The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-11-24

condition, but they do not like the UNI
founded criticism that is based on ig-
norance.
The auditors office has to know much |
about all departments because it handles
all the money. In 1918 the departments, |
which had been scattered over the state, |
were corralled at Montpelier except the |
public service commission, (which it is |
expected viii be moved about the first
of the year This last statement was
II Special Interest here as the Office of
the commission is in Brattleboro. Inl
1917 the work of getting together ,thei
state money, which fhad been In various
banks and not drawing Interests was be-
gun, and it is now drawing interest.
These two things constituted a great
step III advance. s--. -,...rrr trs
The speaker here said he believed an
independent department. should be Gre
ated to take direct. charge of collecting
all the revenues and checking them up.
There are from 30 to 10 departments
drawing money from the state treasury,
he said. ~ g4t a.ls&
One of the surprising statements was
that the cost of the department of JUS
tice had advanced the least of all the
departments. In 1909 it was 1920 900.
1t fiuctuated up and down, one year get
ting up to little over S3S0,O00, but
| in 1918 it was down to $320,000.
Auditor Gates talked to some extent
upon the cost of various state institu-
i tons and the good they are accomplish
ing, mentioning the insane hospitals
prisons, institutions for feeble-minded
etc.
The state owns about $4.274,000 worth
| Of property, and owes nothing to speak
| of, aside from its bonded debt of ST.
| $50, 900 caused largely by the appropri-
| alton for soldiers bonus.
| Other, matters discussed were the
board of control and the budget COM
/ mittee. The latter was not considered
/ long, on account of the latenesS of the
hour, although the Importance of its
| work was emphasized. Concerning the
board of control Auditor Gates said it
was composed Of the governor, state
treasurer, state auditor, director of state
/ institutions, and one other person ap-
| pointed by the governor. That other
urer of the city of Rutland. The duties
of the board were recounted, one of
which is to receive monthly reports from
the state departments. 1t fixes. such
salaries as are not fixed by statute.
| 1t was found that there was wide
variance in the salaries of employees OF
different departments who We're doing
the same kind of work, and these were
equaliZed as far as possible. There are
81 names on the payroll, from the
Judges of the supreme court down
through the list. and the average annual
The speaker said the very fact of the
board of control getting together enct
a month and receiving reports. some
times meeting in other places than Mont
peIer. had created in the members al
interest in the state institutions that
they could not get otherwise. and HI
/ commended it as being of much ma
| terial benefit to the state.
| Auditor Gates closed with the declar
! | alton that the more enlightened the PEG
pie become relative to the administra
ton of their state affairs the better gov
| eminent they viii have.
| Acting Secretary Carl s. Hopkins o.
the Chamber of Commerce passed around
| some delicious Mcintosh Red apples con
tributed by f. b. Barrows, and Auditor
| Gates answered q number of questions
One of these was as to whether h,
: | thought a governor ought to devote hi
whole time TO his work as such. and hi
, reply was that he thought a governor
should be at his desk six days a week.