The state herald., 1910-10-28
Interesting Figures.

Condition of the state treasury:
Deficit at end of Orman admin
istration s239, ,5GO
Surplus at end of Buchtel ad-
ministration 445, 200
Gain in treasury under republi-
can administration 6s4, 700
Balance in treasury Sept !, 1910 600, 900
Estimated deficit Dec. /, 1910 4OO,O
Loss to treasury in two years S45, 200
The above is brief summary of the
financial results of electine republican
and democratic officials respectively.
These figures are not made up"
they are not "doctored" or cooked.
They are taken straight from the books
of the auditor of state. The details
may be of interest. given briefly:
That deficit of s239, 500 was an inner.
i.ance from the Thomas administration.
1t included sum of $40. 900 which was
borrowed from the Denver Clearing
House bank on the personal RESPONSE
bllity of Gov. Thomas. When the leg
islature met in 1901, Mr.. Thomas work
ed to get an appropriation to pay this
debt, and succeeded. An appropriation
Of S25l, 500 was made, the express pur-
pose of which was to take care of the
deficit. This was in addition to an ap.
propriation of $50, 900 for general incl
dental purposes. But the appropria.
tion was not restricted in the title of
the bill to the specific purpose. An ex.
cuse therefore existed, which was ta-
ken advantage Of, to use the money for
general purposes. As result, none of
the debt was paid off, and nealy the
whole sum was frittered au ay in "ex.
tras." Mr.. Thomas, in an open letter
to Auditor Crouter. which has often
been published and re.published, ex-
pressed his opinion Of this outrageous
extravagance in very plain terms.
The deficit still existed. then, when
Governor Peabody came into office.
During the succeeding three republi.
can administrations. this deficit was all
paid, and there were turned into the
surplus fund the following sums; from
the revenue of 1902 (amounts received
after the close of the Orman admins.
tration) $l,400: from the revenue of
1903 and 1904 peabody administration
sll 400; from the revenue of 1905 and
1905 (McDonald administration s87. 400
from the revenue Of 1907 and 1908
(Buchtel administration s345, 900.
So the Shafroth administration inher-
tied surplus Of s445, 200. When the
members of the legislature investigated
the condition Of the treasury with a
view to making an appropriation for
their per diem, they were informed
that no funds were available. They
therefore hunted up special funds which
might be borrowed" from, and final
ly cleaned out the Supreme Court Ii
brary Fund and the state canal fund
for their first appropriation of $50, 900.
The surplus was all gone: the regular
revenue was all spent: there was an
excess Of appropriations over estimated
revenues for the biennial period of
1895. 263.2s. (Theso are official figures
from the auditors office. By tho crd
of the fiscal year Dec. I. the deficit
will in all probability amount to more
than e4o0. 900.
The republicans In six years, turned
a deficit of s23s. 800 into q surplus of
s.45, 200.
Tho democrats. in two years, hive
turned surplus OF sa45. 200 into def.
icit Of about the same size.
What they could do in six years will
never be known-in fact. nobody wants
to know it. They have done enough. -
Republican Bulletin.