The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1911-12-07

hat is usually termed the Cover
nor's Cabinet find their official duties
of two distinct classes First, as
members of various boards that might
be called cabinet meetings; and sec
ond The routine duties of their
separate offices While these various
boards resemble in some respect the
Cabinet of the President, yet they
are different; for whereas member
of the cabinet is only an adviser to
the President, each member of a
state board has cO-ordinant vote
with the Governor and shares with
him the responsibility of the admin
istration of the State affairs.
In exercising his duties in the first
mentioned class as member Of the
State boards, such as the Board of
Commissioners of State Institutions,
i.9ald I'll Education. Internal I'M
proN mch Trustees. Pension Hoard,
each cabinet official has some knotty
problems With which to deal, and
lion iHeir best Judgment the pco-
pie must depend for good and whole
.ollc policies Of administering the
government of the state Each sue
,retima legislature adds to the work
Oi the various boards and their
duties base Increased to such an eX-
tent hat about half OF their time
during office hours is taken up with
hcsr Board meetings and often while
trying to settle some important ques-
tiom their deliberations run into the
night. Questions involving great
undertakings, such as draining the
Everglades, or possibly law suit
against the State involving millions,
engage their attention. Much might
be said about this class of their Of
iicial duties but it is with the second
class that this article seeks to deal.
The office routine work of the sew
cral departments is also increasing
constantly, and to the average citi-
zen OF the State ii would be a revela-
ton To observe the vast volume of
business handled daily at the Capt.
toll.
In "A later issue may discuss the
Other departments but for the pres
ont. because of space limitations,
shall take up only one by way
OF illustration, that of State Treas
ur,r.
come, take II short turn with me
through this department. In this lit
tie Office scarcely fifteen by twenty
feet is the vault for valuable securi-
ties and such moneys as are kept OH
hand, besides all the desks and book
cases for the clerical work of the
department. Through this Office
over two million dollars year is
paid into the state, ard at some sea-
sons of the year the State has quite
a net balance But only sufficient
currency to meet immediate needs is
kept in the vault. the remainder be-
ing distributed throughout the state
on deposit in the banks, drawing in
terest. The States money is placed
only in those banks which guarantee
the State against loss by placing
with the Treasurer bonds more than
sufficient to cover the amount Of the
deposit. Last year the State received
nearly fifteen thousand dollars as in
terest from the banks.
The State Treasurer is also treas
urcr of the Internal | Improvement
Fund and of the School Fund OF the
State. which the constitution says
must be kept forever inviolatc. only
the interest being distributed to the
counties for running the schools. II
is therefore ueedful that the utmost
care be taken in selecting the class
OF securities in which the School
Fund is invested as we'll as ,hopsinc
those from the hes, rate of interes;
can be obtained
All Insurance companies doing