The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-03-22
NEW POWERS GIVEN
The Board of Internal I'M
prOvmentS Given Larger
Duties.
They May Succeed to the Duties Per
formed by the Abolished State
Examining Board When
Necessary.

This important Board was established
by law and was made a corporate body
as far back as 1919. The Governor of the
state is cx-offcio president thereof and
b. c. Bcckwith, of Wake county, and
B w. Ballard, of Franklin county, are
the two Commissioners, appointed bien-
nially by the Governor with the advice
of the Senate.
This Board has charge of all the state
interest in all railroads, canals, and 9TH
crs works of public Improvement; and
also of all public buildings which are
the property Of the State, and the late
Legislature added to its duties, invcsti-
eating the affairs of public Institutions,
by amending chapter SO. section 1919 Of
The Code of North Carolina, so that it
now reads as follows:
THE Governor is authorized and en-
powered whenever he may think the
public service requires it, to have the
affairs of any railroad, turnpike, canal
and public institution, in which the State
has an interest, investigated by a NOM
Der OF the Board of Internal Improve
ments. and to take such action concern
Board may deem to the interest OF the
State"
The member of the Board appointed
for the investigation mentioned in the
preceding section" Quoted abOye), shall
have power to administer Oaths, send for
persons and papers, and all the powers
granted to a committee of investigation
appointed by the General Assembly
The sheriffs shall execute writs for
such member of the Board as they would
for a judicial officer of the State, and any
person failing or refusing to obey any
summons of, or to answer any questions
when required so to do by such member
of said Board, shall be guilty of a misdc-
meanOr.'
The president, or other chief officer Of
every railroad or other public work of
internal Improvement and institution in
which the State has an interest, shall, on
or before the first day of October in each
year, make or cause to be ma6e to the
Board of Internal improvements, a writ
ten report for that year, showing, among
other things;
(a) The number of shares of stock
owned by the State, in any corporation,
or public work or institution.
(b) Face value of each share
(c) Market value OF each of said shares.
la Amount of bonded debt and other,
how incurred, and for what purpose con-
tracted.
(e) Itcmized account of expenditures
for past year
Any person falling to report as requir-
ed by this section 0693 of The Code),
shall be guilty OF a misdomeanor, and
upon conviction before any judge of the
Superior or Criminal court of this state,
be fined not less than enc thousand nor
more than five thousand dollars, and inn
prisoned not less than one nor more than
five years at hard labor in the pcniten-
tiary; and it shall be the duty of the
Attorney General to bring suit against
all persons so failing to report, in the
Superior Court of Wake County, on aP-
plcation of the Board of Internal In
provemcnts.
This Board is also empowered, when
ever tho General Assembly shall direct
any public Improvement, to let the same
out by contract. and take from the con
tractor a bond with sufficient security,
payable to the state of North Carolina.
in double the sum paid or contracted to
he paid, with the condition that he Will
faithfully perform his contract according
TO the plans and specifications agreed eli.
The duties and power of this Board arc
large. especially so in purvcw of the
amendment referred to in this article.