The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-01-25
WEDNESDAY, JAN. %, 1906.
PROFITS ON PUBLIC FUNDS

-
At the end of the third week of tn
legislative session, Montana law ms
kers have under consideration owe
one hundred measures relating to var
ious subjects, and many of them, it i
presumed, will meet with favorable &C
ton. Several Of these bills are in
tended to redeem the platform pledge
of the political party to which thei
authors belong, the latter believing
that promises made before election
are just as binding at the present tim'
as they were three months ago.
In looking over the list of bills 10
troduced by republican members o
the legislative assembly, the River
Press fails to find any easur tina
relates to one of the planks contained
in their party platform. This omis'
sion may be remedied later in the SEES
sion, but the subject is of suf1icien,
Importance to justify early and earn
est attention. The republican plat
form plank to which reference is made
reads as follows:
Resolved, We favor the semi annual
collection of taxes and are opposed to
the use of public moneys for priv ate
gain, which is forbidden by our con.
s~titution and public rights as we'll:
and we pledge ourselves to recover for
the people all sums which, being OBJ
tanned by private individuals out OF
the unlawful use of public funds, yet
remain in fact and law the moneys OF
the state.
This declaration and promise by
Montana republicans was suggested
by an investigation conducted by the
eighth Legislative assembly, in which
it was discovered that State Treasurer
Barrett was making large profits from
public funds by placing them in banks
at a certain rate of interest. The bal
ance in the custody of the state treas
urer, it is alleged, was seldom less
than half a million dollars, and it was
current report that the profits upon
this balance were appropriated to his
own use to the extent OF . 1900 a year.
II these allegations are true. they call
for Legislative action that will enforce
Section II, Article XII of the state
constitution which says:
The making of profit out of public
moneys, Or using the same for any
purpose not authorized by law, by any
public officer, shall be deemed a fell
ony, and shall be punished as provi-
ded by law; but part of such punish.
ment shall be disqualification to hold
public Office.
The rights of the people of Montana
in this matter should be safely guard
ed. AS the owners of public moneys,
the people are entitled to every dollar
of profit that may be derived from the
deposit or investment of these funds.
A public official employed at a hand
some salary to receive and disburse
these moneys has no right to the
profits that can be derived from them,
than he has to anyepart of the funds
entrusted to his care.
Personal friendship o political con
siderations should not deter republi
eau members Of the legislature from
making good theirSplatform promise
in this connection. and providing leg
islation that shall secure to the peopl
every dollar that rightfully belongs t
them. The state legislature of Idah
Is at present solving a similar prol
lem, and it Is hoped the Montana les
islative assembly will give the matte
early consideration.
In discussing this matter during IL
political campaign three months age
the Helena Record said:
1.-The aggregate of balances in II
various state funds at the close ,
business on the 3lst of October va
$544, 464.l1. This fact, which appear
in the monthly report Of the sta
treasurer, suggests two question
The first is, where is this money? n
Then the people have a further rig
to prompt information as to who
receiving the interest on the money
the state that is deposited in bank
We know already where this intere
will go after January next when r
publican state officers have been il
stalled. 1t will then go into the trea
ury, where it belongs. At u modera
percentage and without jeopardy
the principal, $4,000 per year will
saved to the people by this polio,
and that is quite worthy of the consi'
Grafton of voters