The Colorado statesman., 1921-01-15
orders were promptly quelled and no
further loss OF life occurred.
The Colorado Rangers.

The Colorado Rangers.
My experience has convinced me
that there is no means available to the
state by which these situations can be
controlled In the interest of all parties
concerned so effectively as by state
police. Accordingly, have revived the
cOnstabulary under the provisions of
the act approved August Z, 1917, and IL
now is an efficient organization. To
obtain the fullest safety to the state
and efficiency to that department, l
recommend an adequate appropriation
for its maintenance from the general
fund or from the national defense
bonds, and n revision of the act under
which IL operates, to make 1t perman-
ent. 1t manifestly would be In the
interest of harmony and efficiency to
place the department under the adJu-
tant general and to make that officer
ex-officio its superintendent. Life and
porperty in Colorado must be protected
and 1 earnestly recommend the con
tinuatlon of the Ranger force as the
surest and most economical agency for
accomplishing this result.
Defense Bonds.
The state frequently is handicapped
by lack of funds to meet unforeseen
emergencies when the General AS
sembly Is not in session. L recon-
mend that the issue of national de-
tense bonds be extended for the years
1921 and 1922 and that a large APP
preparation be made therefrom for
such contingencies as may seriously
involve the welfare of the state.
National Guard Armories.
The state is obligated to maintain
an adequate National Guard for the
defense of the federal government.
Generous appropriations should be
made from the national defense bond
issue for the construction of armories
where National Guard units have been
organized and recognized.
Better Roads.
Highway legislation of a construc-
ton character is demanded by the
people. l believe that state roads
should be planned, constructed and
maintained exclusively by the state,
that they should be in the hands of
capable, experienced official with wide
authority and that he should be bound
to comprehensive program of de-
velopment and should be responsible
directly to the governor for the eff
ficient performance of his duties. The
state and national governments have
been generous with road approprla-
tions. We must be careful that these
funds are judiciously expended.
Boards and Bureaus.
For two years l have given attention
to the functioning of State Depart
ments, commissions, boards, ETC., and
have considered seriously the need for
an effective coordination of their
activities. The lieutenant and acting
governor recently appointed Senator
Francis ]. Knauss of Denver and
Representative-elect w. B. Gordon of
Lamar to give the problem special
study. Their examination of the
statutes of this and other states and
of the valuable reports published In
1916 by the Survey Committee on
State Affairs has led to the prepara-
ton of n series of bills which, l am
sure II enacted, will eliminate much
duplicated work by consolidation of
departments of similar purpose and
will lessen the cost Of transacting pub
lie business.
The committees study led to the in
evitable conclusion that new code
is needed to systematic administra-
tive work.
The experience of several other
states with board Of control in which
all the powers and duties of the nu-
merous commissions, bureaus, etc, are
lodged has proven helpful. The COM
mittee found, however, that while such
central board might and probably
would be an Improvement over our
present system, the plan cannot be
worked out Complementary under the
constitution Of Colorado. In this con-
clusion 1 am reluctantly forced to con-
cur.
Now Constitution.
Our present constitution was adopted
many years ago and under conditions
essentially different from those now
obtaining. 1t has been frequently
amended and each amendment has
been designed to meet a specific need
without due regard to its effect upon
the Constitution as a comprehensive
whole. Therefore. because only new
organic law will meet the actual needs
of the state, it is my deliberate con-
viction that this General Assembly
should submit to the people pro-
posal for a constitutional convention.
Budget System.
The experience of the budget de-
partment In its first two years
STRENGTHENS my conviction that the re-