Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-02-07
State Officials Have Little to DO
With Conditions of Funds
in Treasury
NO CREDIT OR BLAME is DUE
Fault If Any is to Be Charged to tho
Legislatures Which Mako Appro-
J prations After State Levy Has Been
Decided Upon-No Political Capital
to Be Gained.
Special to Times-Republicar.

DeS MoineS FeD. t-baldHScs III t'ie
state treasury at the beginning OF the
fiscal peroiods has been decreasing
steadily, with the exception of occa-
sional fluctuations due to unusual re-
ceipts from unusually and eXtraordln-
has been true too in spite of the fact
that the state levy have been gradual
ly increasing with scarcely an excep-
ton. 1t is true too in spite of the fact
that receipts from other sources such
as from corporations have been grad
ually increasing.
In the early years Of statehood the
balance at the beginning of the nsea'
period varied from nothing up to S2s'-
600 until 1868 when it went up to *l99,-
600 and in 1865 went up to $336,oo
Then IL decreased and on July l. 1879,
there was nothing in the treasury. Inc
balances continued to be low at the
beginning of the fiscal periods till 1881
the treasury which was due to the d.
rect war tax refund of $3S4,O00 from
the government. This was nearly wiped
out in 1897 but by July l, 1901, by the
receipt of $4,000 refund from the Un-
ited States government and an increase
fof 100000 in the receipts from corpor-
ations it jumped to $1,143,SSS
Larger receipts from some source
and possibly oversight of the legisla-
ture in it's policy of spending every
thing in sight brought 1t up to $l,-
$40 900 on July /, 1903 1t dropped to
$i.375 900 on July 1, 1905, and to $S72,-
S77 on July 1, 1907. OF late there has
been no unusual receipts such as re-
funds from the United States and
while the amount raised under the
state levy and the amount received
from the corporations and other
sources has been steadily increasing,
the legislatures have regularly each
session appropriated more than there
was actually available to appropriate
and as a result the balance has con-
tinued to go down. The last legis-
ilature outdid all its predecessors, as
nearly as can be ascertained by appro-
priating about half million more than
there was available
State reports are characteristic
chiefly by what they do not show. Re
ceipts and expenditures are kept ac-
curately but that is as far as any pub
lie office goes. The work that has to
be done is done but no more. There
are scarcely any state reports that
have comparative tables so that any
citizen can find out anything that he
wants to know. The books are accur-
ately kept and there is not anything
concerning state accounts that could
not be ascertained in time but many
times this would mean days or weeks
of labor. But on the authority of the
state treasurer's office it can be said
that the last legislature appropriated
about $5OO,0OO more than there was
available to spend. Furthermore while
it increased the state levy to make $2,-
35O,OOO instead of $2,O00,O00 as before
this increase will not begin to reach
the state treasurers office till next
April while the appropriations that it
made began to drain the treasury ev-
en- before the legislature adjourned.
There is always more money in the
state treasury on July ! and January
1 than there is in October or April.
The. fluctuations of the general fund in
the treasurer's office is thus shown
from the treasurer's books:
June 80, 1905 :. .$1,375 900
December 81, 1905 ....... 851 700
June 80, 1906 ............ 1,174,788
December 81, 1906 ......... 731,S00
October 10, 1905 ........... 1000
April II, 1906 .............. 435,000
October IL, 1906 ......... 462 900
April -, 1907 .............. 54.600
1t has been the custom for some
officials to claim responsibility for a
big treasury balance. Hon. John Her
riott recently told in an interview that
he left the state treasury with a bal
ance of a million or more. OF course
the only reason there was not less was
because warrants were not presented
and because the revenue was suffi-
cient The state treasurer is custod-
ian of the funds only.
1t has also been claimed by some
newspapers, evidently for political ef-
feet and knowing full Well that it is
not true, that the governor is respons-
ible for the treasury being low. Of
course the governor could veto appro-
priation bills but if he did these news
papers would be the first tt make po-
litical capital Of that in some accusa-
ton against him and Furthermore this
one thing is very true and that is That
at the close of each session of the leg
islature there is no one who knows
how much the legislature has exceeded
it's limit. The governor does not know
and it would take a good man work.
ing all thru the session of the legis-
lature to keep track of it and know.
An examination of the books in the
state treasurer's office readily shows
that the treasury balances are subject
to great fuctuaton but that expendl-