Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1889-01-24

s many suggestions and recommendations touch
u ing tne management and future requirement
OF the home, which are too important to b
o epitomized and are commended to vour carefn
u consideration.
s EXECUTIVE SUPERVISION.
sense OF duty prompts general suggestio,
e In this connection, applicable to all our pubt
/ institutions penal, educational and benevolent
q In view OF the fact that your body convene.
D OUT once IN two years, the constantly CROWN,
requirements of all these institutions and ,hs
I large sums OF money expended necessarily il
2 lnelr maintenance, one Of your first duties
should be to adopt the most efficient means {.
ascertain the needs and actual condition o.
each OF them, to the end that you may iegislate
accordingly. This implies no criticism or re-
nection upon the several boards in charge mol
upon the administrative officers, who on the
contrary desire and invite examination and in
spection- It is simply good business prudence
In private or State affairs. Committees or sub
committees should go, not merely to visit but To
ses and carefully inquire into their condition,
management and business methods. and every
tnlng pertaining to their interests and the duty
OF the State in providing for their support We
must remember that the money to support
these institutions is drawn in taxes from the
people, many of whom are lily able to bear it. To
them consideration Is due. We should bear in
mind that, while the power to lay and collect
taxes Is the highest prerogrative of govern
ment, the duty goes with it 10 see that the rev.
enues thus derived are wisely, honestly and
economica ly applied.
In this connection it has occurred to me
| whether it would not be well to authorize the
| executive at any time during The interval be-
tween sessions OF the Legislature, when in his
| judgment the public good may require it. to ap-
| point three suitable persons to investigate any
! institution in the State. Such persons to pro-
| ceed at once upon receipt OF their appointment
TO make an investigation and report In writing
to the Governor, the results of their inquiry
| And upon incontestable evidence OF the incom-
potency or malfeasance OF any officer in charge
OF state institution, or member OF any board
ne should be empowered to suspend such
officer or member. and report the facts
to the next ensuing Legislature; appointing a
suitable person to temporarily fill the vacancy
thus occasioned. This committee should be
non-partisan in its composition.
STATE FINANCES
The reports of the Au litor and Treasurer ex-
hibiting the financial condition of the State at
the close of business June 80, 1885. shows a bal
ance TO the credit of the several funds as
follows:
General Revenue S27.31f2l: State House.
1918 l3; Sinking Fund, Sl,503.O3; Interest
S2SSi7.s7; Veterinary So, 4l9. 81 Militia, $3.50 Is:
Permanent School, sS2O65.OI; Annual School
aVO.o~V-Css OH4fSTSlIy HernaQoQL, El,3II.DO:
University Interest S1.035.67; Agricultural Col
lege Endowment, S3,74113; Agricultural College
Income. s1,92S43 Normal School Permanent
S3,S-7.2l; Normal School Interest $685. 80; total
1874, ,689.G5
AT the close of business December II, 1885, |
the following are the cash balances in the |
treasury to the credit of the several funds: |
General Revenue, s149o: State House. S29 97s25;
Sinking, s953.62; Interest, s13,526.7O; Militia |
S0JpSl; Veterinary, s21. 1885,; Permanent |
s9S229. 20; Annual School 500 274 IS; University
Permanent S94S.33: University Interest 81 OIL
IA; Normal School Permanent, s., ,4i9 II Normal |
School Interest, S6276; Agricultural College |
Permanent s3.251.72; Agricultural College In
terest, S2901.97; Insurance, s2-234; Library,
81, l,G24.@0.
In this connection it is proper TO state, that
from an examination of the Auditors and
Treasurer's reports there is growing tendency
10 increase expenditures over and above re-
ee1pts. For the past few years there has been
a gradual decrease in the balances carried over
TO tie credlt OF the revenue, and funds received
from the National Government nearly equal In
amount TO a levy OF one mill tax on the pres
ent taxable value of the State, have been cred
lted to this fund and expended. The levy for
revenue purposes for the year 1884 was three
and three-tenths mills, 1885 the same 1886
three and three-tenths MILLS, 1897 three and
three-tenths mills, 1888 three and nne-half mills
'sN ii 1oO' buICO anu OHc-DaII nlllS. Il0 as
sessed value of the State for 1884 was s237. .H9O-
39l27, for 1896 Ss77 113 323 81 and for 1888 S353
'4S,3 S3. thus showing actual increase in
taxable wealth OF s11G, ,227, 941 IS il four years
this splendid increase in
wealth. the expenditures have been greater in
proportion. This subject should receive your
serious considerations.
a reduced rate of levy is urgently recon- ,
nended
INVESTED FUNDS.
The permanent school fund inve >ted at the | {
lose OF the fiscal year amounted to the sum OF
7, ,6G4 S34.S6 The invested Normal School fund :
to sol ,2i9. TIE State University fund
invested, s117,49l. State Agricultural College ,
invested in bonds A73, ,O56 II. and on land con- {
racts 24,629.56. All Of these several amounts {
ire bearing interest averaging per cent. per I
Innum The invested sinking fund at the close
# the fiscal year was $4,000 in State bonds,
'earIng per cent. interest. The annual levy I
or this fund should be resumed, so that the /
'onds OF the State may bs paid at maturity. c
INCOME DISBURSEMENTS. 7
The disbursements to the several counties of f
nnual school fund, derived from interest on @
ales OF school land, and invested permanent C
und for the fiscal year ending June 81, 1887 2
Fas sol5, sOS.31. and for the fiscal year ending +
une 30, 1888, was s56l 1906. The income paid n
o the State University from its investments
or the same period was, in 1857, s., S,29l 23 and a
n 1885, Sl03 3.9.97. To the State Normal t
school for 1887, s12 100, and for 1888, v
1000. This school has an income t
rom unpaid balances on sales of land in addi- r
ion to the fund invested. To the Agricultural q
ollege for 1887, s33 003 so and for 1883. ss1,- b
l6s3 These amounts should be considered in n
laking appropriations for these educational | f,
lstitutiens. Il
SINKING FUND.
The tax levy for sinking fund for the final re- Il
emption of State bonds has been omitted for L
ne past two years and 4 law authorizing the Il
1nding OF the matured and maturing bonds n
uring the years 1888 and 1889 duly passed. n
1 cannot understand why State like Kansas, b
18th an assessed valuation Of s353 24s 332. .9S and
debt OF only 5,000, falling due in different
ears up to 1892, should find it necessary to 81
Ind, particularly when the State Treasurer's in
'port showed that on March 25, 1885,, he re- n
eived from the National Government on ac- q
punt OF expenses incurred in repelling inva- ID
on and suppressing Indian hostilites, the sum I,
1882 3OS is, Of which under an existing law he u
'edited TO the sinking fund s2S15oJ, State nj
onds having been issued in payment Of such
Epenses. The balance, $40 SOS IL, was credited la
, the revenue fund In the same report 1t is NJ
lown IT, in order to provide sufficient sum to ii
eet the appropriations of the Legislative IS
'ssion OF 1885 it became necessary to transfer HI
lie said 1852 500 from the sinking the revenue
md. This, 1t appears, was done by authority T
an act OF the Legislature passed at the
,ecial session of 1886. Thus the full sum of s.
81. 2.3OS1 13 became a part of the revenue an III
mount exceeding one and one-tenth mills levy ra
! all the taxable property OF the State at that
me. Business sagacity would have tolerated W
! increased levy to this amount rather than re
nd debt upon which interest must
, paid for the next twenty years. 1t hi
hoped that the levy for sinking fund will bs
revived so that the State may be able to hs
eet its bonded obligations as they severally IA
II due. ne