Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1909-03-28

The two members of the special
house committee designated to in.
vestigate and report upon the af-
fairs of various state departments,
Messrs. S. N. Putnam and S. E
Ployhar, who have been in the city
engaged with their work since the
close of the legislature, filed their
report with Governor Burke Satur-
day. The report, is bulky docu'
ment of forty typewriter pages, and
sets forth the views of the two mem.
bers of the committee as to the con-
duct of affairs and of irregularities
that should be corrected,
The Investigation in question re-
suited from the roiginal investiga-
ton Of the office Of the secretary Of
state, the resolution for that being
amplified to cover other state depart
ments. The two members of the com.
mittee filed a report in the course OF
the session regarding affairs in the
secretary Of states office. dealing
particularly with the matter of leg
islatlve supplies and public printing.
To this Secretary of State Blaisdell
responded with communication to
the house and senate stating that the
investigation and report was due to
personal and political bias ON the
part Of at least one member of the
committee, R. E. Ployhar, with
whom he was on terms of both per.
sonal and political enmity. It has
been stated since the close of the SEES
sion that the object of the investi
gators was to cast discredit upon the
Office of the secretary, but this is
denied by the members of the COM
mittee. The Office of the secretary
of state was visited for the longest
time and the most scrutiny by the
committee, and they present in theil
report their original report filed with
the legislature The matter of leg.
islative supplies is gone over again
and the committee mOdifies its or
iginal report to some extent, but still
claims the prices charged were some
what too high. With reference to
fees and commissions, the committee
finds that the proper amount has
been covered into the statetreasury,
although recommendation is made
that all fees be turned into the treas
ury monthly.
The committee commends the, sec
rotary of state for new bookkeeping
systems established to keep account
of printing and supplies, recon-
mends additional room for the keep
ing of supplies, finds the clerical
work of the department good and
publishes a list of receipts in fees
and otherwise.
The. auditors Office is found in
good shape, and the committee rec
omends more regular meetings of the
auditing board in order that bills
against the state may be more
promptly disposed of.
The Office of commissioner of insur-
ance is commended for it's system of
records and accounts, but the COM
mittee finds that $1,113 has been paid
for exchange on checks and drafts
in the past two years and other
amounts before that time, and states
the payments to be illegal and thinks
the state should be reimbursed for
the illegal payments of the past two
years, and for such other sums as
may have been paid in the past. The
members Of the committee also state
that the insurance statements are
distributed for political purposes and
not according to law. The committee
states that "these statements are
doled out to political favorites." Mr..
Playhar, one of the members of the
committee, it will be remem bered,
presented bill at the last session to
do away with the publication of in
surance statements altogether. 4
The committee goes over the mat
ter of fees in thu state department
of public instruction, and finds that
about $4,000 in fees for teachers
certificates have been paid in. AL
statement is published from Superin-
tendent Stockwell, in which he says
the amount has been paid to readers
for necessary expenses and to him.
self for additional compensation. The
superintendent says that the estimate
by the senate committee was 66 2-3
cents for reading papers is possibly
high. and that so to IS cents is about
right. This would leave about $6,-
$50 paid to the state superintendent
in the past six years as his personal
compensation. To this the superin-I
tendent claims he Is entitled. He
states also that in 1903 and part OF
Il Il l. IL