Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-01-22

of the state was more than exhausted. At
that very moment, warrants upon that
fund to the amount of $50. 096.S7 had
been drawn by the outgoing secretary OF
state. Of which those for the sum of $751;,
6f2.0o had been actually signed on the
morning of the 5th of January, and but a
very short time before the transfer of the
offices to the incoming administration.
Besides these warrants large number OF
unpaid obligations, Immediately due and
entitled to discharge, and for which war
rants should have already been issued, re-
manned unaudited by the retiring secre-
tary of state, and the additional sum of
S2S, 9S4.4 has been necessarily audited
by the present secretary, and warrants
drawn therefor upon general funds. In
the meantime this fund had no consider
able receipts and can expect none
of substantial amount until about the
middle of February. In this condition of
things the creditors Of the state are either
obliged to wait, or the treasurer Is put t.
the risk, in order to protect the credit oil
the state, Of employing other funds IN his
custody to discharge warrants drawn upon
the general fund. 1t needs not be said
that such condition of affairs ought not
to be encountered. The annual revenues
accruing to the general fund are sufficient
to discharge all the annual obligations I'M
posed upon 1t unless unwarrantable and eX-
travagant appropriations be made. and
this difficulty has arisen, as | believe,
not from real insufficiency of receipts to
discharge the obligations of the general
fund, but frs'v. faulty practices in legisLa-
ton hithes Z Prevailing: 1t has been Gus
tomary. II taking special appropriations,
to direct they shall be payable from
any none N the general fund not other
wise apr priated, whereby an immediate
liability for the entire appropriation is
imposed upon the treasury, notwlthstand-
ing, IN mary instances, considerable
time may elapse before the money will be
actually required, and that when required.
It's disbursement should more properly be
made in iDstallments as expended
1t is respectfully recommended that this
practice be corrected by carefully provid-
ing in every appropriation for the dis
bursement of the money from the treasury
from time to time only, as it shall be
actually required for the purposes to which
it is applied.
Another practice has added to the diff
iculty mentioned, and seems to me to re-
quire correction. This is the payment in
advance quarterly, of the regular annual
appropriations for the maintenance of the
various public institutions which derive
support from the state. This money
should remain in the treasury to be dis
bursed as needs require. The general
fund, by these methods, can be kept at all
times adequate to the demands made upon
it, instead of being periodically largely
overdrawn, because moneys not yet
actually expended have been paid out in
advance of necessity, and often perhaps:
for the mere convenience or advantage of
special troasurers.
1t is obvious, also, that if the policy
shall be adopted that | recommend in this
message, of making use of the interest
which may accrue from the treasury funds
for the benefit of the state, an additional
reason for this course lies in the addition
al gain which the people may thus enjoy.
The following is a statement of bal
ances in the several funds of the state
treasury at noon on Monday, January 5th,
1891: