Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-11-25
SECRETARY HITCHCOCK'S
ANNUAL REPORT
1t Reviews Ooncisely Conditions in the
Territory of New Mexico as Reported
by Governor 0tero
The TERRITORY MAKES
A SPLENDID SHOWING

made puDllc To-Day. IL lncluueS re-
view Of the excellent and comprehen.
sive annual report Of Governor Oterc
of New Mexico, for the fiscal yeai
ending June 80, 1901 The following il
the review:
The report of the governor, M. A
Otero, shows that the territory has
continued to enjoy prosperity in all
branches of material development dur
ing the past year, and has made
marked advance in all things which
contribute to the greatness of an AM
erican commonwealth"
New Mexico covers an area of nearly
79,000, 900 acres of which about 4000, 00O
acres have been appropriated under
the various land laws, leaving an avail
able unappropriated area of some 55-
100000 acres capable of supporting a
population of many millions; the esti-
mated total population at present is
100000, exclusive of Indians, which lat
ter number 12,206. The governor takes
strong grounds against the injustice,
etS Ilc drtldlCo, WlllCli ltlC lNtcHI ICHo uo
does in accrediting to the territory a
population of but 195,310 in 1900, and
sets forth at length many reasons for
his belief. He asserts that the regis
tration in October, 1900, which showed
59,297 voters in the territory, should
serve as a fair basis for arriving at a
just estimate of the population; but
few of the large number of voters are
without families, and even among the
5000 or 5000 miners in the territory,
more than half have families; reckon
ing, therefore, five persons to the fam
lily of each voter would make total
estimated population of 296,4S5.
The governor states that the actual
taxable value of property in New Mex
leo is $3.50, 100000, and states his opin-
ion to be that this vast sum would be
more than trebled within five years af-
ter admission of the territory as a
state. So long as the question arising
out of the acquisition of Hawaii, Porto
Rico, and the Philippines were burn
ing issues, says the governor, there
was not much prospect that New Mex
leo, Arizona and Oklahoma would be
but those matters being now
out of the way there seems to be no
reason why the door should not be
opened for all the continental territor-
les excepting Alaska, On the subject
of loyalty of the people of New Mexico
toward the federal government, he re-
fers with pride to the fact, as shown
by official records that the territory
sent more volunteer soldiers to the de-
fense of the country per capita in the
American civil and Spanish
wars than any other state or territory
Under wise and beneficent laws, en-
acted by recent legislative assemblies,
it has been possible for the first time in
the history of the territory to accumu-
late a surplus in almost every fund In
the treasury department. which can be
turned toward reducing the interest,"
bearing debt instead of a deficit to be
met by another issue of bonds or an
rate of taxation, and this,
Notwithstanding the fact that the
treasurer has been enabled to call in
and cancel $4S,S00 of certificates of in
debtedness, and also $4,000 Of 6 per
cent and $20,6S7 of floating indebted
ness, making total reduction in the
of the territory Of $50, 437,
being reduction of more than Z per
cent of the total Indebtedness, and in
addition to which there are now on
hand trust funds for the redemption of
bonded Indebtedness to
the amount of $71,65s.O7. The bonded
debt of the territory at this time is
81, ,974; besides paying in cash all
current expenses, providing for all ap-
and from all present in
dications leaving surplus balances in
cal year ending December 2, 1901 The
territory's standing in the financial
centers of the world is stated to be
first class. During the present admin
istration all interest payments have
been promptly met, the per cent
bonds have been sold at a premium,
and from the revenue derived from the
leasing and sale Of lands for the bene-
fit Of the various public institutions
there have during the past year been
expended large sums in betterments on
the public property.
Salutary laws governing insurance
have been enacted which have not only
proved source Of protection to the
people of the territory, but have i'm
posed no great hardship upon the in
surance corporations. The latter ap-
pear to have enjoyed full share Of
the general prosperity prevailing
throughout the territory.
Before 1850, New Mexico had been
an outlying province Of the kingdom of
Spain and the republic of Mexico, neg
lected and uncared for by either gov
ernment, compelled to depend upon
herself and her own resources, to con-
tend against an arid climate, while at
the same time carrying on war contin-
uously for more than a quarter of a
century with savage Indians within
her borders. Naturally the cause of
popular education suffered much, be-
ing at times entirely suspended in all
save a few of the more populous com
But after repeated appeals,
lowering a period Of more than forty
years. congress, in 1898, passed AN act
donating to the territory lands for tne
various public institutions, and Sec
tions 16 and SO for the benefit Of the
public schools. Long prior to that,
however, the people Of the territory
had taken the subject in hand and by
legislative enactment provided an ex-
cellent system of public school laws,