion dollars worth of taxable property 1 at least will be added t. the tax rolIs |
 When Governor McCord assumed | control of affairs he found $20,393 Of | unpaid debts that had been contracted l by his predecessor that ought 70 have | been paid. He found the public in stitutions run down to the lowest ebb and he found territorial warrants sell ing at 85 cents on the dollar and the market for them very poor.
 He found an issue of s30l 900 of ter hawked about in every brokers shop from St. Louis to Chicago and New York and even in London with no buyers. Governor Franklin made trip to New York at the expense of the territory to sell the bonds but did not trip to New York at the expense of the territory to sell the bonds but did not sell them. Treasurer Cole made a trip to New York at the expense of the territory to sell the bonds but did not sell them. Finally the bonds were sent to London and returned unsold at an expense of over $lS00 to the territory. In this attempt to sell the bonds $5,46 was expended.
 Soon after Governor McCord came [ in, an offer was made to the loan com mission to take this very issue of i bonds at par and accrued interest by | responsible parties and the bonds would have been sold had it not been for certain vexatious law suits insti- tuted by parties who desired to ruin | the credit of the territory by repudi- ating a part of it's debts or the debts i of certain counties which would have l the same result.
 The supreme court of the territory l has now decided that this very issue of the bonds is valid and the bonds are substantially sold and the transfer will soon be made.
 The expenses for running the terri torial government for the last six months, notwithstanding the $20,393 of old debts that came over from the Franklin administration and notwith- standing the dilapidated condition of the public institutions, was several thousand dollars less than the prior six months. This is the result of eco- nomical business and honest methods inaugurated by Governor McCord.
 Now, aside from bringing economy and business methods to bear in the management of the public affairs, Governor McCord has shown a deep
 interest in the public welfare gener- ally He has encouraged and even de- manded prompt and efficient service in all offices and from all officers of the territory. He has appointed worthy, honest and capable men to all posi- l tions under him. He has lent his