St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-01-08

and safety Of state and county funds.n In
| the prosecution of his duties under this re-
| quirement OF the law, the examiner en-
counters much embarrassment on account of
| the incongruous provisions of the statutes re-
\ lating TO the administration OF the public
revenues. What these barrassments are.
and their evident remedy, are made known
to you in the examiners report and are
| familiar to those who have examined his re-
| ports for recent years. In the matter Of en-
| forcing uniform system OF bookkeeping by
county auditors and treasurers, he has met
With reasonable success, but this does not
''aford a suitable check upon their mutual
action,'' because the laws as they now stand
shave taken what only can prove to be an
adequate check out Of the hands of any CO.
| ordinate and independent officer, and placed
| it solely in the hands of the very officer in
| regard to whose accounts the check Is neces-
sary TO be devised" The theory of our sys-
TEN relative to the collection and distribution
| OF public funds is, that the county auditor
SHALL act as a check upon all transactions OF
| the county treasurer. In practice
he Is in no sense any check what
ever, as he can audit the treas
| urer's accounts ''only by means of data fur
| nshed by that officer himself" remedy
| for this is so apparent and so urgently de-
| maDded by the plest principles applicable
| to all business methods, that it would seem
| only necessary to call attention to this defect
| in the system to have the remedy promptly
applied. l trust that this will be done at
| this session as recommended by the exam
| liner, even though it may involve some in
| nOVations in the tax law of the state.
Your attention is directed TO the fragrant
| instances cited by the examiner, of misap-
| preparation of public funds by boards of
| county commissioners. Though these cases
are rare. their existence should suggest some
| security by legislation, against their possible
| recurrence in the future. The examiners
statement of county finances shows receipts
| for 1884 of SO, 3S1, 1869, including balance
on hand and disbursements Of 81. 1863, 70359.
Banking statistics are summarized as fol-
lows:
Increase
Number of BANKS. PA &c
Capital stock (l49
banks. SIS, ao4,754 S6,553,5a7
Surplus fund ga
banks). ........... $780, IA 699,167
| Deposits (S6 banks).. 27,2S4,117 4,573.512
Loans AID discounts
| (s6 5an&s). ....... 37,572,756 10,425, 492
OF the above banks forty-eight are ma
tional, thirty-two state, six savings and one
hundred and twenty-eight private. The fig
ures given being for less than one-half the
banks Of the state, and not very satisfactory,
rs showing the resources and liabilities of
these institutions. the increase in the sew
eral items will indicate to some extent, how
ever their growth in business
INSURANCE STATISTICS.
The growth of the insurance business of
the state furnishes cumulative evidence of
our rapid material development. The report
Of the insurance commissioner furnishes the
following comparative statement:
Risks. Premiums Losses
written. received. incurred.
1888 VloS, 063,OO6 So, 457s25 Sl,93O, 1913
1881 ........ 200, 500 1868 9l4950
Increase go. sos, 49,, 500 1851, Az Sl,OO5,a
The increase, az indicated by this state
ment, is greater ha the entire insurance
business of the at seven years ago. A
striking and not ....Jg ether pleasant feature
of this showing is the great disproportion Of
losses to premiums and risks: from which
the commissioner demonstrates that tue
| business in Minnesota has not of late been.
remunerative TO the companies. His con-
cusious as to the cause of such excessive
| lire losses, and suggestions as to their pre-
vention present subject for serious retlec-
ton. The revenues of the state have been
augmented by taxes and fees collected
through the commissioners department the
past two years, as follows:
| Fees Taxes. Total
1888. .S7,353 S47,952.St S55,lg447
lsS4.......... 1871 59,590.38 67,l67.3s
HISTORICAL SOCIETY.
The Historical society has measurably re-
covered from the disaster il met in the
burning of the capitol in 1881. Many of the
archaeological and historical specimens de-
stroyed could not be replaced as their dupli-
Gates do not exist. Other valuable contribu-
lions have been made to its museum, how
ever, To an extent sufficient to restore the
variety and attractiveness of its collections.
It's loss of publications has been Substantially
made gool, and further valuable additions
made to its library within tine past two years.
1t has now over II 900 volumes Of standard
works upon its shelves, and number Of
unbound volumes, sufficient to swell the total
to $4,000, all of which are being thoroughly
cataogued by an expert. The secretary re-
Crets that the newspapers throughout the
state do not more generally contribute their
journals to the permanent collections of the
society. AS chronicles OF the current history
of the commonwealth, he believes they will
prove valuable annals to succeeding genera
tons.
The rapid accumulation OF its library and
museum will soon demand the increased ac--
conmodations which a separate structure
will furnish, and for which an eligible site
was secured some years since, and Il consid-
cradle subscription is already pledged.
LOGS AND LUMBER.
The following statistics of the lumber In
tercsts OF the state are furnished by the sur.
veyors general of the districts named, as
required by law:
Feet Logs Scaled
1888. 1884
First district. .... 2s3, SOL 40 2S7, 22f, ITO
Second district. $50. go 0G4 40 30G, Q24, $50
Fifth district. ....... 59237 $50 07,970.43O
Total. ......... $50, 2U3 gao G91. 22g, $50
Feet Lumber Manufactured
! 1883. 1884
| First district. ....... l64 9678G7 14l.329,O0O
! second district. 80. 1895, lGB,095 4l4,2f0.5H
| Fifth district. ..... l62 4oOOJO ga, 553,3OO
Total. 15,6l8,s62 76S, 4S2,sA
FISH CULTURE.
The work Of the fish commission has been
much extended the past two years, aud con-
siderable additions made 10 the state hatch
cry, greatly increasing rs capacity for tho
propagation Of its product.
The distribution among the waters Of the
state has been as follows:
Uhitofsb .... A. 900 600 4 $50 0On