St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-01-04
The Retiring State Auditor
Issues an Exhaustive Re-
port ON Finances.
Valuable Recommendations
Deserving the Attention
Of Every Legislator.
9ow More Money Can Be
Squeezed Out Of the Tele-
graph Companies.
Magnificent Showing Of the
School Fund and the Land
Department.

State Auditor Braden will tomorrow
relinquish the cares of public office, and
it is very fitting that one of his acts
should be the issuance of the biennial
report of his department. The report
discusses state finances as follows:
The revenue fund is derived from
taxes levied Tor the general expenses of
the state, together with taxes paid into
the treasury by railroad, telegraph, tel
pphone and insurance companies and
from miscellaneous sources. The esti-
mated receipts are based on levy OF
one and seven-tenths mills on valua-
ton in round numbers of 5000, 600, 900.
Disbursements for the yearending July
81, 1891, are the appropriations, annual
and SPECIAL, now on the books, with the
exception of certain deficiencies
enumerated-and $3.50. 600 for legislative
expenses and $4,000 for the publication
of the general laws in the newspapers.
Deficiencies.
The total receipts for the year are
estimated at s., 49,, 722 16, the disburse-
ments at S2,062. 323.35. This estimate
embraces deficiencies as follows:
Wolf bounties. ,:............... $4,000 CO
Printing and binding. -. $50. 10000 90
Insurance commissioner salary l,OO0 0O
Judges salaries 49,. .........- Al,96S %
Capitol repairs 80. ''''''. ...... 5000 90
Burial of soldiers and sailors -. 1000 90
ST. Cloud reformatory support. 10000 90
Total =. .Sl26,S69 50
For the year ending July 81, 1892, the
receipts are estimated at $2,001 GOO, and
the expenses at S1,540000. The receipts
for the fiscal year ending July 81, 1893,
are estimated at $2,050,0 900, and the eX-
penSeS at 81, 1902. O00-ShOwing safe and
comfortable surplus. in the absence of
additional appropriations.
Wolf ROunties.
There is an annual appropriation of
$4,000 for wolf b0untieS. This has
been exhausted, and orders have been
paid by county treaSurerS amounting to
almost $4,000, which are now in the
hands of the state treasurer awaiting
settlement. The law allowing bUuntieS
might, as an experiment, with safety be
repealed. Experience proves that the
demand for bOuntieS steadily increases
from year TO year.
The cost of printing and binding is
becoming quite a burden. The law
should be revised, greater latitude
should be allowed the printing commits
sion in determining the size and num-
Der of reports required by law from the
various departments and commissions.
The deficiencies in the salaries OF the
judiciary and insurance commission is
on account of the increase of the num-
Der of Judges and increase Of salaries,
a corresponding appropriation OF money
not having been made.
Seed Grain.
The condition of the various seed
grain loans are as follows:
Remainder
Amount Amount unpaid, July
of loan. repaid. 81, 1890.
1877. .S7396j so s52,658 50 S21,306 y2
1873. 1881 So 1857 65 35,s04 90
1887. %, III 60 20,400 73 4,776 81
1880. 9S,66O 05 45,351 OF $1,000 O3
The loans of 1S77-S might as well be
cancelled, and l recommend that au-
thority be given to do SO. The accounts
kept by the various counties, many of
them, are in such a confused condition
that it is impossible to unraVel them.
Very little more ever will be collected.
Most persons who thell received loans
had no secure title to their lands, which
were hOmesteads, tree claims, railroad or
state lands: as consequence taxes lev
led were on personal SSeSsments-per-
sons have died, moved away or cannot
pay. The loans of 1897 and 1889 were
made to counties. and proper admin
iStratIOn of the law by county officers
will not only protect the counties from
loss, but the state as well.
To Firemen.
Chapter 1877 of the General Laws Of
1885 authorizes payment by the state
to the treasurer Of any city or village
which maintains fire department of
One-half of the taxes paid by insurance
companies on the business done in such
city CT village, such money only to be
used for the equipment of such fire de-
partment and the relief of fremen dis
nbled during the discharge of their du-
ties. Chapter A, General Laws of 1887,
amended the act of 1885, and authorized
payment to be made 10 the treasurer of
any incorporated firemen's relief asso-
citation in cities of 10000 population or
over. Under the provisions of the orig
hal law, there has been paid out of the
state treasury money as follows:
lScO........... .......... S2Z,TS4 AZ
1901 ...... .'......... G4,Zl0 30
tS0S''.'..'..... ..... ........ ZI,2S4 81
1908 ..'....... .............-.... ZS,6SO 50
Iotal. .....'........ ....SlOZ,96 "
Since the amendment of 1887 there
has been paid to the treaSurers of relief
associations as follows:
iis'.'.p' 50, 7oa5o SO, Sit s1i L ,oi1.24
poul Q5t. Ir Qcn 40 TOJO On