The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1928-08-11
MONEY WASTE
ISCHARGED TO
MACHINE RENT
Additional Expenses Were
Pushed on to Highway
Construction Fund
gArS USE OF TABULATOH
Official Automobile Operation
Costs State 6.68 Cents
Per Mile
gArS USE OF TABULATOH
Contention that the state highway

: Contention that the state highway
department exceeded its appropria-
= ton for office expenses by Sll5,-
O38.O8 during the year ending May
7 81 and that the department is vast
: ing money by using Holler'th tap,
ulating machine at monthly rentai
I of $225, is advanced by .. b. Lund
in report to the state board OF
auditors.
= Lund's charge that the department
/. exceeded the amount allotted It for
! office expenses is based on his inter.
probation of the law governing the
Z highway commission which was
y passed at the last regular legislative
session. He points out that $340,oOO
was appropriated TO meet the ex-
! penses OF the highway department
and the office of the registrar Of mo-
! tor vehicles. After deductinR the
amount needed by the registrar,
Lund said. the highway department
proper has only $l0S.565 . year to
,ay it's bills.
From this sum, Lund contends, the
aw requires the department to pay
The costs of administration, super
vision and expenses preliminary to
the actual construction, reconstruc-
lion and maintenance Of highways.
leaving the amount OF incomesto the
highway fund net otherwise appro-
priated, for the actual construction
and maintenance Of highways - tho
law imposing the tax provides"
Lund says that "this has not been
1.-THE policy Of the commission. In
stead there has been more than
double the amount of the annual ap-
preparation spent for the admins.
tration expenses Of the commission
during the period covered"
Split Office Expense
! His examination showed, Lund
said, that department expenses were
charged to the appropriation in
whatever amounts it could carry and
he remaining expenses were charged
liract to the highway construction
'und.
Included in the latter class. Lund
sni,j are division office salaries and
e~eeascs totalling $40 ,667.89 and
maintenance expense charged
ar construction fund in the
= Of SOS ,37019. These amounts,
rerort said. appear to US to he
n'nch in excess Of the amount
lied by the legislature for aC-
stration expenses"
bout $3.50, 900 has been spent for
'iminary surveys. drawing Of
r'"ns and miscellaneous expenses in
addition to the items mentioned
which are CHARGED to the various
road projects. These expenses. how
ever, are not shared by the federal
government or the countie: when the
cost of the road construction is de.
sermined. whether or not the items
making up this amount are Z proper
:harRe to the construction fund is
questionable" Lund said.
Commenting on the law governing
the highway department he observed
that I'VE are making no attempt to
determine what part, II any. Of the
administration ,expense expended IN
excess of the anpropriation for that
purpose is justified by necessity but
the intent Of, the legislature seems 10
,e to limit the highway commission
expense - other state departments
are limited. The result has been.
however. that the construction the
commission has placed on its dis
oursenents leaves the highway
funds all open for administration ex-