The state herald., 1899-06-30
GOSSIP FROM DENVER
AND THE STATE CAPITOL.

In addressing n reply to James I,
| 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 finan-
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 un.
fortunate condition as tile taxpayer
and the assessor The lnmeMable fact
that owners of property will evnde 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 Anal
action upon your request until the re-
| turns of the assessors are in the hands
| of the auditor and their amounts ascer'
| tanned. To the sum of these returns
| the State Board of Equalization, be-
sides adjusting values. may add an In
crease of 3 per cent. If the valuation
thus obtained is large enough to salts
| fy me that the revenue of 1900 VIII be
equal to the public demands for that
year, shall not summon the assem-
bly, unless conditions which do not
now foresee make 1t necessary. II II
shall appear Insufficient. | shall have
| no alternative but to call an extra ses
| -iv.. IL i-. tncftrUfr, for the taxpny.
ers and the tax-levying officials to de-
tcrmlne whether the expense OF an
extra session shall be incurred or
avoided"
A full meeting of the Colorado Paris
commission was held Monday. Through
II. ID. Higbee. a representative of II
statue manufacturing company. n 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 exempliiication of the
mineral riches and resources of Colo
RADIO Is not exactly known, and cannot
be until the statue Is completed.
Enough. however. has been placed at
the disposal Of the commission. even
though it should require full million
of dollars. The commission feels now
that IL all Its efforts are crowned with
the same measure of success 1t has
attained in this respect, the people Of
Colorado are assured Of the finest cx-
hibit the state has ever made mt any
exposition and one that 1t Will be Inn
possible to surpass by any country on
earth. The figure of the statue itself
Is to be of full life size. of 1S-karat
gold, making a casting including It's
base of six feet. four inches in height,
and ii will he the first time In the his
tory Of the world that figure of that
size In solid gold has ever been at
tempted. The figure Is radical de-
parturc ms to pose and drapery from
the hackneyed type of the Greek or
classical styles. but It is neither a nude
nor a senh-nude figure. II will represent
a beautiful, widc-awake and thorough
ly "up-tO-datc American girl" The de-
sign and conception OF the figure has
been passed upon by Rodlne 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 as being the finest example yet
produced Of the modern type of sculp-
ture. The pedestal will he of copper
and pure Colorado silver. five feet eight
inches high. and being about three feet
square at the top ana SIX feet four
Inches lt the base. The arms of the
state OF Colorado will probably be pro-
duccd In c0lorcd enamel upon one
panel and upon each OF the four pan.
els In has-rellcf II Is designed To show
representative Colorado scenes, includ-
Ing doubtless pictures of Cripple Greek,
Leadvllle. 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 bc ayertcd II as.
SCISSORS and citizens win do their duty.
This Information Is contained In "A
reply to the demands OF the lnstltu.
tlons upon the executive to provide
means by which their appropriations
may be paid, and is addressed TO Jas.
u. Smith, chairman. and other repre-.
senintirrs Of the several stat. instltu.
tions. The governor begins his com
munlcaiion with an outline OF the con
ditions That confront the state. show
Ing that the deficiency ON December I,
1870. the end OF the fiscal period. will
aggregate Si9i. .Ia5. lie says: I'VE
must not forget that our revenue laws.
Imperfect ns they are. make provision
for ample revenue II they We're faith.
fully executed. The assembly Is not
as much To blame FOR our unfortunate
condition ms nrc the taxpayer nnd the
assessor The lnmeniable fact that
owners OF property VIII cynde she
revenue laws and thai the assessor IL
applaudcd for conniying at II. is the
true source OF the difficulty. The one
II required To return aud the othaA' To
assess all Ills property nt lis full cash
value. Neither II possible. not because
the law II defective. but because lis
violation enables the taxpayer To avoid
his public obligation. and the assessor
TO secure his friendship aud gratitude
for permitting him 10 do II. We cnn.
not, 10y passing new revenue laws, cure
this appalling evil. They. like the old
ONES. VIII bo honorcd more Ia the
breach than the observance. II can be-
overcome only hy the forces which
have brought n into being. our people
have the remedy largely Ia their own
hands. They cannot bring Immediate
relief TO the treasury. hut that IL iru.
nE well OF nsscssorz nnd General As.
scmbly. They cnn. however, d,termIn.
the revenues of the ensuing yrnr by
advancing values To point NOR.
nearly consonnnt with what they nciu.
nIly ARE. This fact, II accomplished.
viii of itself give Assurance OF the
speedy regeneration OF our finances
and lend credit wherever needed 90
sustain us during the Interval. Such
a course Il fnr preferable To the un.
certain outcome of special session
which must. II II acts. resort TO un.
usunl cxpedlcnls for raising revenue:
| Ia which th.f,t NH.t f.tkxa..s a