The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-01-10


aad shat the Treasurer OF State should be re-
ouired to the treasury constituted. as the
sole place for the deposit and safe keeping of the
States moneys; and the Auditor and Treasurer
were required, under the direction of the Gov
ernor, to provide ench additional locks safes
and vaults as might render the public funds alb
soluteiy secure against fire and burglars, and
appropriation was thereby made ''of such
money as may be necessary to obtain the same
During the last summer many articles APP
peared in the public press, charging that the
Treasurer did not keep the public funds IN the
safe or vaults Of the treasury, and urging that
If. as was alleged. the safe or vaults were inse-
cure, the Governor shoal0 require the Auditor
and Treasurer to provide such additional locks.
safes. and vaults were contemplated in the
act above cited If the appropriation to which
hare referred was continuing one, available
whenever the safe or vaults were insecure, the
duty of the Governor TO require the Auditor and
Treasurer to provide additional locks. safes and
vaults was clear. 1t had, however, for many
years been notorious that the safe and vaults
were insecure yet no requirement of this sort
had been made by any of my predecessors. 1t
not appearing obvious, therefore, from the
statute that the appropriation was permanent
one, inferred that 1t had not been regarded as
being so by my predecessors, and might not be
SO regarded by the courts. i decided, however
when the question was urged, to take the opin-
ion of the Attorney general After careful
examination he advised me that the appropri-
alton was still available 1 then appointed two
highly competent experts belonging to different
political parties to examine the safes and vaults
and to report whether they were secure. After
careful examination ihey reported that they
were not secure, either against fire or
burglars 4 thereupen addressed a letter
to the Auditor and Treasurer. informing
them of the result of the examination, and re-
curing them TO provide such locks safes and
vaults as would render the Treasury secure in
both these respects They, however, decided
not to comply with the requirement As the
statute, with respect to the availability of the
appropriation, is not entirely clear; as require
ment similar to the one l made had not been
made by any of my predecessors, and as o pro-
ceeding against these officers by mandate could
not. in all likelihood, be prosecuted to n con
ciuslen before the present meeting of the Legis-
lature, decided to abstain from legal proceed
ings, aud to refer the matter to you for such
action as you might deem approximate.
The safe and vaults are. without doubt, inse-
cure. Their known insecurity has for many
years furnished the excuse to Treasurers for de-
posting the States moneys in banks, and for
loanng them. it is believed, to individuals No
matter what political party has been in power
the public moneys have been thus disposed Of
Repeatedly when the Legislature has been in
session, the fact of such Misrepresentation has
been publicly stated In debates in the two
houses. That such usage should be
allowed is unjust to the taxpayers and
not creditable to the State. That if it
IS long tolerated great loss of the States
money will some time occur, can not be doubted
Yet that the public moneys. so long as they are
deposited by prudent Treasurers in banks
loaned to private individuals are not less secure
than they would be if kept in the safe and vault
now provided for them, is undeniable.
The treasury law, as it now is, furnishes no
protection to the treasury, except in SO faras it
requires the Treasurer.to give bond with sure
ties for the safe keeping of the States moneys
let though at certain seasons OF each year he
has nearly two millions of money in his hands,
the bond given by him is IN the sum of $3.50, 900
only.
The legal provision for an examination, under
direction of the Governor. of the books, etc.. of
the treasury, is predicated upon the suppostion
that suitable vault and safe have been provided
for the custody of the States moneys. The
means afforded Cor an examination, under the
Governors direction, are absurdiy insufficient.
The statute provides that it shall be his duty
whenever the law, or. in his opinion, the public
interest requires it. to appoint some competent
and trustworthy accountant ';of the high
est ability and skll' to make an
examination of the assets and effects, books.
claims, vouchers, ETC., which are should be
in the treasury, but it enjoins that the account
ant shall not be paid more than three dollars a
day for his services. The services of no account
ant of the highest skill and ability, nor indeed
of any skill could be procured for that sum.
LII you desire that the States moneys shall be
kept in it's treasury, you should Immediately
provide for the purchase of proper safe and,
if deemed needful, for the building of vault in
which the safe shall be placed; and you should
greatly amend the requirements intended to Sc
cure their being kept in the treasury. The ex
pense of procuring such a safe and constructing
such vault would be utterly trifing compared
with the risk to which the taxpayers are exposed
every year by the practice of lending the States
moneys
If, however you prefer--as can not believe
you do-that the States moneys shall be placed
on general deposit in banks, or loaned TO indl
viduals, you should provide, under the most
particular and rigorous requirements, that all
interest profit received for the use of them
shall be turned into the State treasury.
On account of the calamities that have re-
Gently befallen some leading banking institutions
in Indianapolis, and the disturbance of credit I
recommend that an examination shall be made
by persons of competent skill of the condition of
the State treasury. If two substantial business
men, skilled il accounts, were appointed and en-
powered to employ an experienced bcok-keeper
at a competent salary, an investigation could be
speedily made, which would show whether the
States moneys are certainly safe, and would
tend to enlighten you respect ting the legislation
needed for future protection of the treasury.
No harm could ensue from such an investigation.
Much good might come from it,
COMMON SCHOOLS.
The permanent fund for the support of the
common schools of the State amounts now to So
339. 327.5S The increase of the fund during the
last year from fines f0rfeitures and other
sources, was $65, 159. 81 The accessions to the
fund during the last ten years from the same
sources have averaged $62, $500 year. The
revenue derived from taxation for the support of
schools, and from interest on the school funds,
amounted last year to 81, 48S, 961 60 The total
outlay for the maintenance of schools-not in
Guiding the cost of new school-houses--was
about 81, 900, 900. The number of public school
houses in the State is 1864.
The number of children of school age accord
ing to last years enumeration, is 722, S51. The
number who actually attended school was SOL.
142 The number of children of school age who
do not attend school, as indicated by these fig
ures, shows the grave necessity for more ener-
getic measures to secure a greater proportionate
attendance. A compulsory attendance should
not be exacted until all other means fail. Would
not law that would grant reasonable bounty
to teachers who would secure the largest at
tendance within their districts in proportion to
school population, provide means of judicious
experiment.
The condition of our common schools-except
in the respect above mentioned-is regarded by
fho inf IF D,.hl TIC