St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-07-16
A SENSATIONAL YARN
Touching the $4,000 Appropri-
ated for State Text Books.

Touching the $4,000 Appropri-
ated for State Text Books.
A sensational story relative to the
$4,000 appropriated by the state from
the revolving fund, as it is styled, to aid
counties in paying for public school text
books. has recently been given a pretty
wide circulation. However, the sensa-
tional features OF the story are pro-
nounced perfectly Croundless by the
state officials. The story, to be definite,
runs that all this time The $4,000 has
been tied up where it could not be
drawn save by bill passed by
the legislature. 1t is then as
serted that at the last session
of the legislature there was an
attempt made TO have the money trans
ferred to another fund, so that it could
be utilized, and on the heels of this sur
prising statement comes the declaration
that this bill, introduced by Mr.. Cor
man, from st. Cloud, never saw the
light of day after it was referred to the
committee on education i'll the house of
representatives. In addition, it is
charged that the failure to release the
$4,000 is severely criticised, ANA that as
one effect of this an appropriation of
$4,000 had to be made to meet the salary
expenses of the superintendent of the
state high schools, Mr.. Acton, of Mill
neapolis. But the most serious phase
of the story reads:
Some nave been so uncharitable as to
hint that the money is in the hands of
bank that is well known at the capitol,
and that this explains why the legiSla-
ture does not care to try to recover it.
This bank pays the state per cent on
the loan, and probably makes or )
PER cent net on the investment. The
question is being agitated somewhat by
the teachers of the state, who are in
terested i'll the position of high school
inspector, and some of the educational
Journals have promised to take it up
and call for a show down.
In the office of the state superintend-
ent of public instruction it was learned
that the appropriation that is so cauS-
tlcally complained of was passed some
seventeen years ago, or when the spe-
cial contract or franchise was awarded
by the legislature to ID. ID. Merrill to
supply the schools of the state with text
books, and that the money was ex-
pended under the directions of the state
superintendent. For fifteen or sixteen
years the state sent out the text books
as the law provided. and there is 10
reason to believe that there is not a dol
lar OF the fund that has not
been accounted for. Col. B0blet-
er, of the state treasury depart
ment, states that the money has
not ibeen tied upin any one bank, as is
charged. AS fast as it has been paid in
by the counties that have borrowed it
the money has been placed in the diff
ferent state repositories just the same
as any of the other funds of the state,
and there has been no discrimination
whatever. Quite number of the cOun-
ties are still in arrears to the state, and
the total amount that has been re-
turned. according to the records in the
Office of the state treasurer, is $40. 34S.71.
Quite number of the counties are still
delinquent, but there is no danger that
the entire amount will not be paid in
gOod time