Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-11-16
TIE H[RR|OIT REPORT
State Treasurer Makes Many sug.
gestions For Changes of the
State Statutes.
Balance in the Treasury Now Nearly
$50O,OO0-Board of Control
Law Endorsed.
Comparative Table Of Expenditures
Shows Saving of Nearly Thirty
Per Cent.

Shows Saving Of Nearly Thirty
Per Cent.
Des Moines. Nov. 16.-State Treasurer
Herriott yesterday filed with the gov
ernor his biennial report 1t shows
that the state had on July 1. 1899, a bal
ance in the treasury of $445, OO2. Two
years previous there was a deficit of
$41O,S27. There was still s51, 900 due from
the national government on July l,
1893, so that, II this be included, the
balance is the largest ever held by the
state within a quarter of a century
This condition Mr. Herriott attributes
crease of revenues from other sources
than direct taxation. The economies in
state management are largely attrib-
uted to the board of control and the
laws passed at the time the board was
established. reducing the support funds
of the institutions. On this subject the
treasurer says:
"The relative cost of the institutions
the trustee system which prevailed
during the first fiscal year of the last
biennial period is a subject of consid-
cradle public interest at this time So
far as this report can afford COMPARE
son of cost they necessarily relate to
financial transactions as shown by the
disbursements of revenue from the
treasury for the institutions.
In making comparison of the dis
bursements of revenue during the last
year of the biennial period under the
board of control with the first year I'M
der the trustees number of facts, as
previously Indicated, must be taken
into consideration For instance, there
appears among the disbursements au-
thorized under the board of control the
payment of $121,744 in January of this
year for the Cherokee hospital. That
amount was disbursed on account of
contracts entered into by the original
Cherokee commissioners in 1897 with
the firm of Butler Ryan Company of
st. Paul for the erection of the present
buildings a year or SO before the APP
preparations We're available, which con-
tracts the present law directed the
board of control to honor. 1t was not a
matter concerning which the board of
control had any responsibility or dis
lcretion, and the amount disbursed
lproperly should be charged against dis
lbursements made under the trustees.
Again, in arriving at the actual or
| net cost of institutions various matters
| must be taken into consideration. Thus,
on July !, 1897, there was on hand at
each institution varying amounts of
supplies that We're purchased prior to
| that date. but We're used during the
4 fiscal year 1S97-9S. The trustees for
some of the institutions made various
| expenditures just before going out of
| office that properly should be charged
against the institutions for the second
WEAR. Again, at the close of the period.
| June 30. 1899, the heads of the institu-
ltions had. besides various amounts of
unused contingent fund in their pos
session, sundry supplies on hand, all of
| which should be considered in arriving
al the net cost of the institutions. And
| finally, the expenses of June, 1899, We're
/ not paid nor the receipts for June re-
lceived until the July following, and
thus can not be included in the report
of the financial transactions of the
Treasury for the biennial period ending
June 80. 1899. So far, however, as fiscal
years are concerned the comparison of
the disbursements of one year with an
other will show the actual cost of these
i institutions to the taxpayers for the
| years considered. so far as can be
shown by the transactions of the treas
ury.
Another fact that should not be lost
sight of in judging the results of the
present law and the board of control s
management is the shortness of the
time the new law has been in force. The
full effects of the new law can not be
fully determined or appreciated from
the showings of one year. Time and
lexperence are required to tell us what
all the advantages are of the new
method of control, as we'll as what the
defects of the law are"
The report then sets out the follow
ing comparative table. showing cost OF
each state institution under the trustee
system, cost under board Of control and
the net decrease or increase for each:
Comparison OF costs