Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-08-20
CLAIMS
Filed With Secretary KinCaid.
An Interview Is Had With the Sec
retary Of State.

In an interview regarding the
many hundred claims that are being
forwarded TO the secretary OF states
Office 10 await his action as state
auditor, Secretary of State Kincaid
today said:
"More than 1900 claims against
the state haye been filed with the
secretary of state during the present
year, and are now awaiting payment.
For each of these CLAN two vouch-
ers have been issued, an original filed
in the Office and duplicate handed
or sent by mail TO the claimant, max
ing more than 5000 vouchers which
have been made out. This has made
about double the usual amount Of
work in the Office of the secretary of
state, and the work is now only half
done, as each of these claims must
again be examined, under the opinion
Of the supreme court, which will per-
haps soon be handed down. and the
most difficult and complicated part Of
the labor is yet to be performed, in
comparing each of the various classes
of claims with the general laws and
the opinion of the court, instead of
with the appropriation bill.
"The claims referred to, for which
t 70 sets Of vouchers have been issued
and which are now pending for set
tlement, do not include the claims Of
the militia, amounting to $4,000
year, and the state university, |
an uniting to the same. These |
claims, numbering about 400, have
ben audited and warrants drawn as
fast as they come in. Nor do the
5000 vouchers and duplicates, referred
t., include claims from any of the
homes at Portland, Beaverton, Mt.
Angel, Salem and Albany, to (Which
about 5000 per annum has usually
been paid; nor the normal schools to
which about $4,000 per annum has
been paid; nor the railroad commits
siOners, the food and dairy commits
sioners, the fish and game protector,
the state fair, and the various other
district fairs; amounting in all to
nearly 100000 per annum.
"The claims of these institutions,
and the persons claiming to be officers
after the legislature has twice failed
to elect them, and the last time has
failed to provide for paying them,
have been returned TO them with the
Statement that declined to file them |,
an my office, on the ground that, in
the case of the institutions, they had
no valid claims against the state, and
In the case of the various commits .
siOners, that there was a doubt as to
whether they could hold Office fol six :,
years, and therefore they should sub
init their claims to the legislature for
settlement and, if they insisted on
having their claims filed, as the law
provides, they could be promptly dis
allowed and reported to the legisla- 8
ture. Under the opinion of the su- ,
preme court these rejected claims, u
which will nearly equal in number the q
claims heretofore referred to as al
ready filed, will pour in again and d
must be disposed OF by allowing U
them, or by disallowing them and re- X
port them to the legislature. "
"Perhaps the claims for the fairs
which are authorized by law, will be
audited under this decision of the n
courts but all the others will probably f;
be disposed Of by disallowing and re- il
porting them to the legislature. Then
there are numerous claims held by
sheriffs for conveying cCnvicts and Ii
insane, which they have not desired 81
TO file with the secretary OF state, t.
preferring to retain them until there d
is an appropriation to pay them"
Mr.. Kincaid receives, daily, numer-
Ous letters requesting him to audit @
and pay claims against the state. 7,
Below are given the replies made by 4
the secretary to two of these requests, -
VIII, ,ch will to some extent show the
position the secretary is placed in by
The failure of the last legislature to
pass the appropriation bill, and these IL
replies will answer the general run of a.
questions and requests made of that r'
1fficial: d