American Falls press. [volume] (American Falls, Idaho) 1907-1937, 1915-01-21
CREATION OF DEFICIENCIES.

Editor Statesman: The indictment
tof Mr.. Huston, the state auditor,
serves to emphasize a matter in con-
nection with public office which / have
long believed to be the very tap root
of evil and extravaganza in the expen-
diture of public funds. This is the
8 tendency on the part of public officials
ito 80 interpret the law as to permit
of what they believe should be done
under given circumstances rather than
70 hew strictly to the line and to fol-
low the plain intent of the law re-
CARELESS of consequences.
In this particular case there is no
intimation that Mr.. Huston was guilty
of any morally improper conduct but
!only Of a techinal violation of law
in authorizing the payment of a small
warrant out of one fund pertaining to
a particular department, whereas it
was properly chargeable against an
other fund Of the same department
which had been exhausted. His friends
l. ltSltts llt tlOIt lndI lie has DepH
made the one who must stand the
'bS et of enforcing a much needed
public lesson, to-wit: that the law is
the law and that It should be followed
regardless of its effects upon persons
of policies.
A glance at the deficiency appro-
priation bills of past years will dis
close the fact that deficiencies have
been created at one time or another,
in practically every department or in
stitution; and an examination of the
claims paid at the beginning Of a BIZ
ennial period will show that in some
instances claims incurred in one BIZ
,ennial period will show that in some
instances claims incurred in one BIZ
ennial period have been paid from
funds appropriated for next, and this
practice serves to make particular de-
tice has served to make particular de-
ficiencies seem less than they really
were.
The trouble has been that depart
ments and institutions have been run
on the scale which those temporarily
in charge have believed to be fitting
and proper rather than on the exact
scale the legislature may have pre-
scribed. When the legislature has de-
cided that a particular department or
institution should be conducted on a
given scale of operations and within
a specific appropriation, 1t is we'll
nigh i~nexcusable for the head thereof
to spend more than the allotted
amount even though he may honest
ly believe 1t would be for the best in
terests of the state for him to do so.
When he has done all hat can be
done within the limits of his appro-
priation, his duty has been fully dis
charged. If he does not feel that he
can properly conduct his office, with
credit to himself, within the limits
imposed, he can always resign, and he
should do so rather than attempt any
thing not fairly authorized by law.
II the duties pertaining to a particu-
lar office cannot be efficiently per-
formed on the appropriation allowed
or II the state suffers loss as a result
Of a restricted scope of operations this
fact should be reported to the legisla-
ture with a view of obtaining a prop
er allowance in the future.
In no case should any department
or institution attempt to be a law unto
in this matter.
The practice Of creating deficiencies
on a general scale has Just been brok-
en- up due to the firm stand taken by
last preceding legislature and gov
ernor on this matter but It is clearly
the effort on the part Of a particular
department TO spend more for a CIV
en- purpose than had been a%ppropri-
nted by the legislature, which has led
70 the technical viola ion Of law with
rich the state auditor has been
charged.
What has been said Of the state In
his connection applies equally to all