Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1901-06-22

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then assumed, but I entered upon them
with the firm determination to ab' Ie
by my obligation and to administer the
office to the best Of my ability and give
to it my whole time ana my best en-
deavor for the good and welfare of the
| territory. In this effort was seconded
by the best men in the territory and the
result is before you. Two legislatures
have come and gone during my admin
istration, and while it was not always
| in accord with me nor / with it the rc-
suit has been that the laws enacte1 by
| the 33d and 34th legislative assemblies
compare favorably with those of any
previous session and some of them have
proved of the greatest public COOL.
Among these are the Duncan tax law,
the Bursum refunding bill, and the
Springer school law, together with
many others that will occur to you.
! 1t has been charged that under my
administration the tax rate has been
increased and capital has been driven
out of the territory. While 1t is true
that in some counties the tax rate has
been increased, this has been caused by
purely local conditions such as decreas-
ed assessment or the payment of bond
led debt, as in Santa Fe county, with
which the territory had absolutely
nothing to do and was not in any man
ner responsible while as matter OF
fact the rate of tax for territorial pur-
poses has diminished and the collec-
tions have been larger and better for
the last year than ever before. 1t is an
unfortunate and lamentable fact that
the assessed valuation of the territory
has decreased during the past two
years about four million dollars. There
is no excuse for this; conditions as we
know them to exist do not justify it and
it has resulted in higher rate Of tax
alton for territorial and county purpos-
es than is necessary. I called the at
tention of the last legislative assembly
to this and asked it to devise remedy.
| which was not done. We know that the
total valuation of this territory for tax
alton should be nearer one hundred
| million than forty, and I shall use all
my authority during my term of office
to bring up this valuation to it's prop
err figure. This is necessary, not only to
reduce our rate of taxation, but to show
to the government at Washington, and
the people of the United States some
thing Of what our real valuation Is, and
that we are ready and willing to pay
/ che of 1,1,rf h 70 -
ing ourselves upon it, the present prac-
| tice is about as sensible as it would be
to reduce our census returns of popu-
llation in order to evade a poll tax, and
| so far as can do SO I shall endeavor
to stop this unbusinesslike, misleading
and illegal practice in the inefficient
assessment of property. At the end Of
| the last fiscal year for the first time In
| the history of New Mexico there was
surplus in the treasury instead of de-
Ificit, and this Notwithstanding the pur-
chase and retirement of $4,000 of terri
edness and the collection Of a sinking
| fund to meet outstanding bonds becom-
ing due. The total tax levy for all ter
ritorial purposes for the present fiscal
year is less than for the past although
the rate was slightly increased for the
support of territorial institutions and
the payment of maturing obligations.
Our credit has been strengthened so
that our four per cent bonds sold at a
premium two years ago while before
that our six and seven per cent bonds
had to be disposed Of at discount. The
only bonds issued under my adminfs-
tration were $4,000 four per cent for
the completion Of the capitol, and GER
tificates of Indebtedness to take up de-
ficiencies created under former admin
istrations. The administration of the
land grant by congress, under boards
of which I have the honor to be a mem-
ber, has resulted up to this time In pro-
ducing the following amount in cash to
the credit of the various institutions: