The Indianapolis sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1880-1904, 1885-01-10

NAaAAa ANAOW TINT ~ q AC+gAANItlu A4tAh iRfr
ity be given to the Governor aud Auditor OF STATE
to borrow the requisite sum at the lowest precu-
cable rate Of Interest and discharge these bonds.
A large saving OF interest can thus be effected.
THE GENERAL FUND.
TIE general fund, at the present rate OF tax
alton. Will not be Sufficient. unless 10 shall be aug
mented from some new source. to meet the ordi
nary current expenses OF the State and the extra
ordinary expenses rendered necessary for the com.
PleHion OF the three additional Hospitals for the
Insane. aud for the usual loans TO the state House
fund. II is evident that unless economics can be
introduced which will relieve the defct the rate
| of taxstion viii have 10 lie somewhat increased o.
3 Sufficient sum borrowed To meet the exiReDcv
IN the event that a loan shall be made, provision
should be simultaneously. made for the creation
an early day But before imposing any additions
tax or providing for any loan, every edOrt shOuld
be made 20 avoid the necessity thereof By reduc-
ing al needless expenses.
The GENERAL AUTHORIZATION BILL.
The failure of the General Appropriation DILL At
the lest session o. the Legislature was not fol
lowed By the inconvenience which were By most
persons antics pated ana the prOpriet y Of my de
terminatiOn not 70 call an extra session. which
would have put upon the stata al expense, az
least. of from $40 600 TO $50. 0O0, has been fully
indicated 1t was found that laws were In force
under which the State Government and AL its
machinery could be conducted. Notwithstanding
the failure OF that bill. TIE General Appropria-
ton bill, il 1t had become q law, would, indeed,
have limited the expense for each object for which
il made provision to the amount specifically ap.
propriated therefor. whereas the laws above re-
tered TO did not, in most instances, contain any
exsct limitation upon expenditure. But the Gen.
eral Appropriation bill having passed both Houses,
and having been subsequently, reconsidered for
other reasons than that It's provisions were not
satisfactory, 1t was deemed to contain an express
lature. To guard, therefore. against
exp, nditures greater than the Legislature
between the Treasurer and Auditor of safe aud
myself. ST which ny determination not TO cal an
cision was adopted that the expenditures of the
several objects specified In the General Appr0pria-
ton BIZ should not In any instance be exceeded.
The elect OF this decision has been that, through
an effort to keep down expenditures for the OBJ
iectt specified in that bill 10 the lowest practica-
Die emOunt, the expenditures lave been less than
they would have been had the bill passed. An
examination of the expenses of the executive
department., especially. will show that no greAter
economy could possibly have been practiced.
The failure of the General Appropriation bill,
however, OCcasiOned great inconvenience to two
or three of the public institutions, from the fact
that no Law could be found under which sufficient
provision could be made for them. The incon-
venience will doubtless be redressed by you By
proper legislation.
STATE PRINTING.
Your particular attention Is invited to the re-
marks contained in the report of the Auditor Of
state, on the SUBJECT OF the States printing Tae
printing has, during the last few years, increased
: very much IN quantity, yet there has been no cor
responding increase IN the appropriation TO paw
forit. The laT is alAo defective in no. defaing
with precision what matter shall be printed. since
the law of MaTcn IL, 1870, was enacted, specify ing
the reports which shall be printed. a considerabie
| HI vi = OIAiEc NV Ottl tfEAhCAt tAE II
| cumbents OF which are required by law 10 make
4 annual reports. II bias been the practice 20 -prI8t
these reports under very vague and doubtful
authority contained III the act Creating the Blreiu
OF Pubic Printing. ihe Legislature should
| clea ly express It's will with respect To what re
| ports shall re printed.
It is believed that some Of these reports should
be published but once III two years, ia Season -
be prin ed ana laid on The desks OF members a.
| the meetings OF the Legislature in regular session.
| Other reports, allowed TO be printed annually.
might properly be limited in leagtl and rest -ictea
in topics. ar least IN the years GLOWING the regu-
| lar session. Ia this way a very considerable an J
prudent saving o. expense might be eeeeted-
The legislature should SECURE d paper OF bstter
! quality 10 be used IN priUiug NOS OF the report
| than the law now requires. Ths paper ussd Is by
no means equal TO paper sensrSIly used In other
| States OF ike wealth and advancement.
NotwithEtsnding the Legislature at its last SOS
sion fai ed TO make an appropriation fo- the Pub-
lie Printer. The present contractor, Mr. ". b Bnr-
iord, has printed the reports OF public officers. the
acts of the Legislature and the House ana senate
Journals, with me expectation that you would al
the present session make a proper appropriation
to pay him for such printing a. the rases speoih "a
in the states contract with him. TIE work ms
officer required by law TO inspect il.
that the appropriation be made as soon az practic
able.
THE STATE IRE AsUFf.
The act OF 1859, ITO provide q treasury system
for this 5~tete"-which act isstill in force-declared
that the room then occupied, or which might
thereafter be assigned 80 and occupied by the Treas
other necessary means Tor sthe security and safe
keeping of the public money, should constitute
the:Treasury OF the State; aud that the Treasurer
OF the state should be required TO use the Treas
uIy so constituted as the sole place for the deposit
and safekeeping Of the States moneys; and the
direction of the Governor. to provide such addi-
tiOnal locks, safes aud vaults as might render the
public funds absolutely secure against fire and
| burglars, and appropriation waS thereby made
'of sucn money as may be necessary to ootain the
ssme."
During the last summer many articles appeared
L Ia the pubic press Charging that the Treasurer
did not keep the public funds in the safe or vaults
of the Treasury, and urging that ii, as was alleged.
the safe or wants were Insecure, the Governor
should require the Auditor and Treasurer 10 pro
vide such additional locks, safes aud vaults as
were contemplated in the act above cited. Ii the
appropriation to which | have referred was G con
tinUiDg one, available whenever the safe or vaults
were insecure. me duty o. tae Goyesnor to require
the Auditor and Treasurer to provide additional
locls. sales and vaults was clear. Ii had. how
ever. for many years been notorious that the safe
and vaults were insecure. yet no requirement. OF
this sort had been msde by any OF my predeces
sors II not appearing obvious. therefore, from
the statute that the appropriation was a perma
nent one, I inferred that II had not so been re
garded by my predecessors as being so, and nigh
not be so regarded by the Courts.
urged. to take the opinion OF the Attorne,
General. After q careful examination. ne advised
me that the appropriation WAS still available. ]
then appointed two highly competent experts
belong to different political parties, TO examine
the safes and vaults, and 10 report whether thel
were secure. After a careful examination, thel
reported that they were not secure either agsins
fire or burglars. I thereupoa addressed a letter q
the Auditor and Treasurer. informing them OF tn
result of the examination, and requiring them q
provide such locks. safes, aud vaults as woaid ren
der the Treasury secure In both these respects
They. bo~ever. decided rot 10 comply with IN
requirement Asthe statute, with Respect 10 IN
availahilii y of the appropriation is not entfrei
clear SIS q requirement similar 10 the one mad
bad not been made by any of my predecessors; an'
as proceeding against these officers Of mIadat
could not, in all likelihood, b. pro:ecated to
conclusion boioTe The present meeting OF the Lee
Islature. ! Qeftlet to abstain from legal proceed
ings, and 10 refer the matter TO you for suca acti0i
as you might deem appropriate.
The safe and vaults are without doubt insecure
Their known insecurity has Tor mauy Yeas iul
niShed the excuse TO TIE lsurers fer dep0Sittn
the States moneys in banks. and for lolnin
them. IL Is believed, to individuals. No matte
what political party hiss been IN power. the put
nc moneys have thus been disp Ised OF. Repeal
edly. when the Legislature has bsen ia session
the fact OF such Misrepresentation has been nut
licly stated IN debates in the two houses In
such a usage should be allowed is unjust TO ia