The Colorado statesman., 1908-01-18
SHORTAGE OF
STATE FUNDS
PUBLIC WORKS DEPENDING ON
STRATToN INHERITANCE
TAX.
HITS STATE HIGHWAY
MAY BE LACK OF MONEY FOR RE-
LIEF BILLS, MONUMENT AND
SANTA FE TRAIL.

Denver-Because the last Legisla
ture made appropriations to an amount
Of $154,000 in excess of the funds on
hand to cover them, it is very doubtful
as to whether the state highway to be
built through Colorado to the New
Mexican boundary line by convict Ia
Dor will be started during this biennial
period. For the same reason the estab-
T h!ment of monuments to mark the
LA Fe trail, for which $4,000 was ap-
p.'opriated, the payment of the $4,000
spent on the memorial monument
erected on the capital grounds, and
other matters and relief bills coming
lnder the fourth and fifth classes will
have to be delayed The state educa-
ional institutions, which come under
I--e third class, will have to get along
With $4,000 less than the Legislature
allowed them.
The only hope that the money can be
secured before the conclusion of the
present administration rests upon the
disposition of the Stratton inheritance
AK of $350,000 by the court.
At the state house there is little hope
that decision will be handed dowp.
n regard to it for at least a year, since
he Supreme Court has refused to take
whether the money can be used in this
biennial period, State Treasurer Bent,
On the advice of his attorney, seems
determined not to have the fund
fund touched until a test case is taken
10 court, SO that friendly suits will
nave to be filed against him and the
ordinary course appealed to the SUI
preme Court. If the matter was set
lied before the end of the year there
would be a surplus of at least $4,000
In the state treasury, in the opinion of
auditor Stadtler, in view of the in
creates in receipts reported by almost
every state department for the last
year.
The appropriation of the Legislature
are divided into five classes. Under the
first, principally, come the salaries OF
tue state officials. For this class ST.
l56, ,617.95 was appropriated by the Leg
lslature. The penal and charitable in
stitutions chiefly make up the second
class and $S04,00O was appropriated
for this. These two classes are always
given first consideration, and the
amounts appropriated for them will be
surely covered For the third class
s311,320 was voted for the Legislature,
for the fourth sS0,200, and for the fifth
s32, 900.
The third class, which includes the
State university, the School of Mines,
the Deaf and Blind Institute at Colo
RADIO Springs and other educational
places, will receive all but $4,000 of
the amount appropriated for it, while
the fourth and fifth classes will re-
ceive nothing-that is, unless the court
decides that the Stratton tax can be
used.
According to State Engineer Jaycox,
the state highway would be placed in
the fifth class and consequently there
Is no indication at the present of real
izing money enough to meet the $10,-
900 appropriated. The road is prob
ably the most important project which
will receive a setback because of the
shortage in funds. 1t will pass through
Fort Collins, Loveland, Longmont, Den
yer, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Walsen-
burg and Trinidad, and, having its
southern terminus at a point in the
Ration mountains on the state line be-
tween Colorado and New Mexico. The
convicts will construct the road and
the county commissioners of the coun-
ties through which it will pass will pay
their share of the expense.