The Springfield herald., 1903-01-16

bodies of the Fourteenth Generai AS
sembly met in joint session Saturday
afternoon to listen to the readins Oh
the message of James b. Ormah, the
retiring governor. The following is q
brief condensation of the message,
which In full occupies about seven
newspaper columns:
II am gratified beyond measure 10
say to you that since the last regular
session OF the General Assembly at
which many wise and effective laws
were enacted, great Improvement has
been made in our financial condition,
which has placed all our state lnstitu-
tions on a much better basis. For the
first time since Colorado was admit
ted into the Union, all legislative ap,
propriations have either been placed
to the credit of the recipient, or nave
been actually paid, leaving a surplus
of about 100000 instead of large de-
ficits, as has been customary IN the
past.
"a great many of our institutions
have for years been overcrowded; nave
lacked the proper facilities LOT opera
ton and have been unable to receive
sufficient funds for their maintenance.
| am glad to say, however. that
brighter dawn is 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
portance to which l 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
former administration, as follows:
For the asylum for the insane..$ 2o'ooo
Soldiers and Sailors Home... 2o'ooo
This money was advanced by the
Clearing House Association and by
private individuals at time when the
state was in great need and hnanclal
distress While it may be contended
that the last Legislature made an ap-
propriation for the payment OF this In
debtedness, l am compelled 10 say II
was done in such manner as TO make
the payment illegal.
"a great deal has been said during
the past few years as 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. | believe. from the fact
that the question was not well under
stood The work represented by these
warrants was actually performed
believe the time has arrived when the
state can begin to provide for their
payment out of the excess revenues
The incoming administration should
have, from a conservative estimate, at
least 100000 excess revenue, whlcn
could be applied to the redemption OF
y,S,- n
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 mater of paramount i'm
portance is the restitution to the
school fund of sass S,6S3.44 and accrued
interest, making the total amount now
due over 100000. This sum is tied up
in the so-called excess warrants of the
years 1887, 1883 and 1889. The duty oil
the state in this regard is clear and
explicit The constitution provides
that the school fund of the state shall
forever remain inviolate and intact,
and that the state shall 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 If the present efficiency is
10 be maintained. We should never go
backward. but always forward.
'At no time in the history of Colo
rado has its agricultural interests been
so pronounced as at present. Those
engaged in this pursuit have been gen.
orally prosperous, and while there was
a shortage of water during the past
of 10
as rule prices for the products OF the
farm have ranged hign.
Another thing that has awakened
great interest in agriculture in this
state. is the attitude taken by the gem
eral government in the matter OF gov
ernment aid for the building of reser-
voirs for the storage of water.
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 irrisa-
ton. There are now in Colorado 4.5OO
bitches, fifty-one canals oyer twenty
miles long, and ten canals over fifty
miles long, besides several hundred
reservoirs.
The capitol building was practical
Iy completed during the administra-
ton 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
ishing touches. This building now rep
resents a cost of So 593. .7GS.13.
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.
,,yf-l.. do. n trn