Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-02-20
IN work and expenditure.
Retrenchment Meets Snag.


First fruits of the expert probe un
trenchment and reform are declared
to be not wholly ripe.
! A bill has been introduced, as a re
suit of the inquiry into state, account
! ing methods, to require that every
state official or board shall turn over
each and every day all money received
! for the state. The present law is that
prior to the fifteenth of each month
all money received prior to the first
of the month shall be deposited with
the state treasurer. The excuse for
the proposed change is that it would
be of great value to the state In add
ing to the daily balances on which in
terest Is received.
A former state official, not now in
office, has made careful cOmputa-
ton and finds that, upon the basis OF
past business, this would increase the
daily balances for the state in Des
Moines banks about $4,000, which
would make a profit in interest to the
state of about $1,400.
But it is certain that if the plan
was put into practice it would require
an additional clerk in the office of
state treasurer, and it would cost in
time in the various offices enough to
amount to four or five other clerks.
But that Is not all, for it would have
to be required of the state treasurer
that he accept the checks and bank
drafts which come in each day, and
assume responsibility for them, where
as now each state official has time to
run these checks through the clearing
house and to get returns from the east
before the account is closed. There ars
on some days literally thousands of
these checks and drafts received at
the state house by various officials
and departments. To force the state
treasurer to assume responsibility for
all of them and to make an account
ing for the same would be big task.
One official last month received lis
checks which were not correct as to
the amounts, and he made refunds
after cashing these checks. Under the
system how would the matter
be adjusted? AS, for instance, the
clerk of the supreme court frequent
ly receives checks for very large sums
of money, to pay for fees and for
judgments, and it is impossible for
him to divide the same as between
what goes to the state and what goes
for some time. Turning over
of daily receipts would not be possible
in his case or in that of others.
Unless the experts are going to turn
up something better than this they
will not earn their $50 per diem, so
the members say. ,a..y.. 49,.
Two Railroad Bills ~
Two railroad billsswere discussed by
the committees yesterday. One was
the train crew bill, defining what
should constitute train crew, and
how many men should be employed to
handle train. The intent Of this bill
is to make it safer for travel and more
certain that each and every train IS
cared for But Judge Cook, James c.
Davis and others appeared and showed
it ought to be called a bill to destroy
efficiency in the handling of trains.
They declare that no hard and fast
rule will be of value in this connec-
ton. At the other end of the house
there was discussion of the locomo-
tive headlight bill and w. c. Beird,
vice president of the Minneapolis, and
Mr.. Davey, assistant master mechanic
of the Burlington, appeared with
others to oppose legislation on this
subject. IN. = -,
Captain John D. Brown, head of the
G. A. r. and other veterans of the
war, urged before legislative commit
tees yesterday the adoption of the bill
to make an appropriation to aid in
paying the expenses of the survivors
of the battle of Gettysburg on a Jour-
ney to the battlefield when the semi
centennial celebration is held. Cap
tain Brown also urged the bill to APP
propriate to pay for big state en-
campment this year. eve are going
to have one of the greatest encamp-
ments in our history" he said, "and
probably there will never be another
like it," .s..