Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1904-10-19
Figures Taken From Official
Records Of Territory are
lJnsnswerable.
ISLANDERS CON-
PLETELY REFUTED
e22 900 Annually Saved to Tax
payers In Reduction In
Interest Alone.

New Mexico has been cursed for
seven years by an administration
both incompetent and apparently dis
honest, with the result that the tax
rate imposed upon the property own
ers of the Territory Is practically pro-
hibitive, and makes the bringing In
Of new capital for the development OF
natural resources extremely difficult
and almost impossible. If the years
to come are to bring the steady in
crease in the Territorial tax rate or
the past seven years, the property
of the tax payers OF New Mexico is
practically valueless, and must final
ly be confiscated for the payment OF
the burdens of the territorial govern
ment. The majority of the tax pay
ers of the Territory would be willing
to wait for @tatehood until single
statehood could be obtained II not for
the necessity of change in the ad-
ministration of the affairs of this Ter
ritory. There can be no denial of the
increase in the tax rate, and the
only question for argument is the
honesty of purpose of those RESPONSE
BILE for it,"
1t would seem that in the past two
years New Mexico has been suffi.
ciently maligned, misrepresented and
roasted to a brown finish by the east.
ern press to satisfy even the most
strenuous knocker, but of all untruth
full, misleading and vicious articles
that have found their way into print
the above from a local democratic
paper is up to the limit.
A brief review of financial affairs
of the Territory for the past nine
teen years, and few comparisons
will show to what extent the a .
tempt to crafty personal and parti
san spite will carry individuals, as
we'll as "our friends the enemy" who
In convention assembled, at Silver
City, on the 18th of April passed
among their resolutions the follow
ing:
I'VE denounce the republican terri
torial administration for its corrupt
extravaganza in more than doubling
the burdens of the government on lnt
people, in taxes, without any pretenct
at giving corresponding benefits ant
we charge that the present republi
can administration in this Territor!
by it's corrupt and extravagant ap
propriations of public funds and b.
its general conduct, viewed as |
whole, is the least commendable o
any this Territory has had in man!
years"
The administration of Governo
Ross which Is still fresh in the mem
ory of tax payers, was anything bu
a financial success. In one year afte
his appointment the Territory was il
financial straits and the legislature o
1887 passed an act authorizing the is
sue of current expense bonds, unde
which act In May, 1887 $50,0O0 il
bonds we're issued and sold. Si,
months later in November 1887. al
additional issue of $4,000 became
necessary and six months later stil
another $4,000 were issued and sold
Rv the time that the legislature con
vened again in 1889. the treasury I'm
der this excellent democratic admin
istration. was again in the hole an
the legislature once more afforde'
it relief by authorizing the issue
provisional Indebtedness bonds. A
a result, in May, 1889. one year afte
" the last of the $150.O0o of curren
expense bonds had been issued, 800
600 provisional indebtedness bond
were issued and sold. and six month
later another issue of 100000 was rt
quired. making only s350,000 of 6 pc
cent expense bonds issued during on
democratic administration to pay rur
ming expenses, and this in addition {
the regular levy for territorial ger
eral purposes, which was coliecte
and spent.
In 1899 under the administration c
Governor Prince s101, 500 per cen
casual deficit bonds we're issued an