The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-04-17
SAVING OF MONEY
Economical Administration of the
Public Affairs of the People of
Indiana.
TIMELY CONTRAST OF METHODS
How Money Is Being Saved to the
Taxpayers Of the State by the Bust
ness Management Being inaugural
ed in Our Public Institutions.

ness Management Being inaugural
ed in Our Public Institutions.
few years ago there was much ex-
travagance practiced and many dol
lar lost in the handling of public mon
ey, for no other reason than that sys-
tenn and order were not wanted and
never iiaugurated to carefully account
for the same.
Under the old management of our
state institutions, every article pur-
chased was dumped into one or more
store-rooms without regard to quantity
or quality purchased, and after the
supplies had been delivered it was the
charge of same and see that only the
amount required for each day was de-
livered to the various departments;
but, instead, the head of each depart
ment, and often those who were not
at the head of the departments in the
institutions had keys to the store
room and authority to help them
selves. Such methods could not help
but be wasteful and would never be
permitted by an individual or private
corporation.
Not only were such methods prac-
ticed, but in ordering supplies bids
were never received and no attempts
made to purchase where the taxpayer
would receive the benefit by getting
the best possible prices.
Under this method of transacting
the states business in our institutions,
more money was wasted in the indis-
criminate handling of supplies in the
various store-rooms and buildings than
1t would take to build a room of suf-
fcient size to accommodate everything
necessary to carry in stock.
AT the beginning of the late Cover
nor Mounts administration, those who
were responsible for the management
of the institutions of the state began
to introduce new ideas with a view
of conducting the affairs of our insti-
buttons upon business methods.
In order to see what has been ac-
complished it is only necessary for one
to take day off and visit any of the
public institutions of our state as they
are today managed. The writer has
gone to the trouble of carefully inves-
tigating and going through one of the
institutions of the state, and believes
what he has found would be of interest
to every taxpayer, and will describe.
as near as he can, the method and
manner of doing business in the insti.
tuition that he visited.
Upon entering the institution I was
at once satisfied that business methods
are being used, from the cleanliness
that can be seen on every side and the
orderly and gentlemanly manner in
which the officers conduct themselves.
l was more particularly interested in
the large and commodious store-room,
where every dollars worth of supplies
that was purchased for the institution
was delivered. This store-room was
of sufficient size to admit of syste-
matte methods by which articles of
certain denomination and size may be
kept, not only separate, but also in
such manner that they are readily ac-
cessible at any time.
Into this room every article purchas-
ed for the institution was delivered.
checked up and compared with a du.
plicate invoice which is furnished the
storekeeper. 1t is imperative that this
be done before any of the goods pur-
chased are issued to the departments
for which they are intended. This
duplicate is given a number by the
storekeeper, the first invoice received
at the beginning of the fiscal year be-
ing No. 1 and continuing the numbers
consecutively through the year as the
invoices are received
The article so purchased is given
the same number as the duplicate in
voice, and in addition is given the
year in which it was purchased. This
is necessary in case the goods pur-
chased should be carried into another
year.
The footings of these duplicate in
voices must compare with the original
invoice from which the vouchers are
made, at the end of each month. or
upon any day that the superintendent
of the institution deems it necessary
to call upon the storekeeper to furnish
such footings.
This part of the system places the
goods in the store-room and charges
them to the storekeeper upon the
books of the store-room as we'll as
upon the books in the chief clerks
Office of the institution. found that
the officer in charge of this store-room
was very conversant and knew exact
ly where to find any one of a thou
sand articles that were under his care
and that he was able to advise the
superintendent at any time he was
called upon of the condition and
amount of supplies on hand and to
accurately show from his records the
daily demands upon the store-room by
the various departments of the fnsti-
tuition. 1 found that this could only
be done by system of records, requi-
sitions and checks that not only show
the amount of supplies coming into
the hands of the storekeeper daily,
but the amount that is daily consumed
by each department
Upon further examination I found
that the head of each department was
furnished with a requisition book, with
instructions that he is, at 9 o'clock
each morning. to fill up with pen ami
ink one of these blank acquisitions by
naming therein the articles. and
amount wanted, with the understand