The Toledo chronicle. [volume] (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1873-1924, 1878-01-10

1Ot6l. sessssssss $Ucoo1oso<
Among the items appearing above, for which
many which should be carefully scrutinized,
not to say disallowed. It is asked, in one in
stance, that sum be appropriated for insur-
ance. Il is now many years since the State
ceased insuripg its public edifices In other
words, became its own insurer. Whether this
course is the more judicious do Lot propose
to discuss but 1t is we'll that the step should
for this purpose. No other property the State
has, anywhere, 60 much requires insurance as
its library at the capital Here o valuable col
lection OF books has been gathered into small
space, and its destruction by fire would involve
. loss as great as would be entailed by the de-
| struction of many times the same extent Of
property in any other Of the States edifices.
II money is to be appropriated for insurance,
the library should be first considered !; and, II
anything further be determined on, 1t ought to
be general, and applicable to all the States
buildings. The cheapest insurance, however,
Is to be found in the erection Of fire-proof
buildings. 1t is poor economy which sacrifices
Another item Of expense for which appro-
priation is asked suggests question as to the
proper uses to which the support-fund Of an
institution may be put For instance, there is
| doubt in reference to the extent to which
that fund may be used In making repairs. It
| Is conceded that for such repairs % are neces-
STATED by ordinary wear and tear, and even
those extraordinary ones entailed by the de-
struction by fire or otherwise Of part Of an edi-
fee, the fund may be used. But whether the
rebuilding Of structure entirely destroyed by
fire can be properly considered as coming
within the designation Of repairs, 20 a. to war
rant the use Of this fund for that purpose, Ia
open to very serious question, 30 much 60 that
! think it would be well that the legislative
uiu ho ovpraccoN in, rooord In nowr,v.d xhs.
there can be no doubt that the support fund
cannot be employed, and every use OF 1t for
permanent improvement is diversion
not only unauthorized by law, but
q virtual violation Of the constitution, which
declares that +" no money shah be drawn from
tons made by law" To use the States money
for an object altogether different from that for
which 1t was drawn from the treasury is IS
much violation Of this constitutional provis-
ion as If it were 80 drawn without any appro-
priation at all. think 1t wen for the General
Assembly to make inquiry as to the extent this
diversion Of public funds is practiced, aud at
the same time to ascertain whether the amount
Of support fund now allowed the various insti-
tutions is needed or sufficient in al cases. The
present rates Of allowance were mostly made
during the period Of high prices immediately
following the war, and II enough then they
must, In some cases ct least, be too much now.
It might be well to adopt both minimum and
maximum rates, the former only to be tran
Council, upon proper showing Of its necessity.
Ihave before stated that after the payment
Of outstanding warrants there viii be nothing
left for new public buildings, or for improve
ments in existing ones, without IN increase In
the rate Of tax levy; and, - such increase
cannot be productive until 1879, there will be
no funds whatever to pay for such improve
mania tho rrpsent YEAR This Ia aux.aciaII~ Il,