The forum. [volume] (Springfield, Ill.) 1904-192?, 1908-09-26


not pretend to be the presidents re-
port; it is not an account of any cor
poration or individuals II gives no In
timation of who received or paid out
funds. When the book was finally re-
ceived by the new board of trustees it
was handed around and commented
upon, as the ink was scarcely dry.
showing that 1t had all been written
at the same time and was not to ex-
coed one day old.
mo quarterly report Of the treas
urer to the state board Of charities, az
required by law, was ever made, al
though the trustees held office eighteen
months.
History in Little Book.
"The law required them to report
on q before Sept. 1, 1896, giving a de-
tailed statement Of expenditures to
July 1, 1896, which report should have
been sent to the governor and laid be-
fore the legislature. No such report
was ever made. The legislature and
the people will never officially know
any more about the institution under
Altgeld than is contained in President
Finley's book of ten pages.
"When the Republican trustees came
In and called on their predecessors for
an accounting, President Finley turned
over the record. 1t consisted OF a
handful Of bills and statements, all of
which could be carried in a coat peck
ct and one account book, showing the
receipts and disbursements Of the
board from Dec. IL, 1895, to March 26,
1897 No journal, ledger, bank book,
cancelled check, building contract nor
deed for the real estate accompanied
the record
President Was Busy Man.
president Finley is very busy
man, besides being political man
ager. He is manager of the Peoria
Street railroad and director in the Ma
tional bank. Being neither secretary
nor treasurer Of the asylum, suppose
he assumed he was not responsible for
the fact that there was no record Of
the boards proceedings eighteen
months after it's organization, and so
when the present administration de-
manded an accounting he was prob
ably compelled, in the absence of his
colleagues, to sit down and manufac-
ture cash book out of the bills that
had accumulated.
THE debit items in President Fin
ley's book show that the board re-
cefved $50, 100, and the credit items
show that they expended $SO,623.S6.
bills to the amount Of $4,000 were
receipted- None Of the bills was ap-
proved by the board of trustees. One
bill for ZOO, paid to the trustees for
expenses and services was approved
by Governor Altgeld, but it was not
receipted..
Trustees Not To Be Paid.
"The law does not contemplate that
the trustees of state institutions shall
receive any pay for their services, but
Trustee Alexander received for 'serv-
Ices and expenses $1,425.OO. Trustee
received for his services
and expenses $1,5OO.OO, and President
Finley received for his services and
expenses $4,000. In addition to
their services and expenses they also
Of $54466 of the states
money in hotel bills, and $325.OO in
livery hire. AS a total the three
trustees received for expenses and
hotel bill and carriage hire
S6,094.66 for eighteen months service,
Or an average of $2,O31.55 each.
''The total loans were $35OOO pail
by the treasury July Is, 1896, the in
terest at 6 per cent being $273.95.
There was expended on buildings,
roads and grading $49,42O9S. There
remained due to Contractor Mallov
when the Republican board took
charge $1O,S23.66, which has been paid