Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-01-11
GOVERNOR THOMAS MESSAGE
SHOWS COLORADO'S CONDITION

tutions that collectively they require
500. 500 for maintenance and improve
ments and additional buildings. To
this sum should he added S102,OOO for
the emergency vouchers OF the pre-
ceding and present administrations.
Deducting from the total the liked
levy OF one-dfth OF mill for the uni.
versity, Agricultural college. Normal
school. School Of Mines. Mute ana
Blind institute and insane asylum, ng.
gresating approximately S252.OOO and
the resulting sum OF Si4O,5OO repre-
sents the amount which the managing
boards OF these state establishments
! would add TO the auditors estimates.
1t Is evident. therefore, that provision
must at once he made for largely
increased revenue II these estimates
are to be respected.
This condition is the result Of u So
called revenue system under which the
bulk Of taxable personal property es-
capcs assessment, with u consequent
increased burden upon owners
OF real estate. The needs OF
our state Institutions have there
fore for years been dlsregarded.
l have heretofore adverted TO the fact
that assessed valuations decreased
from S23G. II0.is In 1892 To Sls1. 100000
In iSss. and that the downward move
ment began with the act OF 1891. re-
moving the limit on the taxing power
OF counties. thereby enabling them to
realize ail needed revenue regardless OF
the valuations on the other hand the
constitutional restriction upon the tax
In: power OF the state. makes Its Feve-
nue. largely depend upon the general
valuation. This anomalous condition
places the commonwealth at the mercy
OF the tnS doiccr and the assessor. un-
der whose combined action IL Is starry
Ing In the midst OF plenty. while the
burdens OF the honest taxpayer aTc un-
justly Increased.
AS long ago as is9, the greatest Of
living statisticlans estimated the
wealth OF Colorado ut more than ST.
ioo.cpp.cOo. Between that and the
present year our material prosperity
has been great. Millions or wealth
have been created and sarncrcsi by n
vigorous and progressive people. yet
our assessed valuation l. returned un-
der cath mt about $ai5.sS.Drp. Need
We marvel at Hn exhausted treasury
and fnmishcd public ins;itutionsI An
assessment n; one fourth of the actual
value OF our taxable wealth. would TN !
der . four.nill levy. yield mn ample |
sum for the public ncc,i-. Experience |
tells us we cannot get II under the cS. |
isting code. aud psort must l.. Ind To |
other methods. We may provide for |
the enforcement; of summary penalties
against official aud other violations OF |
the present law: We may have RECOURSE
TO specific eour-,s OF revenue or wc |
may do both 10y thorough revision OF
the revenue code.
lit has long been customary for
1Gs.--.tns. u.tfI,nTNsN... 81. tt,.st. /
~ their low valuations by III. assertion
OF similar misconduct of the stale /
board OF equalization aud to promise /
reform whichever that tribunal made n
record for good behavior. H-crimlnn-
tions even when true cannot justly
wrong doing. When unfounicj they
should never occur. Property coming
under the Jurisdiction Of the state
board has. city realty excepted. durin.
the last two years been assessed rrin.
lively higher than property in general
and fHr beyond that OF large corpora
iioil- over which II has no control.
II know Of no better method Of dem.
onstrItinS this fact than by contrast.
In. the assessed valuation and annual
tax payment Of local railway cumpa-
ny with those OF one OF our largest In.
dustrinl corporations. The Colorado *
Southern railway j. capitalized mt Sis..
up.ppp. earned for the fiscal year end.
Ing June. 1890. Grose. Si,2II.Iia: net,
i.lnl .spi.2s: was assessed by the state
beard and paid local and state taxes.
>1s3..iDIi. The Colorado Fuel and
Iron Company is capitalized ut ST..
Vp.spp. earned for year ending June
~. 1870. gross. sio.:e,D.GgD.5i: net. ST.
s5i. .Ssiai: was nsScsscd locally aud
paid in local and state taxes. S;sl. .stosi.
ain not and never was the champion
OF railway or other corporate interests.
Justice nevertheless requires me to say
OF those coming within the domain OF
the state board. that only in one in.
stance was any item Of taxable prop
crty excluded from the returns: that
all their reports were verified by the
official representative OF the state. In
1850 they offered to submit to a state
tax OF six mills upon the dollar. that
Its treasury might be rcplcnishcd. pro
vidcd other taxpayers would do like
wise. ] Mt once submitted this rcncr-
Gus proposition To the local boards
throughout the state. but the silence
with which II was EVERYWHERE re-.
ccivcd was universal and still remains
unbrokcn. Its acceptance would have
Increased the public income for the
past two years by twenty-five per
cent. and satisfied nearly nii the ap-
preparations OF the third class.
THE permanent tax lcvics for rari-
Gus state institutions supplemented by
other fractional invnsions OF the 4 mill
limit have progressively diminished
the proportion thereof for the purposes
OF general revenue until but little
more than third OF II rcmainp, The
residuum consequent upon the neccs-
sity OF providing sinking fund for the
capitol building bonds was smaller in
1Sn1ap thnn ever before. and will
he smaller still for the ensuing two
years. Two aud onc-hnlf mills were
available in 1899. l li-l5 niles In 1000
The sinking fund was $4,000 for
1880. and 100000 for 1900. One