The Montgomery advertiser., 1905-11-14


 Total ........$ s.s47.7s : s.s4L7s
 brought down .$ 24.47
 These figures show that the im- provement fund owed MT. Brooks a balance of $206.49, and the mainten- ance fund owed him $24,47-totai. $230.96.
 MT. Brooks furnished the Execu- tive Committee monthly statements of the actual amounts he paid out on the maintenance fund. but the statements were not itemized as required by Rule g, and were not full and complete, as they failed to show the actual amounts purchased each month. He furnished no statements of the expenditures of improvement fund. In order for the Executive Committee to know the financial condition of the Home, full and explicit statements of the expen- ditures of both funds should have been furnished monthly.
 Tn addition to the $230.96 overpay- ments on September 30. 1905, there were outstanding claims against the Home for the amount of $2,714.70, mak- ing a total indebtedness, $2.945.S6, which had never been reported to the Executive Cohhittee.
 'On October 3, 1905, Mir. Brooks drew from the State Treasury s1.906.25 for the support of the sixty-one in mates in the Home for the quarter end- ing December 31. 1905, and applied $1,273.11 of this amount to the pay ment of outstanding claims against the Home He did this without the knowl- edge or authority of the Executive Committee and made no report of it to said committee.
 After paying the $1.273.11 on Octo- Der i, 1905, there were still S1,672.55 outstanding claims against the Home September 30. 1905. Mir. Brooks transferred $277.35 from the mainten- ance fund to the improvement fund without the authority of the Executive Committee, but he claims that 1t was for necessary improvements for the Home, and there were no other funds to pay it. The Executive Committee claims that MT. Brooks never furnished them any statement of this indebted ness against the Home. and they had no knowledge of its existence.
 After making the above payments on October 4. 1905. MT. Brooks turned over to Dr. Fielder, his successor, only $633.14 for the support of sixty-one inmates for the quarter ending Decem- Der 31, 1905. This leaves the Home in a serious financial condition. The $633.14 will hardly support the inmates of the Home for one month, and the winter clothing has not been pur- chased. The inmates are badly in need of clothing of all kinds, quilts. blankets. hats, shoes, coats, under wear and overcoats. While they have sufficient food, a grater variety is needed
 The annual appropriation of $125 for each inmate was largely an ex- pertinent and is insufficient. The sala- ries of the commandant, adjutant, phy- sician and engineer, the wages of tho nurses, cooks and other employees, in- surance, burial and other incidental expenses have to be paid out of this appropriation.
 MT. Brooks made me an estimate of the actual expense of supporting sixty one inmates for one month, and which estimate is endorsed by pr. Fielder. the present commandant. It shows a monthly deficit of $12S.2S, and an am nual deficit of $1,539.S6. After careful investigation, I think this esti- mate is very economical, and, in fact, too economical for the proper support and comfort of the inmates, who are mostly old and helpless and practically unable to assist in the maintenance.
 The appropriation should be s175 annually for each inmate, and therc should be an appropriation to improve the walks and roads in the home which are in bad condition, and to make nec- essary repairs on the buildings. Since its establishment, there have been 105 inmates In the Home; sixty-seven are there now, twenty three have died and | fifteen have left.
 This institution deserves the SUD- port of the people of Alabama. It is not much longer that these war-worn. | batle-scarred veterans will be an ex- pense to the State. and it should not | only be our duty, but our pleasure, by State appropriation and public iona- tion, to make their declining years ss free from care and as comfortable as possible. Respectfully,
 U. T. German, state Examiner of Public Accounts. Examiner German left Montgomery last night for Selma, where he will cx- anime the books of the Dallas County | officers.