St. Landry clarion. (Opelousas, La.) 1890-1921, 1911-08-19

Buldings....,.".. .'-:"..'':"..''eS 2S5oo0o
Equipment "m' d 60o 00
Total. 3800OOo
This institution bought all the land it needed, under a pre-
vious administration, and the building accommodations are
ample. However, the record likewise shows that this admins
tration gave this institution what it did need. It provided it
with an increased appropriation of $28,00000 for maintenance
and support, and 100000 for repairs, making an increase for
these two items of 100000, as against a decrease of $38,O00O0
for the three items already provided for by previous admins
trations, and, therefore, unnecessary under this administration.
There is one other item. showing decrease and that is the
Biological Station. This decreased appropriation aggregated
$13,00000; 100000 appropriated therefor under the Blanch-
ard administration went for the construction Of a building to
house the States employees, and 100000 was for support and
maintenance Of the station. Under this administration the sta
ton was placed under the control of the Board of Commissioners
for the Protection of Birds, Fish and Game, and all expenses
Incidental thereto are payable out of the revenues of the Game
Commission. .s8 . y ".:E - =t -
The item of SIT, 10000 deducted from the increase under my
administration was for a deficiency of the Blanchard admins
trahon, which had to be paid by this administration.
| have endeavored to make clear and account to you in
detail, and to prove to you this administrations friendship for
our splendid and growing educational system. | ask you, do
you consider these large increases for educational purposes an
extravaganza or an investments
EXECUTIVE PATRONAGE. a#
You have often read the charge, in the public press, or heard
it in personal utterances, OR private conversations, perhaps, that
the executive patronage has been widely increased during this
administration. Nothing could be further from the truth. Every
official made elective under Governor Blanchard is elective to-
day, There is not a single officer who was elective when I be-
came Governor who is appointive today. All Of my predecessors
named the Assessors throughout all the parishes, named the
school boards throughout the parishes, and named the tax col
lectors and all the assessors for the Parish of Orleans. These
officers were made elective and are elective today. The Gov
ernor's patronage as such is nothing under this administration
compared with what it was under every previous administration.
~ TRAVELLING AUDITOR.
- 4ho ov4no ooo;o. oe 1oAr Al. an-"c O.. = A -. =
the Auditor (r Travelling Auditory was created. The creating
az. provided only for the examination and inspection Of the
accounts of the tax collectors and assessors.
In examining the accounts Of the tax collectors, the travelling
auditor found that in some parishes the license laws were rigidly
enforced; in other parishes they were enforced in a half-hearted
way; and in still other parishes they were scarcely enforced at
all. Under this lax enforcement many parties who were liable
escaped payment entirely, thereby working a great injustice
upon those who paid the full amount due. This part of the
work was taken up in 1908, when the total amount collected
from licenses was ~$752,584.68. During the following year of
1909, the State license account showed a total of $833,21341, or
an increase of $~1O4,682.73. For the year 1910, the total was
$85613l74, or an increase for 1910 over 1909 amounting to
$229l8.33, and over 1908, 1927 ,54706. The figures for 1911 are
not yet complete, but the books in the 4A1ait0r's Office show that
on July 9th, 1911, the total amoupt - for the
present year, is ~$852,867y61, a gain
date in 1910. ~.
The Importance of this office and ID be
generally recognized, and when the legislature met in 1910 a
law was passed recognizing the office, giving the Travelling
Auditor, or Supervisor of Public Accounts, increased authority
and widening the scope of his work, by providing not only for
the auditing and supervising of tax collectors accounts, but
alo the accounts OF every official who in any way handles
public funds.
The auditing of the accounts of boards, commissions, etc,
has been one Of the most important features Of the work of the
of Public Accounts. All hospitals, schools, asylums
and IeVee boards have had their books thoroughly overhauled
and their accounting systematzed. This auditing of accounts
had a beneficial effect, insuring to the State not only hon
oStV IN the hand6nO IF nThic fuudS hf a ri;5 anopnuou in
Every ninety days, by means of a quarterly report system
under the act creating this Office, the. Supervisor
OF Public Accounts examines the accounts of every school super
asylum, hospital, levee board, drainage board, State