Pueblo chieftain., 1922-03-08


other state purposes encompassed by
tho mill levy. such as the state hos
pital for the insane, capitol, office and
museum buildings, interest on bonds.
stock inspection. state fair, blind
berefits. Improvement tax on state
property, etc.
TO bring the matter right home to
this audience, permit me to analyze
the conditions In your own county.
Bearing in mind that the increase in
the state mill levy for 1921. due to the
vote OF the people in 1920 Is .S8 Of
mill and that the total state mill levy
is 4.35 raills, what do we find in Put
eblo county, as 1t applies to the city of
Pueblo?
Your average mill levy for 1920, as
furnished me by the state tax COM
mission, was 1879 mills. and for 1921
(the taxes you are now paying) 1t Is
4S.62. Explanatory. This Is an in
crease of 3.33 mills which IS only 1.02
mills less than the entire levy for state
purposes. OF this 1882 mills only 4.35
mills goes into the state treasury, and
this amount that goes into the state
treasury is a little less than per cent
OF your total mill levy or tax bill
Figuring 1t at per cent. we find that
the citizen of Pueblo whose taxes ag-
gregate 800 this year pays of 1t for
state taxes only 80, and the remaininc
s9l for county, city. school. park and
other purposes right at home. or this
- paid into the state treasury, $3.50
goes to the state educational tnstitu-
tions, s2.O6 to tho highways, $1.2S to
general revenue, 35 cents to the state
hospital for the insane. IA cents to the
military department, and the remain
der. :l.oS, for the other items ecoIn-
passed by the mill levy of 4.35 mills
previously mentioned herein. The 44.2i
mills remaining of your total of 4s.62
mills after deducting the <.35 mills for
state purposes, is for your own local
purposes, with which the state admin
istration has nothing to do. 1t is your
own business. and as the revenue de-
rived from this A.e7 mills Is practically
all spent right here at home, 1t re-
mains In your own channels OF trade
and Is not wasted money (a5siminS
that II Is properly spenD ana you are
rot impoverished by It's use, Tor OF
simply changes hands-thats all. Ana
you may not have reflected much over
the further fact that OF this mill levy
for state purposes about 81 of mill,
or $500. .6s3.04. comes back to YOU for
the support OF tho state hospital for
the insane, 60 that It IL evident tha'
the people In many parts OF tho state
arc not nearly as fortunate as your
selves in the matter of state taxa
tion.
Who is responsible for the present
financial condition OF the state
have no desire or intention to be often.
sIvely partisan In the analysis tina,
follows, for / have great admiration
and respect for those OF opposite poh-
teal faith whose lot 1t has to admin
lister the affairs OF the state during inc
greater part OF the quarter century
vi u
a great many OF these people, who l
credit with being as patriotic and as
public spirited and as honorable an
their business deals as tho majority OK
those OF any other party. II Is an IN
disputnbc fact that Democratic an
ministratlons have prevailed during II
OF the a5 years since January. le'''
and that during the two years from
1919 to 1921 tho Legislature was half
and-half. the house bcing Republican
and the senate Democratic.
Let US analyzc the total mill levy OF
30 mills In 1921 and discover. OF We
can, Just whence this total was de-
rived. ] give you the years when these
mill lcvics were inaugurated so that
YOU can do a little investigating your
-clvc. II you sec fit so TO do, and have
any doubt that my conclusions are
correct.
Before do this. let mo take UP first
the bonded Indebtedness OF tho state.
because the payments for sinking fund
and interest on account OF these bones
are reflected In the total mill levy, ana
'omcbody is responsible for II. ON
December ], 1890, there were outstand-
ins bonds tho amount of r.ls.,3eo.
Where did they originate? or this
amount 1854. 500 are due TO insurrec-
lions I'm 1897. 1909 aud 1913, and it II not
necessary for me to state who was IN
power those years. OF tho remainder
81 ,ao7. 500 ara duo to tho rcfunding OF
debts contracted during various ad-
ininIstrations. from which statement
tho fact stands out that tho present
administration is not tho only one
whose warrants have been discounted
because OF tho lack OF ready cash 10
pay them. which docs not by any
means force the conclusion that the
state is broke. The remaining Sbl9.oou
are national dcr,usc bonds authorized
in 1917 on account of the world WAT
and surely no ono VIII harshly crit
else Governor Guntcr and his admins
,ration because OF the Issuance of these
bonds. for every loyal citizen sane
toned and approved such issuance:
Tho Interest on bonds and sinking funa
PAYABLE in io:, accounts for .2Jl1S OF
mill or 1855 7s3.H OF tho total OF this
years taxes.
ph often near 'Hc sthN'0l'ht ii'H,
that Colorado I. broke, which ia an
untrue and ill-adviscd abatement for
anybody to make in Wow of tho actual
facts. for surely immigration to Color
ado cannot be expected II such state
ments are allowed TO go unrefutel
into all sections OF tho land. among
people who may be contemplating TAX
ing up their homes among US. Tho
real facts arc that the state OF Color
ado has about 100000 cash in the
bauks of tho state. which belongs TO
specific funds and cannot be used TO
pay current warrants, which warrants
will be taken up when the money from
1921 taxes is received from the various
counties of the state. The reason for
the present condition or affairs. which
always obtains to greater or lcsscr
extent at this time OF year, Is found
IN tho fact that school fund, from tho
land board. which arc usually used to
hno