The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1894-10-02

State Auditor Nipple in reply to GER
tam insinuations of the Argus-Leader
that the state finances of South Dakota
were not economically administered has
written a letter to that paper In which
he gives a full explanation of the work
ipgs OF the state government and the
items of expense incident thereto. We
clip herewith the statistical portion OF
his letter as a matter Of reference:
With the possible exception of Michi.
gan, the average salaries of South Dako-
ta's state officers are less than those paid
by any other of the forty-four states.
The same is unquestionably true In re-
gard to the pay of clerks and subordI-
nate employees. Where then is the ex-
travagance?
/ have not had the time to examine
the appropriations made by all the estates
for the support OF state institutions, but
so far as l have Investigated, l have
found that South Dakota pays less for
slmiliar services, and expends less pro-
p~ortioDately for similar purposes than is
done by such states as Nebraska, Iowa,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Indiana,
Massachusetts,, New York, Pennsylvania,
Colorado. Kansas and others. IL you
know OF any state that is managed more
economically than is our state of South
Dakota, I should be pleased to see you
produce the figures. If you will COM
pare the expenditures made by the pop
ulist states OF Kansas, Colorado, Oregon
and North Dakota with those OF our OWL
state, you will be surprised to find how
favorable for South Dakota the compar-
ison will be. D.
The management OF the state penal
and charitable institutions is, as you
know, in the hands of the state board OF
| charities and corrections which makes
an annual report to the governor.
The educational institutions controlled
by the board OF regents expend annually
about $4,000, or an average of $4,000
each for each institution. Whether or
not this is an extravagant sum / am I'M
able to say, though the salaries paid TO
teachers and employees and amount Elk.
pended for maintenance are much less
than those paid by similar institutions
in other states. No doubt, Prof. Mauck
OF the university, Gen. Beadle Of the
Madison Normal school, Prof. Cook of
the Spearfish Normal school, DR.. Nc
Louth OF the agricultural college and
DR.. McGillycuddy OF the school Of mines
would all be glad to assist you in making
an inquiry into the management Of these
schools should you desire to do 80.
You will observe that the warrants
drawn against the general fund for the
year ending June 80, 1893, amounted to
s447 ,655.65, leaving u~nexpended q bal
ance of s15,426.84, more than $4,000 Of
which cannot be used hereafter, under
the auditors ruling that appropriations
are available only for expenses incurred
during the fiscal year for which they are
made. OF this s447,655.6S, s299,601.46
was appropriated by the democratic-pop-
ulist Legislature OF 1891, OF the difference
(sl48,054.2 3) appropriated by the legisla-
ture of1793, s5S,l85.66 was paid for max
ing the exhibit at the worlds fair AMI
nearly s25,OO0 for DEFICIENCIES inherited
from the demo-pop legislature. the re-
mainder being the cost OF the third legis-
latiye session and state printing.
For the year ending June 30, 1894, the
amount of warrants issued on the gener-
al fund was s~323,e76.23. This amount
you will notice Is but $4,000 more than
was drawn against the appropriations
made by the economical demo-pop legis-
lature for the previous year. This Is Of
course d wildly extravagant sum t9b es-
pecially when ii 10 remembered that az
the state continues to grow and the in
mates OF it's various institutions are in
creasing in numbers from year to year.
and quite rapidly too, the necessity for
increased appropriations for their main
~tenance il imperative. BY referring 70
the appropriations made Tor the years
1892 and 1853, you will zee that the
amount set apart for the use OF the pen
al and charitable institutions was for
1893, sl72,93s, against sl3S,2U3 for 1892.
For the educational institutions, the APP
preparation for 1858 was sS0,175 against