The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-02-10
THE STATE EXPENDITURES
REPORT OF THE LEGISL4TIYE COM
MISSION ON THE SUBJECT

N@e& VIZ Il II ~ - wan
MISSION ON THE SUBJECT
TO the General Assembly-An Exhaust
Recommendation of the Commission
Where $4,000 Can be saved-The
Laying of State Tax on Towns
Recommended as One of the Best
Measures of ECONOMY.
The committee appointed by the gen.
eral assembly Of 1897 to inquire into all
matters relating to state receipts and
expenditures yesterday submitted to the
governor report of the result Of the in
vestigations The committee was COM
posed OF j. Carl Converse, T. Attwater
Barnes. Thomas M Waller, Hubert
Williams and Philo S. Bennett. A SINH
lar examination Of state expenses was
made in 1877 and the present committee
reports that since that time the current
expenses of the state have more than
doubled, this increase being partly ac
counted for by the creation Of a number
OF new departments and bureaus, by
the liberality of the state to the in
creasing number of institutions which
nave been established for the care Of the
sick and needy, and to the increase of
business in the various departments
caused by the increasing population of
the state. The new items of expense
created since 1877 are reported as
amounting to $S42,27702, the items in
Guiding contingent expenses humane
institutions, normal schools, sick and
wounded soldiers, deceased soldiers,
agricultural affairs, state board of
health, county health officers, bureau of
labor statistics, inspector of factories,
and highway commission. The largest
increases during the period 1877 to 1898
were: Judicial expenses, $3.50, 90259;
common schools, s107 ,192.7S; national
guard and governors guard, $130,945.S3.
The report has the following to say
IN regard to the bookkeeping in some Of
the departments
In the examination of the books Of
the various departments and institu-
owing to the faulty methods of keeping
accounts and records, to gain the infor-
nation desired and asked for by the
committee, and when received, there
was difficulty in making comparisons,
because of the differences of time in the
ending of the fiscal years. This was es-
pecially true regarding the information
sought concerning the courts, and the
sod
with the necessity of the adoption of
uniform system of bookkeeping for all
the courts. We think the matter should
be considered by the proper persons in
authority and method Ct keeping court
records and books devised and adopted
80 that information, sought by the COM
Inittee and given in the tables in the ap-
pendix, can be obtained quickly and
easily. We also recommend that all in
stitutions, public or private, whether
supported wholly or in part by the state,
or receiving any grant of money from
the state, be required to keep their
accounts in a uniform manner, to be
prescribed by the comptroller and that
reports from the same be required an
nually on such forms as shall be pre-
scribed, the same to conform to the
state fiscal year, and contain an in
yentory of all state property.
We. strongly recommend therefore
that provision be made at this session
for sinking fund to pay this indebt
edness, by laying a state tax of not less
than 10 mill on the dollar on the grand
list of the towns, the amount received
from said tax to be held as a sinking
fund to be used only for the payment
Of the debt when DUE we believe furth-
er that laying a state tax on the towns
would be one of the best measures of
economy that the legislature can adopt,
as it puts upon the representatives,
of the various towns the responsibility
for appropriations which is not and
cannot be felt where no tax is levied,
and when funds come from sources not
felt by the people of the state at large
We have taken up the various ac-
counts separately, and in derail, with
recommendations regarding the same;
il the changes we suggest are adopted,
we believe that the saving to the state
will be substantially as follows:
judiciary .. ...... ...... 100000
BOARD of Prisoners ........ $4,000
Humane Institutions ....... :. 10000 |
Normal and Common Schools. 10000
Legislative Expenses ...... >. $4,000
Printing Documents ...... 49,. 10000
Military Expenses ...,.... 49,. $1,000 |
Labor Bureau ..... 49,. .... 5000
Miscellaneous .......... ....... 10000
The Item of expense to the
state on which we recon-
mend purchase of supplies. 10000 !
Total ......... $409, 900 |
JUDICIAL EXPENSES.
AS appears from the controllers
figures, this account amounts for the 7
year ending September 30, 1888, to S372,- 4
322.42. The comparative statement from =
official figures for the year 1896 of the
judicial expenses of the states enumer-
oted below. gives the per capita eX- |