Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1903-01-20
TERRITORIAL
CONTINUED from page one.)

ihtSiSSt' lHlS seCIlOn snOulu De 50
amended as to give the treasurer and
governor the same power but to be ex-
ercised three months before such
bonds become due, in order that the
money may be in the treasury at the
exact time the option accrues.
This will prove a great saving as we
now have outstanding $1O1, 800 bonds
bearing 5 per cent interest, becoming
~optionally due May 1. 1903, which we
a take up with new 4 per cent bonds,
which will probably bring a small pre-
MUM. and reduce the interest 1 per
cent for twenty years. thereby sav-
ing the territory $4,000 in interest.
The treasurer in his report makes
some timely suggestions, and | re-
specially call your attention to his
full report which is a part of this mes
sage and marked exhibit "a"
The present law providing for banks
to give bond to the territory for public
moneys received by them and setting
out the qualifications of the sureties
on such bonds, should be changed so
as to require all such bonds to be exc
cuted by the fidelity of a surety COM
pany, authorized to do business in this
territory, and | earnestly recommend
that you enact a law to this effect. and
also providing hat all official bonds
O required by law be executed in
the same manner and that no person
al sureties be received.
For many years the territory has
been put to a great delay and tx
pense in bringing suits Upon such
bonds which are invariably contested
with great bitterness and very unsat-
isfactory results, and | believe that
the records will show that not 10 per
cent of the amounts sued for have
been recovered by the territory, while
a fidelity or surety company insures
the prompt payment of any such for
feited bonds to the great and manifest
advantage of the territory.
| recommend that you pass an act
requiring all officers and commission
who are required to make reports to
the governor. superintendent of pub
lie instruction. the Legislature, or any
other person, should do so at the close
of each fiscal year, and providing that
a failure to do so for a period of fifteen
days should subject the party so fail
ing to removal from office and a heavy
fine to be collected from him and the
sureties on his bond.
Recommendations of Auditor.
The condition of affairs in the audit
or's Office is very satisfactory, it being
conducted in strict compliance with
the law, and his report, which | recon-
mend to your careful consideration, is
very complete.
1t is shown by his report that a |
mill levy reaped for the year 1900 the
sum of 2 6,744.S5. and for 1901 the
sum of $27,367.S7. an increase of
$623.02 per mill, and also that the av-
erage percentage increase of tax col
lections for 1901 over 1900 was about
s per cent.
Again referring to county ~treasurers'
and collectors unsettled accounts in
the auditors Office, | would recon-
mend that the members of the Thirty
fifty legislative assembly take such
action as would enable the auditor to
close these accounts on his books.
The treasurer pays out annually. di-
rect from the territorial treasury,
large sums of money under provisions
q: certain acts of law. such as interest,
maturing bonded indebtedness, special
cattle and sheep funds, and other
funds, of which the auditor has no Of
fetal notice until the annual burning
takes place, and the certificate of the
governor and treasurer is filed in his
office, when the treasurer is credited
with such direct payments. | would
recommend that a law be enacted pro-
hibiting the treasurer from paying out
any territorial moneys except upon
warrant of the auditor, thereby avoid
ing the apparent large difference at
certain times during the year between
~treasurer's cash balance and the
amount shown to be in the hands of
the treasurer by the auditors account
with that official. AS the law requires
the assessment rolls to be in the hands
o. the auditor by the first Monday in
September, it also requires the terri
torial board of equalization to meet
on the second Monday in September,
sufficient time is not given the auditor
to properly check up the assessment
rolls, and to have the proper correc-
tions made when needed, / would re-
commend that either the time for the
assessment rolls to be at the auditors
Office, or the date for the meeting of
the board of equalization be changed
so as to give the auditors office suf-
ficient time for checking up the as
sessment rolls; and in this connection
| would also suggest that the auditor
be given ample power to enforce the
correction of any assessment roll by
the assessor when the same has been
returned incorrect, either in regard
to figures or abstract.
find by the auditors report that
u-ban n taDnavnr l.; .- -