Imperial Valley press., 1914-10-26

ing. The secretary OF the board OF
medical examiners had taken $1,000
of the states money.
Competitive Eidding Started.
The establishment of competitive
system of bidding upon accurately
drawn specifications was one of the
first works of the board of control.
Whera before purchases by the state
were treated as political patronage.
they are now treated as business, the
lowest bidder receiving the award. In
purchasing supplies for the state
printery the decrease in cost averaged
over so per cent.
al Supplies Tested.
To insure delivery of the grade
called for, all articles are tested. The
Laboratories at Berkeley test the
qualities of goods, while those of the
state engineering department test the
quality of the oils and other materials
purchased by the state.
State Obtains Discounts.
Before any purchases are allowed,
the heads of institutions must fur
nish to the board of control an esti-
mate which is pre-audited, those
things unnecessary being pruned off
The time of payment of claims
against the state has been cut down
from approximately 45 days to Is
Gays, thus saving to the state thou.
sands of dollars in discounts.
These and other savings of the
board have resulted in an annual saw
ing to the state of S1,500,000, and
ii costs the state of California ex-
actly $4,000 year to run the board
Of control
Receives s25O,000 Interest.
Another mark of efficiency in the
state government is the disposition
of state funds. The State of Cali
fornia, instead of allowing its money
to lie idle in the vaults, loans it at
interest. This year there was out an
average balance of S10,O0O,00O, upon
which the state obtained an average
of 212 per cent interest, or $25O,O0O
yearly.
Economy and efficiency do not de-
PEND entirely upon the amount spent;
but upon what is received for that
spent. Today for every dollar ex-
rendeo the state is receiving full
value. Where formerly appropriations
were squandered through inefficiencv,
now every cents worth is returned to
the state.
Criticisms Are Generalities.
In not one of the criticisms of ex-
travagancc directed against the state
administration is there a particular
instance cited. Not one of the manv
litter opponents of Governor John
son can point his finger and say:
"There you have paid more for sup
plies than they are worth; there an
officia! Is diverting money into pri-
vate sources; there the money of
California is being wasted on pro-
jects for which there will be no re-
turn"
None of those can be or are said
The whole criticism is confined to the
generality that more money has been
expended during the Johnson admin
istration than during the Gillett re-
gime. Which the worst noddlesiuuk
should know. More money was spent
during Johnson's administration than
during Gillett's, just as more money
was spent during Gillett's than dur
ing Psrdee's, and more during Par.
Gees than during Cages.
Expenses Naturally Increase.
With the state increased in popula-
ton, thereby increasing the number
OF inmates Of the prisons and hospi-
tails, involving more business in every
department, necessarily the expenses
are greater. The average increase of
appropriations biennially under the
governors preceding johnson was POT.
The increase Of appropriations under
Governor Johnson during his entire
term is only 1876.
State Charges Larger.
The population of the state hospi-
tails increased from 1867 in 1910 to
l0,ll2 IN 1914, but the per capita cost
decreased from $213.9O per patient
10 Siso.o2. This annual saving rep
resented s24l,47A.56, and the patients
are better fed, clothed and housed.
Normal school attendance in 1910
was 2,Sl8, while this year it is 1859.
hut The per capita cost decreased from
Slo7.l8 to $93.14, though new build
ings were erected and old ones mod
ernlzed, a saving of $49,6l2.4e.
Ds.f hu~s.l,.., T..