The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-08-03
THE STATES MONEY.
state sups. Browne Write. Conr~ru-
ing the Working Of the xew Law

The Post tntsllsgsnoer has -s.z.,-..s =
letter from = J. Browne, state sryn@rsn
ferdest OF schools commenting or AZ ar
t1eie fhaf appeared III this paper Friday.
aaly - IA Feiaiioa TO the collection OF
taxes and their apportionrnen. n ;he w.
rfous school districts IL au.sea rss fro.,
information Cleaned iE the or9grarv rhar
neis OF news, that large arnoYsrr ~
money was lying idle while the tar nav
ers were paying interest on o1tstarasr~
warrants IL was shown that the co,4n,y,
treasurer has been renitting at the srs
OF each quarter for the taxes collected
during the quarter, but thar the raonev
so RENTED was Eot apportloned TO the
districts until some three months had
elapsed.
Commenting on the article Mr. Browne
says: Il beg leave 10 say that the law
governing the apportionrnent OF school
money derived from state taxation re-
quires the state auditor 70 certify to IN.
superintendent Of public instruction
within thirty days after the date al
which county treasurers are required to
remit to the state treasurer the amount
subject TO apportionment. II is then the
duty of the superintendent within ten
days from the tine of receiving the state
ment from the auditor 10 apportion tbs,
funds TO the several counties as provided
by law The state auditor then draws
warrants upon the state treasurer for the
amounts due the several counties, and
these warrants are paid upon preseuta-
ton.
This apportionH.ent occurs once each
quarter The funds accommodating during
the quarter must remain in the treasury
until paid out upon warrants. Insomuch
as the general spirit OF the article may
cause unjust censure upon Mr. Young, /
hope you will allow me TO say that SO
far as the payment OF the school funds
are involved, there appears no other pos
shie way 10 DO than the method adhered
10 by him in disbursing the state school
tax
The deputy state treasurer. Mr.. c. W.
Bovine. also addressed q communication
to the Post-Inteliigencer relating 10 the
same article and defending the admins
tration OF Treasurer Young from any re-
nection therein contained. Mr.. Bowne's
ietter'is not available for publication, but
In ii be gives the amounts received dur
ing the first six months of the year and
the disbursements In the school fund for
the same period. portion OF Mr..
Bowne's letter is devoted to a criticism OF
County Treasurer Whittiesey for not re-
hitting monthly 10 the state treasurer.
For some unaccountabie reason" he
says. Mr.. Whittiesey keeps the money
until we draw sight draft on him" He
also says. II MT. W illtklSSty Ilsiu sent
in his money at any time before our quar-
terIy statement was due to the auditor.
to-wit: July I, that money would appear
In our statement and would be disbursed
immediately. and King county would get
Its proper proportion"
The article referred to was written
partly on facts gathered from the books
In the county treasurefs office. Regard
ing tho remittance OF tax collections to
the state treasurer. il is but just TO Mr..
Whittlesey 10 say that the law requires
the state treasurer TO draw a sight draft
on him after getting his statement from
the state auditor as to the amount avail
able. In other counties the practice OF
remttting monthly is followed but Mr..
Nhittlesey prefers to follow the letter of
the law and 10 pay up only when sight
draft Is presented TO him.
out OF the controversy the fact appears
that the county treasurer and the state
heads. AT any rate. King county's school
tax collections are kept at Olympia three
months before they are apportioned. The
state treasurer appears TO follow the law.
so that the statute may be TO blame. 1t
has been suggested that there Is nothing
to prevent the state superintendent of
schools from ordering another apportion
ment after receiving the remittances tina.
come Ia after the quarter ends. and too
late for the apportionment for the pre-
ceding three months.