Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1919-02-03

! f. Uniformity in form, approval
and certifiCation of vouchers for
disbursing funds under appropria-
tions.
5. Uniformity with reference to
the period of availability of the
lapse of appropriations.
6. Definitions of the several
standard items Of appropriation.
T. General conditions attached to
appropriations.
s. Restrictions on purchases in
excess of a given amount without
advertisement for bids.
"Expedients Of this kind" Mr..
Wright says, would remove the
incentive and the last lingering rea-
son for detailed itemization of ap-
preparations. Moreover, they would
conduce to more efficient admins
tration and better government.
After an experience Of IS
months IN the practical admins
tration OF thousands of detailed Sc
gregated items of appropriation"
the statement concludes, together
with a relatively small number OF
lump sum appropriations, this de-
partment Is Of the opinion that the
principle under which arpropria-
tions should be made for salaries
and wages is that of the lump sum.
Such appropriations can be safe
guarded against abuse and waste
fulness by legislative enactment,
Instead OF the large number OF
appropriation acts when usually
are passed upon by the assembly,
the number should be reduced TO
the following:
General appropriation act: off,
GERS salary act; deficiency acts;
private relief acts; special appro-
priations.
In recommending the discontin-
uance OF the appropriation of large
sums for each department for cor
tinsencies the budget provides for
an appropriation Of 100000 per
Rnnum to the department of f.
nance. of which specified amounts
are to be assigned to the various
code departments and the adjutant
general IN the appropriation act,
The disbursements from this fund
would be made only with the ap-
prevail of the governor and upon a
showing in writing of the existing
demand or emergency.
Attention is called by Mr.. Wright
to the fact that presentation of
the budget to the legislature Is
made possible only by reason Of
the progress the state has made
during the last two years in flnan,
ciai administration. This progress
is summarized as follows
The enactment OF tho civil ad-
ministrative code. uniFying and
consolidating over a hundred indie
pendent agencies. welding their
detached operations into n logical
and harmonious system. all OF their
financial operations being super
vised through the department o.
finance.
The installation OF uniform
system Of bookkeeping. accounting
4 and reporting for the departments
under the code.
The establishment OF 10 stand
ard appropriation accounts.
The institution of the depart
mental budget.
The requirement of monthly re-
ports of disbursements and encum-
ORANGES for each department and
division.
The establishment of a central
purchasing agency.
The computation of unit costs.
The fixing of executive RESPONSE
bility for expenditures through the
approval of vouchers by the finance
department.
Procuring, d,gesting and analyz-
| Ing information concerning the fl
nancia, needs of the state.
A weekly meeting of heads of de-
partments for consideration of
questions of policy involving all the
administrative departments and
thus creating an esprit d'cOrps
among administrative leaders.
The preparation Of the first state
budget.
Attention is called to the fact