The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1898-01-22
MADE A REcosp.

the only way out was to borrow
\ about 5000, 900, and this advice
caused him to think. After a
thorough investigation he decided
to apply his own plain, unpreten-
tious business methods to state af-
fairs, and by circular he at once ac-
quainted the county treasurers
throughout the state with the sitna-
tion in which the state treasury was
placed, and appealed to them to at
once remit any balances due the
state that they had on hand, or
could collect, without awaiting the
close of the quarter. He followed
this with a circular letter to the
boards OF the various institutions,
appealing to them to withhold their
usual quarterly acquisitions upon
the state treasury for three months
in advance, and draw only for pres
ent and pressing needs.
AVOIDED ISSUING BONDS.
To the credit Of the boards ana
county officials, it may be said they
all responded promptly, and faith
fully co operated with the auditor
general in his efforts to tide the
state treasury over its difficulty, re-
sulting in the prompt payment OF
the Legislative expense of Sl25, 330. 33,
the primary school monies of ST.
004 6S4. 46, and all the lawful de-
mandS OF the state institutions to
date, with q balance in the state
treasury at the close of business for
the year of S36, 763 %. But owing
to the tendency of former legislation
to underestimate the demands upon
the treasury, growing out of laws
already in existence, he has been
confronted during the closing
months of 1897 with situation
which has compelled him TO ask the
forbearancc OF some Of the state in
stitutions to withhold their requisi-
tons until the treasury becomes
easier. This same embarrassment
is likely to occur during the closing
months of 1898 and 1899, simply be-
cause the present legislature would
not heed his warning and place in
the tax levy the amounts shown to
be necessary by his careful official
estimates for the general budget, but
insisted on reducing it by the
amount Of $500, 800.
STAFF OF AUDITOR GENERAL.
The personal staff of Auditor Ger
eral Dix is composed of John +.
Wilkinson, deputy auditor genera ;
Henry Humphrey, general assistant;
Colonel Frederick Schneider, private
secretary; Edward j. Wright, chief
clerk William S. Humphrey, AS
sistant chief clerk. They are bound
together by close feeling and are
intensely loyal to their chief. In
deed this feeling pervades the entl e
department. General Dix aud
Colonel Schneider were comrades
together" in the war. and when the
former fell on the bloody battlefield
of Knoxville, East Tennessee, No
vember "A, 1863, shot through the
hips, he was but few feet from
where stood Colonel Schneider, who
was then Il sergeant in Company A,
Of the Second Michigan infantry, of
which he ultimately became the
colonel. General Dix was SER
geant in Company Il, of the same
regiment 1t was thought he was
mortally wounded. but he survived,
and is browning his military record
with high meritorious service
in the civil employ of the state. As
illustrating the magnitude of the
work he is called upon to perform,
the following, taken from souvenir
leaflct distributed to members of the
State Teachers association during
the meeting held at Lansing in
December, is of interest:
MAGNITUDE OF THE WORK.
The constitution and laws enacted
Hereunder make the auditor general
u member of the state board of equal
ization; the board of fund commits
soners; the board Of review for as
sessment and taxation of telegraph
and telephone lines; the board Ct
escheats; the board of control OF
state swamp lands; the board OF con-
troll of st, Mary's falls ship canal;
the board of internal Improvement;
the board of control of Portage lake
and Lake Superior ship canal; the
board OF state canvassers IN case of
a failure OF IA quorum of the regular
board. 1t is his duty to look after
the collection of the state S revenue;
to apportion all state taxes; to state
accounts against corporations aud
enforce their collection; ito make up
the estimates for the Legislature up
on which the state tax for general
purposes is based He has charge
of the general accounting of the
state, keeping accounts with the
several counties OF the state, balanc-
ing and settling with them quarter
ly; also with all state institutions
and boards of the state, and is re-
CURED to visit each institution and
board at least once each year and
examine its accounts; he is required
to make quarterly reports TO the
governor from the monthly reports
OF the several state institutions as
filed by them. These accounts from
the institutions exhibit by items
every cent of money received by the
several treasurers, both from the
A. Il i