Watertown leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1909-1911, 1910-03-25
Fredr'S Announcement
Madison, Wis.,, March q, ID

When announcing my candidacy for
Secretary of State at the close of leg
islstive service in both Houses,
believed systematic arrangement of
departmental work could be under
taken with profit TO the state. AS
future pledges may be considered in
the light Of past performance, brief
ly enumerate some changes in methods
and In laws. affecting the department,
which have been recently secured.
Over sixty thousand accounts cover
ing approximately eight million dol
lars are now audited annually The
state elective machinery. compilation
of laws. collection of tax statistics,
licensing of corpoi ations, motor
vehicles and other duties fixed BY law.
are also handled by the state depart
ment
During the past four years tn.
amount of Office work increased nearIv
fifty per cent and during the past
twelve years, the increase shown by
the records approximately tire. hum
dred per cent Cash receipts by the
Office have also grown prop0rtiUnately
during the last named period. Since
1897 not one additional employee has
been furnished the ufice, while the
increase of department expenses dur
ing the past twelve years is less than
seven Ter cent.
Prompt performance of duties and
greater economy has resulted from
systematic methods, improved clerical
efficiency. additional hours Of labor
and disallowance of Office expenditure
not clearly authorized by law. Strict
compliance with laws affecting state
printing, and to fairs, bounty pay
ments and other matters of audit has
been secured
Among laws drafted by this Office
and enacted at the last session were !:
Chapter AGA providing for rotating
names on primary ballots; chapters
SOC, 372 and other curative laws
affecting primaries and general cleo
tious chapter 523 providing additional
safe guards + ,r state auditing, chap
ter 500 which has increased receipts
from motor vehicles six thousand dol
lars during the last six months of 1909
and now furnishes a permanent in
come sufficient to maintain this branch
of citice work; chapter 430 suthoriz-
ing the compilation of misce Ilaneous
laws Dy the department; chapter 452
authorizing the state printing COM
mission to make emergency purchases.
Other laws and amendments affecting
duties OF varying degrees of impO,
lance were also drafted, advoca ed
before committees and passed by the
legislature.
Among proposed laws urged at the
last session and which should have
been passed, were measures auth, riz-
ating u proper investigation of bounty
claims and county fair audits before
the same are present d for payne mt
alsu a law to prevent wastefulness
in the allowance and distribution of
state printing; also bill to limit
individual election expenses and to
make more effective the corrupt prac-
tlce act under which such expense
STATEMENTS are now required to be
filed IN the department.
The audit measures proposed, to-
gethsr with laws secured at The last
session would have enabled the state
to annually save more than the entire
expense of this department. How
ever, their Importance cannot be de-
termined alone by dollars and cents
fo- passage ia demanded as a business
proposition in order to give additional
protection to the state. These briefly
are few of the laws prepared by
this office and passed by the legisla-
ture, together with measures that
were drafted, actively urged for pas
sage before committees and should
have been enacted into law.
If such effort to improve the audit
ing and administrative branch of the
states service with which | ha, e
been Connected, merits approval |
submit my candidacy for reelection
for the purpose of securing further
improv in departmental work,
which experience has demonstrated
to be Necessary. Also to urge UPON
the next legislature. measures that