Rocky Ford enterprise., 1901-01-11


| sembly, said in part:
! Gentlemen OF the Thirteenth GEN
eral Assembly: 1t becomes my duty
under the constitution to inform you
| OF the condition OF the state, and rec
ommend such measures ns shall De
deemed expedIent for the public well
fare. To do this fully and Intelligent
~, I must unduly tax your patience
| and good nature: for our conditions
are far from satisfactory. and meas
urcs for relief are Imperative.
"You are the legatecs OF all the acts
and 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. II is task you can nell
ther evade nor postpone. one that you
can neither fall 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 cdificc represents
cost OF about S2,51S. .4StsS, every dol
lar of which has been icgitimately ex-
pended. I deem IL n subject OF con-
grntulation that from the day when
the first stone OF Its foundation was
laid down to that which witnessed the
last flushing touch upon Its dome. no
snint or suspicion of Jobbcry or mis-.
appropriation has ever rested upon lis
managers or builders. Such n record
ls rrundcr than the majestic outlines
Of Its exterior. .nobicr than the exquisite
proportions OF It's galleries and colon.
uadcs.
.Our fiscal affairs nrc In dcpiornble
condition. They demand and should
receive your first consideration. for the
treasury is empty and the ecnssal rev.
cnucs OF the state are wholly made
aun,. to the public needs. This condi-
,ion IL not novel one: Il has existed
practically since our admission Into
the Union. Its immediate. gravity con-
ri.is in the fact that We have been
compelled to live beyond our means
until the limit hns been reached. Our
credit Is exhausted. and We are face
TO face with the alternative OF relief or
bankruptcy. ThI. result has long
been obvious. was long since forrsecn,
and has long been predicted.
I'm his biennial message OF two
years nco. Governor Adams cmphnsiE-
cd the significance OF the auditors csil.
mntc for the fiscal period Just ended.
showing probable receipts OF si.ics..
$40. Ms neninst probable expenditures
OF 81 .:i5G. ,52.,'i. being n probable dcf'
cit Of s.ii ,InsiGi. lie drew vivid pie.
tur- OF the public needs. our growing
wants. and expanding ncccssitlcc- He
suggested economic. on the one hand
aud methods OF securing needed rcvc.
nrc on the other. In my inaugural
message to the Twelfth Assembly
supplemented his appeals rs best
could. but no relief came from is dc.
alterations. Hence the administrative
pathway Of the last two years has been
strcwn with everything hut ross. II
hns been a period of travail and 'ribu.
laiion. one whose problems and yicissi.
stitir. have taxed to I'll. utmost The On.
crgy and the resources OF the cScc'i.
tive. 4 deficiency was inevitable: how
10 minimize IL. 10 keep the state going
and TO avoid the expense OF an extra
legislative session were the factors rc.
IuirinT solution. The thing was done.
but II cannot bc duplicated.
'''Thc receipts of the general revenue
for the fiscal period just ended wcrc
somewhat above the auditors cs;i.
mates and reached the sum Of Si.e5I.-
nio.1i. while the warrants issued
b'A'N hAr frkAttbA'Ns
amounting. approximately. TO Si.ti3,.
SaS.i3. Notwithstanding the balance
shown by these figures to the crcdi,
side Of the ledger. credits were ncCcssn.
rily authorized beyond appropriations
to the Asylum for the Insane. $4,000:
III. Pcnitcntinry. $4,000: the Soliicrs'
and Sailors Home. Sao.sp: the Univcr-
sity, $4,000. But for the relief OBJ
tnincd 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.
'Thc Denver Clearing House Asso.
cistion. 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 ! feel warranted
in believing will be honorCd both in
the letter and In the spirit. The board
OF regents succccdcd in raising funds
with which to meet the vouchers for
the University. and those who nd.
vnnced them have the same claim TO
your immediate consideration. But
for the commcndnblc and generous &C.
ton OF the parties mentioned, n
special session OF the Twelfth General
Assembly would have been inevitable.
and while its deliberations would
doubtless have brought relief. the eN.
pcnsc OF the session would have been
considerable and an added burden TO
the public treasury.
Appropriations were enacted by the
Twelfth Assembly aggrcGatng SiI2,-
5JJ.2J in excess OF revenues received,
These were all essential TO the pur-
poses intended. not one OF them being
In any wise supcrfiuous. Trey We're
approved in the hope that increased
assessments and revenues might on.
sue. but the hope proved n vain one.
Their rp.CnnCtmput topptLrr viii, loo,