The Monte Vista journal., 1899-07-01

In addressing reply to James T.
Smith, trustee Of the State School Of
Mines. and chairman of the committee
representing the different state institu-
tons. in their appeal to Governor
Thomas for aid In their present fnan-
cial distress, the governor declares that
the people themselves are responsible
for the bankrupt condition. In his re-
ply the governor says: The assembly
is not as much to blame for our I'M.
fortunate condition as the taxpayer
and the assessor. The lamentable fact
that owners Of property will evade the
revenue laws and that the assessor Is
applauded for conniving at 1t. is the
true source Of the difficulty" He says
In conclusion: II shall postpone final
action upon your request until the re-
turns OF the assessors are in the hands
OF the auditor and their amounts ascer.
tained. To the sum of these returns
the State Board of Equalization, he
sides adjusting values. may add an In
crease Of 5 per cent. II the valuation
thus obtained Ia large enough to salts.
fy me that the revenue Of 1900 will be
equal to the public demands for that
year, shall not summon the nssem.
bly, unless conditions which I do not
now foresee make II necessary. II II
shall appear insufficient. I shall have
no alternative but to call an extra ses.
sion. 1t Is. therefore. for the taxpay.
ers and the tax-levylng 6flicinls to de-
tcrmine whether the expense Of an
extra session shall be incurred or
avoided"
A full meeting Of the Colorado Paris
commission was held Monday. Through
+. ID. Higbee. representative Of u
statue manufacturing company, a con.
tract was made for the modelling and
casting Of Gold Statue" strictly
American and Coloradoan in design
and conception. The amount of gold
which will be required to cast this
great statue and exemplfication Of the
mineral riches and resources of Colo
radO IL not exactly known. and cannot
be until the statue Is completed.
Enough. however. has been placed at
the disposal OF the commission. even
though 1t should require n full million
OF dollars. The commission feels now
that if all Its efforts are crowned with
the same measure Of success II has
attained In this respect. the people OF
Colorado are assured OF the finest ex
hibit the state has ever made mt any
exposition and one that II will be I'm
possible to surpass by any country on
earth. The figure of the statue itself
Is to be OF full life size. Of 1S-knrat
gold. making a casting including Its
base OF six feet. four inches In height.
and II will In the first time In the his
tory OF the world that u figure OF that
size in solid gold has ever been at.
tempted. The figure Is radical de-
parture rs TO pose and drapery from
the hackneyed type of the Greek or
classical styles. hut II IL neither nuds
nor n semi-nude figure. II will represent
a beautiful. widc-awake and thorough
ly ''up-to-tlatc American girl" The de-
sign and conception OF the figure has
been passed upon by iodine Of Paris
and the majority OF the art students OF
the Latin quarter In Paris. and has
also been approved by the leading
members OF the American Sculptors'
Society ms being the finest example yet
produced OF the modern type Of sculT-
ture. The pedestal will he Of copper
and pure Colorado silver. hve feet eight
inches high. and being about three feet
square at the top and six feet four
inches At the base. The arms Of the
state Of Colorado will probably be pro-
duced In colored enamel upon one
panel. and upon each Of the four pan
els In bas-relief II IL designed TO show
representative Colorado scenes. includ-
Ing doubtless pictures Of Cripple Creek.
Ieadville. Pixies Peak and the san
Juan country. and other historical
points, all wrought In pure silver.
Governor Thomas still hopes that
the necessity for an extra session Of
the Legislature may II. nvcrted II as
SCISSORS and citizens viii do their duty.
This Information is contained In
reply to the demands Of the institu.
lions upon the executive TO provide
means by which their appropriations
may bc paid. and Is addressed to Jas.
Il. Smith, chairman. and other repre-.
sentntivcs OF the several state institu-
tions. The governor bcgins his com.
munication with nn outline of the con.
ditions that confront the state, show
Ing that the deficiency ON December !.
1900. the end Of the fiscal period. VIII
aggregate xJ9l.1a5. lie says: I'VE
must not forget that our revenue laws.
imperfect ms they arr. make provision
for ample revenue II they were faith.
fully executed. The assembly IL not
ns much to blame for our unfortunate
condition us nrc the taxpayer and the
nssHssor. The lamcntnbie fact that
owners of property will evnde che
revenue laws und that the nsscxsor In
npplau,lcd for conniving at II. il the
true source Of the difficulty. The one
II required To return and the other 10
assess all Ills property at Its full cash
value. Neither II possible. not because
the law II defective. but because Its
violation enables the taxpayer to avoid
hi. public obligation. and the nsscssor
To secure his friendship and Irntitudc
for permitting him TO do Il. We can.
not. by passing new revenue laws, cure
this appalling evil. They. like the old
ones. will lc honorrd more Ia the
breach ihan the observance. II can bc
overcome only by the forces which
have brought II into bcing. Our Isoplc
have the remedy largely In their own
hands. They cannot bring immediate
relief To the treasury. but that In true
ns well OF nsscasorr and General AA.
scmbly. They can. however. determine
the revenues OF the ensuing year by
advancing values to q IsDlnt morr
nearly cousOnant with what they actu.
ally Hrc. This fact. if accomplished,
will Of Itself give assurance Of the
speedy regeneration Of our finances
and lend credit wherever u~ssitSi 90
sustain US during the Interval. Such
q course In far preferable to the un.
certain outcome Of q special session,
which must. n Il acts. resort 10 uu.
usual rxpedientn for raising revenue:
10 which there are always substantial