The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-12-02
PARTMENT REPORTS KEPT
WITHIN BOUNDS.
STATE is DEEPLY IN DEBT.
TRAyAGANCE OF RECENT RE-
PORTS.
LABOR BUREAUS BULKY TOME
Seems to BE One of the Irritants of
the Present Official Tumult and
Economical Streak,

Judging from the advance sheets Of
the biennial report of State Auditor
Dunn, which is now being prepared for
submission to the state legislature, that
document is to be one of the spiciest
contributions to official lore received In
long time. One of the matters that
viii be given an especially vigorous
raklng-over by the state auditor Is the
lax method of regulating the state
printing fund. This has long been a
thorn in the flesh of the state auditor,
and in the last few months he has been
perturbed more than ever by the man
FER in which the fund has been con-
Quoted.
1t is, in fact, matter of common
gossip about the state house that the
fund for the present year was ex,
hausted before nightfall Of the first
day of the fiscal year, there having
been then awaiting payment warrants
aggregating the entire amount of the
appropriation and even more. These
had to be and were paid at once 1t
is also whispered about the capitol that
meetings of the state printing commits,
Sion are more ethereal than
actual The commission is supposed 20
consist of the auditor, treasurer, and
secretary Of state, but as matter of
1act, 1t is alleged that the secretary
or state has with one or two exceptions
transacted all the business done in thk
name of the commission, aided. of
course, by the state expert printer,
Capt. c. c. Whitney The Glob E
yesterday commented on the unfortun-
ate shortage in the appropriation foi
paying for the newspaper publications
of election notices, which seems, how
ever, due to legislative short-sighted-
ness, and that publication has revived
discussion of the reforms which are
to be advocated in the forthcoming
report of the state auditor
one Of these Is reported to be directly
due to the extravaganza Of some of the
state departments ia the publication
OF recent annual reports, and the fact
is that the auditor will recommend
to the legislature that 1t ask each de-
partnent for an estimate Of the amount
that will be needed for its annual re-
port, and then hold 1t within thar
limit
Generally the departments have kept
Well within the limits of prudence in
preparing the reports, but a great deal
or adverse comment has been created
by the buikiness of the recent publica-
ton under the name Of the state bureau
of labor of what purports to be a part
OF its annual report. While Auditor
Dunn, of course. is not concerned in
the adverse criticisms Of the policy of
issuing such work under stats
2 auspices, SO long as Its subject matter
fails within the province assigned by
law to the labor bureau. yet it seems
that he has been somewhat exercised
over the apparent disregard by this
department of she present stringency in
p the states printing fund, and it Is
probable that this report will be made
the text of his recommendation to the
coming session of the legislature
As at present constituted, there ID
absolutely no limit to the amount that
the state printing commission may in
cur, except such as may be fixed by the
1eniency or strictness OF creditors.
Chapter five OF the General Statutes
of 1894, section 282, provides as follows
for the commission:
II there is no appropriation available foa
immediate payment or the account the state
auditor shall inderse upon the face of tht
secretary's order, IL there Is approprta-
Uon available at future time the time when
it can be paid and II there is no appropfaa-
ton. therefor, to iaaoFse thereon good fol
payment by q deficiency appropriation to be
made by the legislature and that Until said
appropriation is available the order so In
dorsed will draw legal interest until the timF
that the appropriation is ready for the pay
ment.
The result is that the state is largely
in debt TO the printers who have been
doing business for 1t, and the need OF
some limitation to the expenditures of
the committee is very apparent, at least
III the judgment of the state auditor.