Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1901-12-05

$12,179.71, and for the fiscal year end
ing June 80, 1900, $S,SO4.71 telegraph
and telephone companies paid
direct to the state treasury for
fiscal period ending June 80, 1899,
$5S,94S.77, and for the year ending
June 80, 1900, $34 ,169SS. For the
year ending June 80, 1901, the state re-
ceived in taxes through the various
counties from telephone and telegraph
companies and express companies
about $3,75S.S3, while under the old
law with the same valuations the state
would have received approximately
$4,000 more. The counties, however,
are correspondingly benefited by this
change.
Regarding State School Funds.
The legislation enacted by the
Twenty-eighth general assembly re-
ducing the rate of interest at which
the school funds might be loaned from
s per cent to not less than per cent,
and increasing the amount which coun-
ties might loan one individual from
$1,000 to $4,000, has brought the relief
sought. The S275,000 in the county
treasures and unloaned at the com
mencement of this biennial period has
all been placed at interest on the fund
above the Az per cent charged against
the counties by the state is the proper
ty of such counties as a COMMISSION or
profit for loaning and looking after
the funds. In few instances the
counties are still loaning these funds
at 6 per cent interest. The state
school fund now amounts in round
numbers to S4,750,O00. Future sales of
school lands or funds from escheat es-
tates will not greatly increase this
amount, the increase for the biennial
period amounting to only $7,S49.55."
Bank Business Prosperous.
The auditor points to the prosperity
of the banking business throughout
the state. Ninety new banks with a
combined capital stock of $2,0S9, 900,
were organized during the period. In
that time the deposits in the state and
savings banks increased from SIT ,405,-
66S.16 to $114,731 ,614.06, an increase
of $37,324, 945.90 Twenty banks sur
rendered their charters during the
period, either to consolidate with sim
liar institutions or change into nation
al banks. Only one bank closed up it's
affairs entirely and ceased to do bust
ness. The insurance department and
it's work is discussed at length and set
forth by the auditor.
To the report is appended the find
ing of the expert accountants appoint
ed by the executive council to check
up the affairs of the Office during the
nnrin6 Tbjc chnwS thot NO
ceipt voucher, paper and record per-
tanning to the business of the Office
in every department was examined
and found faithfully accounted for
with no errors or differences to report
for correction.
Attention is called to the fact that a
number of counties throughout the
state are delinquent in their accounts
with the state for the support of the
hospitals for insane and the soldiers
orphans home, for clothing for schol
ars at the college for the blind. school
for the deaf, and the home for the fee,
BILE minded. Several efforts have
been made to secure these accounts
but as yet they have not been success
full in every case.
The auditor renews his recommen
dation that the report of his office be
published in two volumes, the bank re
port and the building and loan report
being published annually, and bound
in separate volume. The report is
prefaced with list of ex-auditors
covering the state as a territory as
well as state and also list OF those
employed in the present auditors de
Dartment