The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-10

| year ending Oct 81, 1883 will disclose the fact
! that with no limitation placed upon the eNpend-
iture for the past year. the expenses of the State
have been kept within the allowances made by
| the general appropriations for the year ending
Oct 81 1888" The total saving to the State by
the failure OF the appropriation bill to pass was
! $52 $3.50
| While the expenses of the State government
| during the past year, authorized by the statutes
| IN the absence of general appropriation act
! have been less than those of the year previous,
which were limited by an appropriation law,
| that is no reason, the Auditor states why such
| a measure should not be ehacted at once. The
iiberalty of the generals tatutes, their want of
| limitation, is dangerous to economic eXpendi-
lures and affords protection neither to the tax
| payer nor officer.
CHANGING THE FISCAL YEAR.
The Auditor recommends to the General AS
sembly the passage Of bin providing that the
fiscal year of the States business shall end with
| November instead of October 1.-The fiscal year
of all the institutions and departments Of the
State ending on the same day, Oct 81, it is i'm
| possible" he says ''for the uuexpended balances
Of many Of them to be returned in time for the
State auditing and financial department to obtain
a complete report of their financial conditions to
| be submitted with these reports | would there
| fore suggest that it would be exceedingly benef-
ciHl to the public if the fiscal year of the Auditor
aud Treasurer of State be made to end Nov. 3d.
| of each year. This would enable the financial
| officers of the States to make an exact exhibit
| of the disbursements BY the several departments
and institutions and the amount of any unex-
pended balance of any and all appropriations
THk NEW STATE HOUSE.
/ The receipts from the Stateshodse tax since
the work upon tile building began aggregate 81,
/ 1872 1885, of which 81, OBS, 3o6.97 has been dis
bursed, leavinga balance of $64, O3l.4s in the
treasury to the credit of the fund. In speaking
of
A ly from the general fund to the State-house
/ fund, Mr. Rice says upon assuming the duties
4 of the Auditors Office Hound that in compliance
L with the provisions of the act of 1879 appro-
pration loan of 100000 had been made from
| the general fund to this building fund, and by
the peculiar language of the act my predecessors
had construed it to be either absolute
continuing loan Upon this point l respectfully
differ from them hold that the language of
the law referred to does not sustain their con
clusion, as the passage of a similar law by each
subsequent Legislature demonstrates that the
| intention of the Legislature was only to make a
general fund loan from year to year, pro-
lection to the commissioners in the letting of
| contracts, etc. Having carefully examined the
law and being satisfied of the correctness of my
conclusions, caused to be transferred to the
general fund the 100000 loaned to the State
| house fund under the act of 1879
PUBLIC IMPROVEMENTS.
OF the $500, 900 appropriated for the expenses
pitfalls, located at Evansville, Logansport and
Richmond, there is balance of 1854 SO. OF
the $50 900 appropriated for the construction of
a sewer from the Reformatory for Women and
Girls, the whole of the amount was expended,
| with the exception of 81 81 The $50 900 appro-
priated for completing the work on the woman's
| department at the Insane Hospital was all ex-
pended except f$54 Is A balance 81, Sc was
returned to the general fund from the appropria
ton of $33, 240 for the construction of the Mich
gan City sewer.
On the assessment this year for the endow-
| ment fund of the State University, there has
been collected the sum of $22 96242. The de
linqueney will be 81. e09.7l. This delinquency
will be collected next year which will, therefore,
result in the collection every twelve months of
$39, 9z1,13.
PUBLIC PRINTING.
W. B. Burford, the present contractor for the
public printing, has in his possession vouchers
showing the States Indebtedness amounting to
$25, COL O. OF this amount $19, BAL % is due on
account of printing and stationery for the fiscal
year ending Oct 81 1852, and is largely made
up of the work done on the reports of the sew
eral departments for that year. AS is always
the ease, the cost of printing the reports for one
year is paid out of the appropriation for the sue
| ceeding year. and SO, when there appeared
| appropriation for succeeding year, as was the
case in $685. there was consequently no fund to
NEE. me. one me p[essnO laws IA re s
Auditor saws. Tor else apDropriations made ade-
ouate to meet the exnense thereof. AS / have
before said, nearly every session of the Legis-
| lature adds some new department or eXpendi-
| ture without an increase of apnronTiation
to meet the same. The demands upon
the printing fund have been increased
! 80 per cent without any provisions being made
| for the payment thereof l would suggest that
aside from finance report of the Treasurer and
Auditor of State, it is quite sufficient 20
! print the reports bienniallv which can be done
at a cost of S32 600 and include the expense of
public Stationery. Annual manuscript reports of
| the several departments and institutions can be
fled in the office of the government. as a matter
OF Information LOT OhOse desiring ~ would
he atbor;2ed after yev;e,yine the several re-.