Gilpin observer., 1901-01-10

Governor Charles S. Thomas, in his
message to the Thirteenth General As
sembly, said in part:
'Gentlemen Of the Thirteenth Gen
erd Assembly: 1t becomes my duty
under the constitution to inform you
OF the condition of the state, and rec
ommend such measures as shall be
deemed ,expedient for the public vel
fare. To do this fully and intelligent
ly, must unduly tax your patience
and good nature; for our conditions
are far from satisfactory, and meas
ures for relief are imperative.
you are the legatees of all the acts
end omissions of your predecessors,
and must remedy the effects they have
occasioned. You have been chosen by
the people to exert your constitutional
powers for the salvation of their COM
monwealth. 1t is task you can nei-
ther evade nor postpone, one that you
can neither fail to perform nor poorly
reform. You must legislate effective
ly; for public needs are urgent and
public demands have been too long
neglected..
During the present administration,
the state capitol has been substantially
completed. The edifice represents a
cost Of about $2,57S,4S4.7S, every dol
lar of which has been legitimately eX-
pended. 1 deem it a subject Of con-
graduation that from the day when
the first stone Of it's foundation was
laid down to that which witnessed the
last finishing touch upon its dome, no
taint or suspicion OF jobbery or mis-
appropriation has ever rested upon its
managers or builders. Such record
te hn
of its exterior. .nobler than the exquisite
proportions of it's galleries and colon
nadeg.
"Our fiscal affairs are in deplorable
condition. They demand and should
receive your first consideration, for the
treasury is empty and the general rev.
enues of the state are wholly made
quate to the public needs. This condi-
ton is not a novel one; it has existed
practically since our admission into
the Union. It's immediate gravity con-
sists in the fact that we have been
compelled to live beyond our means
until the limit has been reached. Our
credit is exhausted, and we are face
to face with the alternative Of relief or
bankruptcy. This result has long
been obvious. was long since foreReen,
and has long been predicted.
"In his biennial message Of two
years ago, Governor Adams emphasiz-
ed the significance of the auditors esti-
mate for the fiscal period just ended,
showing probable receipts Of S1,125,-
346. as against probable expenditures
of S1.356. 1921. being n probable def
cit of 1921 ,4O6.61. He drew vivid pic
ture of the public needs. our growing
wants, and expanding necessitieg. He
suggested economies on the one hand
and methods of securing needed reve-
nue. on the other. In my inaugural
message to the Twelfth Assembly
supplemented his appeals as best 1
could, but no relief came from It's de-
liberations. Hence the administrative
pathway Of the last two years has been
strewn with everything but roses. 1t
has been a period of travail and tribu-
lation, one whose problems and vicissi-
tudes have taxed to the utmost the en-
ergy and the resources of the execu-
tive A deficiency was inevitable; how
to minimize it, to keep the state going
and to avoid the expense of an extra
legislative session were the factors re-
Quiring solution. The thing waa done,
but it cannot be duplicated.
1.-THE receipts of the general revenue
for the fiscal period just ended were
somewhat above the auditors esti-
mates and reached the sum Of $1,267,-
94O.14, while the warrants issued
against them fell below his estimates,
amounting, approximately, to 81, 143,-
426.13. Notwithstanding the balance
shown by these figures to the credit
side Of the ledger, credits were necessa-
rily authorized beyond appropriations
to the Asylum for the Insane, $25,OOO:
the Penitentiary, $25.0OO; the Soldiers
and Sailors Home, $4,000; the Univer-
sity, $4,000. But for the relief OBJ
tained by the issuance Of emergency
certificates to the extent mentioned,
these institutions could not have been
continuously maintained and have
been kept in fair condition only by
the exercise of constant and rigid
economy.
"The Denver Clearing House Asso-
citation, whose public spirit cannot be
too highly commended. advanced the
sum of $4,000 in exchange for these
vouchers upon my assurance that the
Thirteenth General Assembly would
promptly recognize its claim and make
due provision for its early liquidation,
an assurance which l feel warranted
in believing will be honored both In
the letter and in the spirit. The hoard
of regents succeeded in raising funds
with which to meet the vouchers for
the University, and those who ad-
vanced them have the same claim to
your immediate consideration. But
for the commendable and generous ac-
tion of the parties mentioned, n
special session of the Twelfth General
- n l.... AL. Il
and while its deliberations would
doubtless have brought relief. the ex-
pense of the session would have been
considerable and an added burden to
the public treasury.
appropriations were enacted by the
Twelfth Assembly aggregatng $472,-
555.25 in excess of revenues received.
These were all essential to the pur-
poses intended, not one of them being