The Ordway new era. (Ordway, Colo.) 1902-1927, 1913-01-17

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Governor e. M. Ammons.
is no doubt of our success in the trial
If we properly prepare for it.
State Institutions.
The. demand upon new state for
educational. penal and charitable in
situations Is always great. This is es.
pecially true of our educational insti-
tutions in Colorado. Our natural re-
sources are of great variety, and their
development involves problems as nu-
merous as those to be met by the en-
tire country. We have half the min
erals known to the world, and all the
mining problems of this continent. To
develop our immense area of mineral
land, 1t Is necessary to give the widest
range of education to the young men
going into this business. Our agricul
tural resources are equally varied. and
all of them are different from those
existing in the East. Whether the
settler comes to the dry farming dis
tricts, under irrigating canals, into the
mountains or the fruitgrowing valleys.
he must learn new way to farm.
Board Of immigration.
Not 10 per cent of the area of this
state is developed to any considerable
extent, and not 8 per cent as 1t should
be. Our mineral lands, except in
small areas, have scarcely been pros.
pected. Less than per cent of our
water power is developed. We have
sufficient known coal. to say nothing
of undiscovered fields. to supply the
entire world, at the present rate of
consumption, for more than three hun
dred years. We are bringing into this
state annually two million dollars of
clay products when We have vast guam
titles of better quality of the same
clays at home. A similar condition
exists as to many of our other re-
sources. Our opportunities for cheap
power are practically unlimited. We
are In the center of the Rocky Noun.
tain region, and can offer industrial
possibilities unequaled by any other
state in the Union. To occupy our
lands and utilize these advantages we
must have more people and more cap
ital. To secure these we must collect
accurate statistics and facts concern
ing our production and opportunities
and distribute them among the people
of the East who are looking for homes
in the West.
Reapportionment.
l cannot urge too strongly the nee
essity of fair apportionment OF legis-
lative and congressional districts.
Since the last general enactments on
this subject the population of the state
has SO shifted as to make the present
division ridiculously unjust. Attempts,
too often made, to gerrymander for
partisan advantage are likely to have
exactly the opposite result from that
intended.
Elections.
The people of Colorado are to be
congratulated on the fact that our re-
cent election was freer from corrupt
practices than any held in many
years. This does not mean that the
conditions were as good as they should
be, but that We have made material
progress. Through the adoption by
the people of the pure Australian bal
lot, I expect to see still greater i'm
provement. We cannot afford to toll.
crate any corrupting influences in our
elections. Nothing will do us SO mucn
good abroad, where we must look for
new capital with which to develop our
resources. as a reputation for honest
elections and stable, efficient and eco
nomical government.
AS was to be expected, experience
has pointed out some defects in the
direct primary law. One of the main
objects to be attained was the elm
nation of conventions controlled by
political trades. The assemblies held
during the past year have proven con.
clusively that they too will be con-
trolled by the same influences, and
to an exaggerated degree, because of
the lack of responsibility of assembly
action. I therefore recommend that
the assembly feature of the direct pri-
mary law be repealed, II It cannot be
amended to effectively carry out its
original purpose.
There has grown up the custom of
giving executive officers two terms Of
office. The apparent reason for this
is that people believe one term Of two
years is not sufficiently long to carry
out any definite policy. There is no
doubt that many evils in administra-
ton arise through candidacy for re-
election. l am thoroughly convinced