The Norfolk weekly news., 1900-10-25

hy tho appointment Of political adhcr
cuts irrespective OF titncss, Governor
royntcr viii bc held to answer.
Proper management of public iustitu
tlons Is not II partisan question All
political parties profess TO favor II
What shal! he said or done with n
party or official who proves rcCrcnut
to this trust2 That Is the problem be
fore the voters of Nebraska, ard that
IL the charge upon which Governor
royntcr ana his party must stand
trial In the high court of public opin
Ion. Economy In the administration
OF public affairs Is n matter of dollars
nnd cents to every tax payer, aud the
fact that, with general appropriations
npprOXimntiug more thnn $2.WO,OOO,
there Is an apparent shortage of 500,
600, of Itself proves that Governor
royntcr has not praCtlccd II.
other Omciai- Esirasagant.
Governor roynter Is not the only fu
sion official who has fallen short OF
party promises and public cXpcCta.
tions The nnmcs of state Treasurer
Mcscrvc, Attorney General Smyth aud
Land Commissioner Wolf mny also bc
added
II Is no secret TINT II portion nt least
OF the state school funds has been
fnrmcd out TO fnvor'tc patrons. There
IL mt least $2oO,0OO of school funds
upon which the state IA receiving no
interest aud which IL no doubt drpos-
tied with such concerns ns nrc
"fricndly" to- the administration. Dili.
gent inquiry has thus far failed to dis
close where this money is or why the
state Is not drawing interest ON II.
This alone represents n clean loss to
the state of $1,000 per year
In regard to the attorney generals
department, the records show that
that department has not alone been cN-
trnvagant, but has made excessive de.
mnnds on the treasury
Tie constitution expressly provides
that the attorney general shall receive
II salary of 50 900 year and no more
1t declares further, that nothing shall
he allowed that department for dcpu.
ties or clerk hire. The records show
how openly THIS has been dlsrcgArdcd
The following figures show to what
extent the treasury has been milkcd
during the present term of two years:
Attorney general al..................SlO 900
w. ~. Oldham ................., $500
Assistant attorney cy....,........ 100
Stnn,rrnpIirI. nnn
Printing briefs. observation-disclosures. 500
Postage, telegraph telephone, etc 900
Travelling expenses. ............. 600
Though this is II much larger amount
than was ever before required by the
attorney generals department, 1t.
even, was not sufficient. The records
show that the $1,000 "prosccution
fund.- placed at the disposal of the
governor has been attacked and Of
this amount nearly 81 600 has been
used, II portion of it as follows:
G. j. myth.............. SGi7 .93
w. ID. Oldham. .............. -. 20
lId J.. Smith. .................. GO 90
u J.. 'oicoIHn. ...... .........,. -,bi 81
Other allowances have been made in
addition to this, so that upon the whole
this department under the present ad.
ministln,tOn has been the most cXtrav-
agant and expensive in the states his
tory.
More or lcss odium is attached to the
land commissioners department. The
manner in which building contracts
have been awarded and executed al
most approaches n public scandal
Certain contractors have been award
FL contracts and have SignAlly failed
to properly fulfill them. yet after nv
ing failed mt one place the board has
turned right around and awarded
them contracts at another. In some
Instances the bOndsmcn of the con
tractors have been required to com
plctc the work and in each and all in
stances the state has sustained pecu-
mary loss.
Contracts for groceries and provisions
are now largely awarded to Lincoln
parties, attending which action Is cir
cumstantial evidence OF rank favorit.
ism. These contracts have been ma
nipulated In the interest Of the friends
OF the state house ring at Lincoln. and
against the interest of the business
men OF the towns in which the nstitu.
tiOns are located. Commissioner Wolf
and Governor Poynter are directly re-
sponsible for this. as the former Is
chairman OF the board Of public lands
and buildings and the latter chairman
of the state board of purchase and sup
plies, boards that have direct charge
Of these matters.
IT may be claimed by the state house
officials, in justification of their acts
that the state Is getting its groceries
and supplies cheaper on this account
Nothing could be farther from tn,
truth. In the first place, the way
business Is managed, prices become
secondary issue. The principal issu,
now Is that OF weight and quality
There Is scarcely an institution tha