Barton County democrat., 1914-07-24
SAVING TO STATE
RefOrmatOry Turns scopes Back
Into General Treasury

business TO transact near the sum-
mer resorts and fishing pools or
in some town near the lakes
and then imagine that official
walking in with a biennial report
showing that he hasn't touched
a dollar of the money. Yet that
very thing has happened-and in
Kansas too. J. N. Herr, Superin-
tendent of the state reformatory
at Hutchinson, today reported to
Governor Hodges that he would
turn back to the state treasury
every cent of the $1,000 appro-
priated as a contingent fund by
The 1918 legislature.
Herr'S record is perhaps un-
equalled. When contingent funds
gained their first state wide pop
ularity under the Stubbs-Dolley-
Jackson regime, they were given
to cover multitude of purposes.
They paid Spotter bills, hotel and
Pullman car bills, bought rail-
way tickets, dining car dinners
and took the fortunate officials
across the continent to attend
conventions at seasons Of the
year when life in the state house
was not a pleasure. Since the
use OF contingent funds came in
10 favor, The legislature has set
aside these special funds for near
ly all state departments.
in lie last session of the legiS-
AZURE Herr was chairman of the
ways and means committee of
The house. That was before NJ.
:, AmIine had been gently but
firmly ouSIed from Tie Superin-
tendency OF the Hutchinson re-
:orTAatJry aEd MS position filled
5y tae appointment of Herr. in
lie house, Herr had approved The
lem for a 5000 contingent fund
or the lecrm2tory, although he
Insisted q. 4 meeting Di The ways
and means committee That too
much money was asked. With
his appointment as head of the
reiorma.ory he was given a
chance to prove his assertions.
Now the contingent fund for
The refOrmatory reverts to the
state treasury. Not a dollar Of
the money has been spent, Herr
shows in his biennial report.
But the saving of the contin-
gent fund was not the only act OF
economy at the reformatory
Herr'S report shows that $40, ,263..
81 of the appropriations for the
state treasury, and that the saw
ing in the general running ex.
penSeS of the institution are Sl9,.
447.97 below the amount provid.
ed by the legislature. 1t is the
largest saving in the operating ex.
penseS of the reformatOry in re.
cent years.
In the appropriation of S72,
$50 for maintenance, Herr re
ports a saving of $S923.67, anC
that amount will be turned intt
the treasury from the fund. From
an appropriation of $1,000 for tht
teSormaiory library, Herr reports
1888 saved, while from S2,50(
sci aside for expenses of a parole
officer, Sl,399.70 is still on hand
There was also a saving of S1S(
in the Sl,5OO appropriation fol
officers uniforms, and S9S0.1'
was saved from $4,000 sci aside
to cover inmates earnings. Tht
contingent fund OF $1,000 is in
tact. In a $500 tree fund Her
has an unexpended balance O
&2O.45. OF S3S.22O appropriate
for salaries s131.27 of the amour
was not spent. Added to this i
a fee fund Of S2,227.24. Othe-
savings total $Sl5.6O, which, will
the direct savings of s19,47.97
means that $40, O,263.57 of the fund
for the support ofthereformator,
will be turned back to the stat
treasury.
The saving of about $4,000 b,
Herr is against a showing in tn
Amrine report of two years age
indicating about SS,4OO saves
from appropriations.
"Had we had a favorable GRO
year in 1918, we would have in
creased our savings nearly SS,
0OO," said Superintendtn Herr i
discussing his report. "In add
ton to our showing of $4,000
turned into the treasury. we hay
spent recently $4,000 for cattl
that are today worth $1,000 I
the state. These cattle will b
llhufcl,ered fhie fall and fhe caffI