Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-12-07

1852 in premiums for insurance on
public buildings.
Provision is made that not more
than so per cent Of the value of the
buildings and contents shall be in
sured. This Is another matter that
should be carefully considered at the
coming meeting Of the legislative as
sembly. The public buildings at II
state institutions are well separated;
they are usually provided with good.
fire fighting apparatus; w%atch:nen
usually are on guard during the night.
and in many cases the buildings are
the so.called "ire-proof" kind. min
imizing the danger from fire. The in
surance limit should either be cut
down or the individual institutions be
made to bear the. cost of such insur.
ance as they may wal,t to ~carry.
..... Public Printing.
The appropriation as it nov stands
allows $30,O00.0O per year for public
printing. From time to line the leg.
islature has allowed laws to be pass
ed which allow several departments
to take funds from the public printing
account. This should be stopped and
the public printing should be for the
use Of the elected state officers
needs, together with the reports and
documents required by law. Commits.
sions, and appointed officials, for
which separate appropriations are
made, should not be allowed to receive
aid from this fund-ihey should be
required to keep within their own ap-
preparations. Usually a provision is
made in the appropriation bill of a
commission that printing shall be
paid for out of this fund, in order 10
make the appropriation for that de-
partment look small.
The law requires at this time tina.
large amounts Of useless detail shall
be printed in some of the department
reports and it might be we'll to revise
the public printing laws and to state
specifically what items and expense
may be charged to this fund, and what
should be printed in reports.
Maintenance Capitol Appropriation.
The present laws allow $~37,5O0.00
per year for the expense of the main.
.tenance OF the capitol, the capitol
grounds and the executive mansion.
This fund is used about the same as
the public printing fund, many items
are charged to it which should be
charged to other appropriations. This
amount has proven insufficient for the
increased needs and this law should
carry a larger appropriation and state
specifically what items of expense
may be charged to it.
Clerk Hire For State Officials.
Section 800 Of the Revised Codes
Of 1905 contains the last appropria-
ton for clerk hire Of the state Offices.
There is need for the amending Of
this section to provide for the new
and increased needs Of the state de-
partments.
In 1907 a concurrent resolution was
passed under Chapter 40 Of the SEES
sion Laws of 1907, which provided
that the state auditing board should
have the authority to appropriate for
clerk hire as they might find It nee.
essary in the several departments.
This should be repealed, as the SUI
preme court has held that the ,legis-
lative assembly has no authority to
delegate the power Of appropriation.
| would further recommend that the
legislative assembly provide some
means for the grading of positions in
the several departments. At the pres
ent time different salaries are. being
paid in the different departments for
the same kind of work.
The "PubIic Buildings" Law 81 1911.
Chapter 235 of the Session Laws OF
1911 provides that the state shall pay
the insurance on buildings while in
the course of construction; the state
shall pay for the bonds which con.
tractors are required to give; the con.
tractor shall have the right to receive
an estimate monthly covering rs per
cent of the labor and material on the
ground, which estimate shall be paid
in 80 days. In case the estimate
shall not be paid in 80 days, then the