The Saint Paul globe., 1903-03-09
PAYS OVER $4,000
IN SALARIES OUT
OF $1,000
Difficult Financial Feat Per-
formed by Accountant
Sprague, of the State Uni
Versity - Suspicion That
Authorities of Institution
Are Patronizing Banking
Concern Is Aroused.

Accountant Sprague, of the Univer-
sity of Minnesota, with but $11, 900 tS
the credit of the institution in the
state treasury, paid all the salaries
due the instructors of the university
and experimental farm, amounting to
something over 100000, notwithstand-
ing the fact that no other funds are
permitted for the use of the univer-
sity, save those named and provided
by the laws of the state of Minnesota
This remarkable feat of financiering
was brought to light by the inability
of the instructors to obtain their sti-
pends until many days, and sometimes
weeks, had elapsed beyond the date
when the payments should have been
made.
The instructors, many of them men
who receive but $50 and $50 per month
assert that the executive officials of
the seat of learning are cursed with
the evil of procrastination, and it was
with the object of ascertaining the
cause Of the delay that several of them
waited upon Accountant Sprague and
demanded an explanation. That gen.
ueman declared that the cause lay
with the state auditors office, saying
that 1T was impossible to pay out
money until the pay roll had been ap-
proved by the auditor, who instructS
the state treasurer to honor the checks
of the university.
An investigation was then begun at
st. Paul, during the course of which
1t was learned that the true cause was
that the money had not yet been plac-
ed to the credit of the university.
Had Formed a Habit.
But matter entirely foreign to that
which the instructors set out to clear
up was encountered. 1t was found
that Sprague has been in the habit of
paying the force Independent of the
state fund, the state auditor or the
state treasurer. In short he could not
have paid them from the state fund
without the knowledge of the state Of
hclals, yet the fact remains that they
have been paid without the knowledge
OF the treasurer or auditor.
The situation was this: After the
December salaries had been paid in
January there was a balance of $4417
left to the credit of the university.
This was later Increased by a war
rant for the sum of $1,000, presented
by Accountant Sprague. This made a
total of a little over $11,OO0 the en-
tire credit Of the institution on the
date of Feb. 10. Yet, out of that sum
the entire force of instructors, calling
Tor a January pay roll of over $780, 0O0
was paid.
The demand made is, Whence came
CIIc necessary IunQS TO make those
payments" The state law provides
distinctly that the officials of the state
university have no power to transact
any banking business in behalf of the
institution. The natural conclusion is
that no person or firm will furnish
funds to the extent of thousands
dollars without interest, and interest of
a goodly proportion, too. Yet, no record
OF any interest is named in the ex-
pense accounts of the university. But
that there. are heavy expenses the au-
d1tor of the state does not deny rsssssF.-
Those Interested in the affairsargsae
that the executive officers of the uni
Verslty are patronizing some banking
concern, whose interest on these sums
is passed through the hands of the
state officials as ordinary expenses;
and they further argue that this con-
cauSlon Is not at all improbable, in
consideration of the fact that, at an
investigation of the university books
some four years ago, expense vouchers
were discovered to have been held back
the books fixed to correspond-for
over two years. These vouchers are
now on exhibition at the state audi
tors Office as an example of the uni
Versfty method of transactfng busi-