Rocky Ford enterprise., 1903-01-16

zation OF the SENATE ana iiouse, both
bodies OF the Fourteenth General As
sembiy met in joint session Saturday
afternoon to listen To the reading ot
the message Of James B. Orman. the
retiring governor. The following IL q
brief condensation OF the message.
which in full occupies aboat seven
newspaper columns:
II am sratified beyond measure To
say to you that since the last regular
session Of the General Assembly. al
which many wise and effective laws
were enacted. great Improvement has
been made in our financial condition.
which has placed all our state insntu-
tions on much better basis. For the
first time since Colorado was admit
ted into the Union, all Legislative APP
preparations have either been placed
To the credit OF the recipient. or have
been actually paid. leaving surplus
Of about t2oo.oD0 instead of large de-
fiei,s. as has been customary In the
past.
"a great many Of our institutions
have for years been oyeFcroWded; have
lacked the proper facilities for opera
tion. and have been unable To receive
sufficient funds for their maintenance.
! am Glad to say. however. that u
brighter dawn IL before us. the clouds
Of difficulty have rolled away. and We
now stand in the clear sunlight OF
prosperity.
There is one matter of great i'm
portanee to which I desire To call your
attention. and which should be at
tended TO at the earliest possible mo-
ment. and that Is the payment Of the
deficiency vouchers issued by the
forme. administration. as follows:
For the asylum for the insane..s 5000
Tho penitcntinry. ........... s5.oSo
Soldiers and saiirrs' Home. :o.Oco
Tho university. ............ sV.Wo
A total of $40. 900
This money was advanced by the
Clearing House Association and by
private individuals at a time when the
state was in great need and financial
distress While IL may br contcndcd
that the last Legislature made nm np-
preparation fer the payment OF this in-
dcbtcdncsH. I nm compelled to say u
wns done In such manner as TO make
the payment Illegal.
- great deal has been said durinE
the past few years ns to outstanding
warrants Of prior years. and the mat
ter has even been submitted To the
people for the purpose OF Issuing bonds
for their payment. but was defeated.
principally. I believe. from the fact
that tho question was not well under
stood. The work represented by these
warrants wns actually performed.
believe tho time has arrived when the
state can begin to provide for their
puymcpt out OF the excess revenues.
The incoming administration should
have. from n conservative estimate. Mt
least $30O.O00 excess revenue. which
could be applied to the redemption of
these warrants. The fair name and
credit of the state has been impaired.
and every legal and moral means
should be used to regain that which We
have lost.
But one mat,er OF paramount I'm
por,ancc Is tho restitution to the
interest. making the total amount now
due over 100000. This sum In tied up
In the so-cailcd excess warrants of the
years 1857. 1855 and 1859. The duty OF
the r;ntc In this regard IN clear md
explicit The constitution provides
that the school fund OF the state shall
forever remain inviolatc and intact.
and that the state shnll supply all
losses thereof that may In any manner
occur.
Our higher educational institutions
have shown marked progress In all
directions. and will. by reason of such
growth, require larger expenditures In
the future. II the present efficiency is
to be maintained. We should never 80
backward, but always forward.
AT no time in the history OF Colo
RADIO has its agricultural interests been
SO pronounced rs at present. Those
engaged in this pursuit have been gen
orally pros porous. and while there was
a shortage of water during the past
season in some sections Of the state.
rs rule prices for the products OF the
farm have ranged high.
Another thing that hns awakened
great interest in agriculture In this
state, is the attitude taken by the gen.
eral government in the matter OF gov
ernment aid for the building of reser-
voirs for the storage of water.
1.-THE report of the state engineer
shows that there are now. in round
numbers. 100000 acres of land under
ditch. He also furnishes some inter-
esting figures on the matter of irrign-
ton. There are now in Colorado 1900
bitches, fifty-one canals over twenty
miles long. and ten canals over fifty
miles long. besides several hundred
reservoirs.
1.-THE capitol building was practical
1y completed during the administra-
tion of Governor Thomas, who prose-
cuted the work with great vigor. How
ever. there still remained consider
able work to be done in the way of fin
fishing touches. This building now rep
resents cost OF $2.593, ,7GS.13.
1.-THE State Board OF Land Commits
sioners is by far the most important
board under the administration of the
state government. 1t has under its
control that vast acreage granted by
the United States government to the
state of Colorado. for the purpose of
promoting general education and for
public school purposes.
This board has under its control
almost 100000 acres OF land. con-
stantly increasing in value. Of which
acreage there is now approximately L.
784,974 acres under lease, the present
board having granted leases for $685.
2O3 acres of land. 1t has also sold o.
$50 acres. The total income from nll
sources during the biennial period was
s372,372.SS, an increase of $l7.066.91
over the preceding period.
For many years the facilities for
the proper care of the insane in this
state have been entirely too limited"
As n remedy for the OyercrOwded