Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1904-06-04
HiIT

en- years by an administration both il
competent and apparently dishones
with the result that the tax rate in
posed upon the property owners of tn
Territory is practically prohibitivt
and makes the bringing in of new cal
ital for the development of natural re
sources extremely difficult and almos
impossible. If the years to come ar
to bring the steady increase in the ter
ritorial tax rate of the past sever
years, the property of the tax payers
of New Mexico is practically valueless
and must finally be confiscated fo
the payment of the burdens Of the ter
ritorial government. The majority O
the taxpayers of the Territory would
be willing to wait for statehood unit
single statehood could be obtained il
not for the necessity of a change in the
administration of the affairs of this
Territory. There can be no denial OF
the increase in the tax rate, and the
only question for argument is the hon.
esty of purpose of those responsible
for it,
1t would seem that in the past two
years New Mexico has been sufficiently
maligned, misrepresented and roasted
to a brown finish by the eastern press
to satisfy even the most strenuous
knocker, but of all untruthful, mislead.
ing and vicious articles that have
found their way into print the above
from local Democratic paper is up to
the limit.
A brief review of financial affairs of
the Territory for the past nineteen
years, and a few comparisons, will
show to what extent the attempt to
crafty personal and partisan spite will
carry individuals, as well as "our
friends the enemy who in
convention assembled, at Silver City,
on the 18th of April passed among
their resolutions the following:
1--WE denounce the Republican terri
torial administration for it's corrupt
extravaganza in more than doubling
the burdens of the government on the
people, in taxes without any pretence
at giving corresponding benefits and
we charge that the present Republican
administration in this Territory by it's
corrupt and extravagant appropriations
Of public funds and by it's general con-
duct, viewed as a whole, is the least
commendable of any this Territory
has had in many years."
The administration of Governor
Ross, which is still fresh in the mem
Dry of tax payers, was anything but a
financial success. In one year after
his appointment the Territory was in
financial straits and the legislature of
1887 passed an act authorizing the is
sue of current expense bonds, under
which act in May, 1887. $4,000 in
bonds were issued and sold. Six
later in November, 1887, an ad-
ditional issue of $4,000 became nec-
essary and six months later still an
other $50,000 were issued and sold By
the time that the legislature convened
again in 1889, the treasury under this
excellent Democratic administration,
was again in the hole and the legis-
lature once more afforded it relief by
authorizing the issue of provisional in
debtedness bonds. AS result, in May
1889, one year after the last of the
$150,00O of current expense bonds had
been issued, 100000 provisional in
debtedness bonds were issued and sold,
and six months later another issue of
100000 was required, making only
$35O,000 of 6 per cent expense bonds
issued during one Democratic admins
tration to pay running expenses. and
this in addition to the regular levy for
territorial general purposes, which was
also collected and spent.
In 1893 under the administration of
Governor Prince $101,S00 5 per cent
casual deficit bonds were issued and
sold to pay deficiencies incurred in
1890 and 1891.
Under the administration of Cover
nor Thornton no expense bonds were
issued. although it became necessary
to borrow $4,000 to meet current in
terest coupons, but deficiency of
$122.SOO, reminder of Democratic
financial disability, was left for the ad-
ministration of Governor Otero to care
Tor and pay, and this was provided
for by the legislature of 1899, author
izing the issue of certificates of in
debtedness. Every dollar of that def
cheney was created under former ad-
ministrations and all that the Otero
administration had to do was to pay it,,
or else allow the credit of the Terri
tory to become by-word.
Now, for the administration of Gov
ernor Otero-7 years. Not dollar of
expense bonds has been issued, except
certain bonds to pay deficiencies left
by the Thornton administration-no
deficiencies have been incurred. All