Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-02-08

should be required. Id the opinion of the
committee, to make!their reports in du-
plicate. The salaries of the resident Off
GERS of the insane asylum should be paid
from the appropriation fund of that in
,stitution instead Of from the general
fund. The state auditors report ais
printed is found to be unreliable and in
bad form. The items Of expense should
be grouped SO as to show the expense of
every office and department. Claims
against the; state should be verified by
oath, which is found not to be, done. in
the majority of cases. The cost of the
state examiners office, for the. last
biennial period is found to have been
Sl3,390, with an income OF fees Of S1,649.
1t is found from the records and reports
that for the two years ending Dec. 81
last there have been 2i5 examinations,
for which fees amounting to s., 800
should have been collected, Of which the
treasurer's account shows 81 1885,. The
examiner claims that fees for examining
building and loan associations belong to
the examiner, on which the opinion OF
the attorney general has been asked. 1t
has been suggested that all state officers
should keep fee book and makea veri-
fled report each month to the. governor
and state auditor. The department is
recommended for reorganization SO as: te
make it less expensive to the state, The
governor, the committee thinks, should
be given power to examine state institu.
tions and state officers accounts by g
special examiner appointed by himself
at such times. as he may deem to tbs
best interest of, the state. The fees, oi
bank examinations should be increased
until the banks pay the cost of examina
tion. The appropriation for this depart
ment for the ensuing biennial period il
recommended as follows: Salary of ex
aminer for two years, $4,000; clerk hire
s2,4OO. ~ 81 >.., -.
A reduction of the public printing ex
pense is recommended, by reducing tht
size of reports and printing only sucl
parts as the governor may direct. Th'
fiscal year for the state is recommends
to be changed from July to January ]
as beginning. The fees of the stat
land department are recommended to b.
increased to cover the expense account
A new set of account books for the audi
tor and treasurer to correspond with tn
present needs of the state. No warran
should be issued or paid on any appro
priation when it is exhausted.
That evils have scrept into the system
of transacting public business is not tt
be denied. They are such evils as creer
into the transactions Of every state anc
the senate committee believes in remedy
ing them and preventing their recur
renee, and bringing actions to recover
funds that have been misappropriatedo OF
paid without warrant of law. The com
mittee found in its investigation that
furnishing of some state offices, chairs
couches and other articles, minor in theii
nature, but the property of the state had
disappeared. The general shaking VI
by the committee will, it is believed
bring about better system of keeping
public accounts and trapsacting public
business and lead all officers of the state
to live up to the letter and spirit of the
law in handling public funds. The ir
regularities complained of are minor ir
their nature in many cases, but it is
deemed by members of the committee tt
be best to put check. upon them once
and for all.