Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1915-01-14
Amendments to the Law as to stat
Board OF Education

Amsndmsnts to the Law as to state
Board OF Education.
When the law creating the Board of
Control was enacted the Office of treas
urer of each one of the institutions
placed under its management was abol-
dered to be turned into the State Treas
urer and all moneys thereafter derived
from any source accounted for and re-
mitted to him monthly and all funds and
all bills payable thereafter drawn d.
rectly from the State Treasury. There
was opposition to this, of course, but
time has demonstrated that II was
wise provision. When the law creating
passed. for prudential reasons existing
just at the Time the same thing was not
to the same extent done as to the insti-
buttons passing under its management,
a treasurer for each one of the insti-
tutions Not one word of criticism was
ever heard as to any one selected by the
Board for treasurer at any one OF the
Institutions or of his administration of
his Office On the contrary, there has
been universal approval Many, how
ever, believe that the funds of the edu-
cational institutions should be handled
and administered exactly as the funds
OF the institutions under the Board OF
Control Instead Of four treasurers for
the four institutions there should be
but one and properly the State Treas
situations should be kept Substantially
and 80 far as applicable with each in
stitution as with the institutions under
the Board of Control. For full infor
nation and by way of suggestion ! call
your attention to sections 10, Is, 16. IL.
81, IS, 50, Al and az of Chapter lis OF
the Acts of the 9th General Assembly.
to the end that you may examine into
should be SO amended as to incorporate
like provisions in the law creating the
State Board Of Education. Experience
has taught that the law creating the
therein provided for the administration
of II were conceived in great wisdom.
Under present methods the State loses
the interest that would accrue to 1t
upon the large sums of money that
might be held by the treasury as bal
ances thereof from time to time. This
should go to the State rather than else.
where. This consideration alone would
be a sufficient reason for your attention
to this subject.
In this connection / desire to suggest
for your consideration whether or not
Ii would not be wise for the law to make
somewhat similar provisions as to the
State Highway Commission This COM
mission Is the only one in the state that
audits its own bills. Should they not
be passed upon by some competent
Board or Council and should not bills
be paid directly from the State Treas
ury? 1t seems to me SO. Ii hardly
seems to me that II Is wise that large
sums can be drawn in lump amounts TO
be disbursed at pleasure. 1t must be
understood that there Is no criticism
on the commission, but the question Is
are the present provisions or want OF
provisions Of the law in this respect
wise?
Use Of Unsupported Balance Of APP
proprtations.
1t is frequently the case that not all
of an appropriation Is needed for the
purpose designated. Sometimes there
is a surplus Of several thousand dollars.
Under the law as IL now Is this un-
expended balance in many cases Is not
covered back into the treasury, but is
used at the institution. where the orig
inal expenditure. was made. for such
purpose as the Board or Commission
may please. 1t seems TO me this ought
not to be So 10 Is not good business"
1t is a careless management OF public
funds. ] recommend that you provide
that all unexpended balances OF appro-
priations be at once and hereafter coy
cred back into the treasury.
Reform OF Court Procedure. ~
Two years ago l. submitted some sug-
gestions and recommendations on the
procedure. But one OF them was
adopted, with some qualification, namely,
that all exceptions to instructions should
be taken before they are, read to the
Jury. This does not at all deter me
from referring to the same subject
again. Reforms sometimes move slowly.
II is often hard to uproot old practices
and old forms and methods that have
become woven into the life Of the people
although the original reasons for their
adoption have long since ceased TO exist.
The administration or the law in our
courts is, as everybody knows. slow, UNI
certain and unreasonablS expensive The
weak financially are not upon an equal
footing with the strong because OF our
practice procedure. There Is not equal
ity before the law at ALL When one
starts In upon Q suit at law there Is
absolutely no telling where or when II
win end The weak In purse may indeed
fall BY the way, powerless to proceed,
his rights unadjusted or not even sub
stantial Justice achieved; II he gets
| through al all II may be by a long,
weary way from one court to another
and back and forth again and again.
He learns the way and hnds that toll
is exaeted at every step. And II is all
because OF errors whether they are
substantiai and effect the very right OF
the partle. or not; There Is always " ys the
] that ii was prejudicial. 1t does moi