The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1901-02-16

N the past uW;atlked out of the building
without: consent; of the state. The cost
OF postage, kilograms, express. ETC., can
be materially: decreased. if proper care,
is taken: to restrictstheir use;to state bust
ness only T. 80, J. sssas: IN. -, ~
Hack hire. by state officers is not a
proper charge against the state, in our
opinion, although. accounts for the same
have eenssfrequently paid. .
State moneys lin suspended banks:;.
The amount of $48,467.66 has been res
ceived by the treasury since their. sus-,
PENSIONS; leaving still due $%3o,o1s:5o.
The amount paid in: dividends is as fol
&. :Gfsn sdsF National Bank, ). per
cea Iirst<Nation sl bank j, # Miinot, 20 per
Citizens National bank, Fargo, 6 per
Second Nat. bank, Grand Forks 97N
First National bank, PemBfna, 6 per
cent. -. :.
To safeguard the state interest, legal
steps should. be. taken, to recover the
amount still unpaid;:t to, prevent the pos
slbillty of the statute. of limitations BE-
ing pleaded against the bonds, especi-
ally where; receivers have made final divi.
dends. go. !. r..
Section ga, Revised Codes, 1899, re-
qrires the secretary of state to keep a
book OF supplies" we have failed to
There is every evidence to show that a
record properly kept as provided by that
section would be in the interest of econ
omy and prevent waste, .peculation and
loss to the state. Your attention is
called to section 1869 of the Code, and
the records were never kept as required
by. section 81 of the Code.
There appears to be- no record of the
proceedings of the emergency commits
sion except on sheets: of letter paper, a
commission that, apparently, has equal
powers with the legislative assembly to
appropriate money.
State officers should. be required to
make their reports in duplicate, the orig
lnal to be filed with the governor and
the duplicate with the printing COM
mission.
The loss by fire of an original report
two years ago cost $4,000 for its re-
production.
The salaries of the resident officers of
the insane asylum are paid from the
general fund. This item should be in
Guided in the appropriation bill for that
institution so that the costs of the in
stitution may be fairly set forth as in
the case of other institutions.
The state auditors report as printed is
entirely unreliable and its, form bad. The
items of expense should be so grouped
as to show the cost Of each office and
department; as now arranged it is a
matter of considerable labor to arrive at
anything definite as to the cost of any
department.
There is now 10 law requiring claims
against the state to be verified under
oath and the majority of the vouchers
filed are without verifcation, and some
are paid where the law states positively
they shall not be paid.
The cost of the state examiners Office
for the biennial period ending June 80,
1900, was $~1s.3oo.oo, with an income in
fees Of $I,640.38, as shown in auditors
a state examiner, a deputy and an as
sistant examiner. We find from exam
ination of the records in the office and
SaAS ANPOIIS AllNu WILL lllC kOfGIuOT that
for the two years ending December 81,
1000, there have been 245 examinations
of banks and building and loan associ-
ations. and fees should have been coll
lected amounting to $2,ooo.oo., The
treasurer's account to January I, 1901,
shows $1.485.68. The examiner informs
lis that the fees have been paid in full
to date less expense vouchers on file in
the auditors office. .
The examiner claims that the fees
for examining building and loan ascot
atoms belong to the examiner. !
The attorney general has been asked
for an opinion on this question.
From a statement furnished us at the
request of this committee of the bust
ness done in the last six months, it
appears, that the state examiner: exam
ined ten state institutions, one building
and loan association and seven banks.
The deputy examiner, three state in
stitutions, n building and loan asso-
c%iation, five counties, and thirty-fve
banks. z
Assistant state examiner, one state in
stitution, four counties and five banks.
There is no time fixed when-the fees
of the office should be paid into the
treasury. The examiner informs us that
it has been usual upon. the payment of
their expense accounts by the state to
pay in the fees. There has been some
laxity about the matter. In this connec-
ton we would suggest that all state of
fcers be required to keep a fee and cash
book and make a verified statement of
all moneys received bythem each month
and file one copy with the governor and
a duplicate with the state auditor with
the treasurer's receipt for the money after
the close of each month. Your attention
is called to section 327 Of the Code.
We believe that this department
should be r%eorganized so,as to make it
less expensive to. the state. Attention
is called to sections I36, s139 and las
of the Code. and also to page 76sof bank
statements, in the report of the state
examiner dated June 80, 1900, and known
as eleventh annual report Of the state ex-
aminer.
Section las of the Code should be
same.
The county examinations should only
be made upon the call of the county COM
missioners, at the .county's expense.
The executive should be given the
power to examine the state institutions
and state officers accounts by a special
examiner appointed by himself at such
times as. he may deem it for the best
interests Of the state. leaving the bank
examinations only to the state examiner,
4 iAf.l.f r. H-AF.- l.-..f a ~.