The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1913-05-09
Under the laws certain quasi-pub-

Under the laws certain quasi-pub-.
lie organizations are given subven-
lions Of state funds. These appro-.
priations are paid in bulk on letters
of request by officers of the organi-
cations and there is no proper control
over these. expenditures. It is unwise.
for the state to disburse public mon.
ey without knowing the exact pur-.
poses for which it should be used.
The law should provide for a better
system of payment of these cases. S
Minnesota is spending much
money upon road improvement and
is likely to increase greatly it's ex-:
penditures for this purpose 1t u.s.:
therefore, important that there be
no flaws in the system of disburse-
ment. At the present time payment
to counties of state aid in road
building are made, so far as the Au-5
ditor is concerned, on a formal un-.
supported certificate of the state en-,
gineer. Followed into the highways;
department, it. was; found that he:
department has complete supporting
data in the instances examined. It is
suggested that such system eb adopt
ed as to. make this data available to
the Auditor before he passes the
claims and orders payment. .y4
Complete and adequate records of
land sales are being kept. The BUSH
ness transacted annually in public
lands IS Of enormous: volume, making.
the Auditors Office one Of the most
important administrative depart
ments of the state. 30 #:z. n
Figures furnished by the Auditor
for the last fiscal year, indicate the
magnitude Of this business. d, &.
ss Principal and interest paid on
school land contract, sale of timber,
iron ore contracts and royalties, and
sales of grasses, amounted to $1,227,-.
164.39 for school land; $51,545.60=
for university land; $14.463.00 for
internal Improvement land, and 1913.
1888 for swamp lands or a total In
cash transactions of $1,606, 707.1 IL.
At the same time 168,270 acres of
agricultural land were sold for ST.
sO87,499.14, the cash collections
amounting to 100000 The cost of
this land administration as given by
the Auditor was $53,97S.70, a trit1e
over three per cent on the cash trans
actions. +. - 0
Il. Care of the mineral lands belong
ing to the state places upon the Au-s
ditor's office a heavy additional bur-
den. Considering the limitations of
the laws and the force at the COM
mand Of the Auditor for the. purpose,
this work is being done as we'll as
circumstances permit. Investigation
of this business has not been made
with sufficient completeness to war
rant any suggestion except the OBJ:
vious one that a complete investiga-
ton and complete study Of the laws
should be made with view of plac-
ing the care and development Of the
states mineral lands upon the best
basis possible. They are one Of the
states richest assets, and demand
more careful and more adequate adj
.ministration. ..s5
a similar study should be made OF
the States timber resources for like
purposes This work, too, is now plac-
ed upon the shoulders Of the overbur-
dened State Auditor Both facts and
laws bearing upon the preservation
and development Of the public do
main demand careful and Immediate
study If the people Of the state are
to make the best use Of their almost
priceless land resources.
It must be kept in mind that. the
which your committee
was able to make Of the Auditors Of
|he IN the time at It's disposal was but
| q preliminary survey, largely for the
purpose Of developing the lines npoa