Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1897-02-11
OVER A MILLION
Amount Of Money Required to
Run North Dakota for
Two Years.
THRlFTLESS REPUBLICANS
Items Of Expense Specifed-No
Money Now in the
General Fund.

General Fund.
AS the charge that "the Popu-
lists LETT the state bankrupt by
their extravaganza" can no longer
be made, it is interesting to see the
condition in which the state is now
left at the end of the two years sue
ceeding the administration Of Gov.
Shortridge. The Legislature has
been given statement of the fin
ances of the state by the auditor
and state treasurer. 1t is seen
that there is no money in the gen
eral fund. The estimated income
to the credit of the general fund
for 1897-98 is $648,000.
There will be required for pay
ment of the several accounts as
follows:
Fifth legislative assembly $4,000
Salaries. state officers and employees 100000
u%ss esd mansion sss
Care of hoys at Plankington- $500
fasitiyss. etc - 225sS e 2ssS
Ttaohers 1tas' Institutes, lectures and con- ooo
Militia $4,000
Resident officers, hospital for insaLe 1900
Per diem and expense of slate boards 10000
IOtal.. ...... S4|Voo
Subtracting this estimate of ex-
penses of maintaining the state
government from the prospective
revenue for the biennial period,
there remains the sum Of $l7l, 900
available for the state educational,
penal and charitable institutions.
For these institutions, appropria-
ton bills have been introduced and
referred to committee asking for
the following amounts:
School :or the Deaf S 5000
MayvilIe Normal School 5000
Valley City Normal School q, Sa,5o0 $40
Agricultural 12giSsis'1S College $3.50 'S
Insane Asylum 100000
Total. s574,Ooo
There are other Legislative bills
proposed to swell the appropria-
ton, but taking into account none
Of these it is seen that the pros
pective demands upon the state
treasury for the coming two years
exceeds the revenues estimated by
more than 100000. 1t is acknow-
lodged that a cut will have to be
made, but where, is the problem.
The legislature does not seem to
set the example of economy. Last
Wednesday before the adjourn
ment IA additional clerks were en-
ployed at $500 day. The Fargo
Forum, republican paper, quotes
Senator Creel as saying that there
was not q solitary thing for these
clerks to do. They we're appointed
aweek before it was known they
would not have any duties to per-
form as the legislature had taken
recess.
The expenses of this Legislature
will be more than twice that of the
last. The house has seven pages;
last session there we're four. The
senate has five; last session, three.
Last session three clerks did all
the work in the house for the first
half of thu session for the commit
tees. But this new order is in line
with the demands of members from
Various districts. It is said there
are four more employees IN the
house than there are members.
n resolution was ln5rOuuceu III
the senate raising the per diem
salaries of employees and fixing
them as follows: Chief clerk, ST;
sergeant-at-arms and stenographer
each, $e; pages and janitor S2
each, all others SIS. This raises the
pay of all employees except that OF
pages and janitor over that fixed
by law: Section 26 Of the code.
The raise is from one to two dollars
aday. The extra pay called fol
by this resolution will amount to
several thousand dollars. Indie
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