The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1909-05-14
CLOSING of Treasury.

! It is not expected that the closing up of
the state treasury for a period of ap-
proximately three weeks, as the result of
the death of State Treasurer R. e. Park,
will be attended by any serious results
at this particular time.
There is no interest to be paid or bonds
to be retired at this time. The school
teachers have been paid practically all of
the money they will get this spring, and
the payment Of pensions was concluded
/ long ago.
About the only thing the state pays out
! along this time of the year is routine ex
penses of state institutions and salaries of
officials and employees. Most of these had
drawn their money up to May l, and the
present situation will keep them waiting
only until the latter part of May or about
! June 1. Most of them wait anyhow,
though some draw their money along
from week to week AS for the state in
situations, their home banks are always
willing enough to accommodate them
when they need a little money to tide
them over until the next installment of
their appropriation is Forthcoming.
Among those who will be most incon-
venienced by the delay are, perhaps, the
inspectors in the penitentiary department,
| who have to get their expense money in
order tc keep up their work. But 1t is
probable the prison commission will be
able to make some arrangement to keep
! things rowing
Comptroller General w. A. Wright has
taken charge of the treasury and pub
/ lished his advertisement of the demise of
| the state treasurer. This must be pub
| lished for 10 days before steps can be
taken to turn the department over to
! the new treasurer appointed by the gov
/ ernor.
After this the comptroller general has
got to take account of stock, as it were,
! and make list OF all the states assets in
1 the &c partment as well as of securities
/ which are on deposit there under various
laws. This, the comptroller general thinks,
| will take him about 10 days more, so that
It will be something like three weeks be-
! fore dollar can be paid out of the treas
ury.
1t seems now to be the general opinion
that the new state treasurer, appointed by
! Governor Smith, will serve not only Cap
| tain Parks unexpired term, until July l,
| but that owing to the fact that no special
provision has ever been made by the leg
islature for filing this office in the event
OF death or resignation, the appointee will
also fill the full term of two years, and
until the qualification of the new treas
urer, who shall be elected in the general
! election of 1910.
| Although some think that the secretary
| OF state has the power to canvass the re-
! turns and declare the result in the case of
an election for treasurer, it has generally
been accepted that this office can be per-
formed only by the legislature itself At
any rate 1t has always been done by the
| legislature.
| Now the legislature cannot call an cleo
| ton and get in the returns within the so
| days of its session. It could not, there
| fore. canvass the returns and declare the
| result of an election for treasurer even
| If it should order one, until its session of
1910. So, If the legislature should order
an cleo ton for treasurer. which 1t has the
power to do, the person elected would
not get into the office until July /, 1910
| Under this view of the case many hold
Il 10 be quite improbable that an cleo
ton will be called. In that event, as
stated, the governors appointee will
serve through the full term of two years
from July 1.
The state treasurers salary is $1,000 a
year He also received salary of $500
a year as state bank examiner Out of
this $500 he mast pay the fee for his bond
of $200,000( which reduces 1t by S70O,
| leaving him net $500 year