The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1909-01-15

expenses of the state government are
paid.
In justice to the last legislature and
especially upon the finance committee,
upon whom Involved the duty of pre-
pairing the general budget, l deem ii
proper that an exact statement of the
situation be made.
Investigation that have made
shows that for thirteen years pre-.
ceding 1906 it had been the invariable
custom of the auditor general to re-
port, as required by law, to the super
intendent of public instruction for ap.
portionment to the several counties of
the state practically the entire amount
remaining in the primary school inter
est fund on Nov. Of each year. The
only sum not apportioned was the ag-
gregate of the odd cents in the per
capita computation. For instance, If
the apportipment amounted to $3.67
per capita, there was apportioned $500
per capita, the balance being left sole
ly for convenience in making the com.
putation, to be included in the next
succeeding semi-annual apportionment.
THE result of this practice was that
only the small balances remained in
the primary school interest fund on
Dec. 81 of each year for the last thir.
teen years after the November APP
portionment was made.
THE average balance in the primary
school fund after the November appor-
tionment for thirteen years was only
SAP, 103.51. In sharp contrast with the
above is the following showing for the
two succeeding years: 1906, s1.222,-
4S6,57; 1907, $1,667, 494.
Departed from Custom.
Having for these thirteen years
practically exhausted the primary
school interest fund in making the
November apportionment, the auditor
general departed from the long estab-
lished custom in his department in
November, 1906, and in that year and
the year following failed TO include in
the total reported to the superintend-
ent of public instruction for apportion-
ment large sums, so that after the ap-
portionment was made in November,
1906, there remained in the primary
school interest fund s1,222 ,4S657, and
after the apportionment of November,
1907, $1.667, 494.
when the legislative committees
came to make up the general budget
in 1907, they called for information as
to the balance in the state treasury
at the close of the year 1906, and were
informed that it was approximately
50 300 900.
"No member of the committee and
no one connected with either the legs-
lature or the executive Office had any
reason to suspect that more than a
nominal amount of primary school
money, as shown by the average of
less than $43 900 for the previous thir-
teen years, was included in this bal
ance. They rightly supposed that as
in previous years, the primary school
interest money had been apportioned
and distributed to the counties as re-
quired by law. The members of the
committees could properly assume that
they were dealing with a general fund
balance. and they proceeded as was
entirely business like in view of such
understanding, to take this large bal
ance into account in preparing the gen.
eral budget. Had they been appraised
of the fact that 81 ,222 4S6.50, or over
one-half of the balance, belonged to
the primary school interest fund they
would, without doubt, have added that
amount to the total to be raised by tax
for the general purposes Of the state
government In November, 1907, the
auditor general withheld 81 ,667 ,49i
from the November apportionment,
an even greater sum than was with
held the previous year, while in No
vember last practically every dollar in
the primary school interest fund was
as It should have been,
under the law in each and every year.
The governor then directs the atten-
ton Of the legislature to a compare
tive statement of amounts necessary to
be raised by tax for the general ex-
penses of the state government, as es-
Limated by the auditor general, with
the amounts appropriated for such pur
poses by the several legislatures dur
ing the past twelve years, and con-
tinues:
During the biennial period ending
December Is, 1908, the total receipts
Of the primary school interest fund
we're s9,327 ,S4772. OF this amount ST.
'00,667.37 was paid by railroad corpo-
'ations and 1891, 943.51 by insurance
The balance Of 1896, 1864
vas received from other interests
which pay specific tax. During the
same period there was paid from this
und by the state to the several coun-
les for the support of the public
schools 1881 ,0762S, or $685.. 22S56 |
more than the revenue of the fund.
"The aggregate of state taxes levied |
md collected during the same two
years was $7,9S5,S1342, and the back
axes collected amounted to S371,244.S6. |
institutional Expenses.
1.-THE expenditures of the state on ac-