Semi-weekly herald., 1913-03-24
COMMISSION REQUIRED.

COMMISSION REtlUIkED.
Colorado has altogether too many
boards with no strings attached when
it comes to expenditure of moneys.
Take, fer instance, Colorado's great
est institution, so far as direct bene-
fits are concerned, the agricultural
college at Fort Collins. 1t is conduct
ed by board of thirteen members
appointed by the governor. None of
the members are paid salary. All
are no doubt honest, but they do not
have the necessary time to go into
details. At the same time they are
responsible for expenditures. Again,
it costs considerable when the entire
board meets as mileage and other ex-
penses are paid out of the college
fund. An examination of the books
of the college by one of the state
auditors force revealed conditions
that should not be tolerated, the fol-
lowing being a sample as reported to
the legislature:
Y. IllHHldfl, otdtc hEiiSuitdio
college, $99.34, expenses trip to Chi
cago and return. Money should be
returned to fund, as no provision is
made for trips to any point outside
of state"
Rural education fund of agricultural
college-"Of s1,7s5.76 paid for sal
aries, $500 was paid Nov. 30, 1912, to
C. G. Sargent for salary not yet earn
ed, and of the S67s.33 travelling ex-
penses, $323.65 was paid Nov. 80, 1912,
for expenses not yet incurred"
State Agricultural college power
plant-"$ 900 is for two boilers con-
tracted for with Babcock & Wilson
company of Denver, Nov. %, 1912,
to be delivered when power plant
building is completed. The building
is not yet started"
Following are some extracts of the
report regarding other state institu-
tions:
Soldiers and Sailors home-"I find
members of the board continue to
charge and allow bills to themselves
for services as members. This is in
direct conflict with the revised stat
utes, page 1419, which reads, No COM
missioner shall receive compensation
In the years 1911 and 1912 they paid
to themselves as compensation ST.
053.85."
Same, monument fund-"There was
also voucher, No. 435, for $68.S0 for
lumber, drawn on this fund What
the lumber was used for we are un-
able to determine, as this is a granite
monument"
State School of Mines-FY Young
Mems Christian association. Dona-
tion us per resolution of board, Feb.
8, 1912, $500; A. S. Lohmann for mu-
sic, $50; o. P. Baur Confectionery
company, catering for reception,
$176.50; same, catering at Integral
club, $780,"
Many other expenditures have been
found just as irregular. Only re-
Gently The Herald published list Of
expenditures of the state School of
Mines wherein over $500 was paid
one winter for dancing parties. Also
large sums for entertaining football
teams, theater tickets, ETC., and $1,000
donated Mr.. Anderson for pleasure
trip through Europe. The Herald be-
lieves that a commission of five men
should be appointed to have in charge
all state institutions, the authorize
ton of expenditures and auditing of
expense accounts and the sending out
of men over the state. Provide a
salary so that men of standing could
accept without financial detriment,
and hold them strictly responsible, un-
der bond, for the absolute carrying out
of the law. BY this method hundreds
of thousands of dollars would be saved
the state. Often some little town is
visited by half dozen state employees
inspecting this or that institution, half
an hour doing the work. One man,
handled by business commission,
could attend to the work parceled out
to the half dozen, not only saving
the salaries but the travelling expenses
which are more than double the sal
ary.
If this is to be reform m-retrench-
ment administration Governor Am
mons should make name for him
self by insisting on some such meas
ure. 1t is the only way the different
state institutions will be held down
to proper expenditures and the ex-
pense account cut. There is no longer
a necessity of retaining expensive
boards and useless employees since
Shafroth's ambition has been graft
fed at state expense.