The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1943-05-07
An Oversight

things puzzng about the report of the Crit
fenagen committee reorganization of the state government
is the recommendation that which amounted to
finance dictatorship proposed centrazng the eXpendl-
ture of moneys by the departments
troll but passed up completely the chance to sub
stana by consolidating the work OF the Office OF
with that of the state bank examiner
The by authority of which the state accountant func
and which outlines his duties and authority is for all
practical identical with certain sections
governing the office of the bank examiner Actually all
the state accountant accompshes detailed accounting
appropriations and expenditures of the various state depart
and bureaus and makes the proposed budget for the
succeeding ennum for each legislature the basis of the
requests the heads of the departments of the state
eminent
would that the state bank examiner could take
all of the functions of the state accountant without any diff
Guilty and by the employment of or two additional en-
poyee and the state be spared the load of paying the salary
of the state accountant.
state accountant gets his information second hand
from the state auditor the state treasurer and the state examn
es office Except for preparing the budget for printing just
what useful purpose does the office serve?
sure during the recent session of the legislature the
appeared be bird dog for the chief of the
Montana Taxpayers Associations Fred Bunnio and did some
quite lobbying that in the of the special in
eres of the state he have earned his salary We doubt
during the sixty of the legislature he earned it
other if his salary time earned by adequate ser
to the states people
One of the things he was active in campaigning for was
the finance dictator, rather
obviously perhaps hoping to be named to that position
logical appointment had the bill passed Probably another
who might have hoped to get the job the deus ex
machna the boys Fred Bennon AS far the ordinary
John Taxpayer of the state concerned and in far the
general the people the de-
parmens concerned it might well have been the
other
Bill Hoskngs also reported to have been busy lobby
ing against the efforts of the farmers of the state to place the
that they pay services rendered them by the state De-
parment of Agriculture in revolving fund that they would
mot pay the special taxes into the state
fund which they have been and paying The farmers
wanted these fees paid into revolving fund.- that the surplus
accrung years could be used bad and always
be sufficient funds hand by the department to enable
the required And above ALL the farmers
could why than 1000 of additional
they had paid the state for certain should revert
the general fund for the state July 1941 to be used
state purposes and the additional than $4,000
which they had paid since that time going the
Hoskngs Bennion OConnor and wrong Way Horrigan
just hated to the farmers keep all that Why
would quite relieve the threat of increases taxes
boys "HB. 10 the best bill passed!
They neglected to add 'for the fat boys
Perhaps all this is extraneous matter We just wonder
why the reorganization committee Erred Bennon secretary
didn't discover their frantic pursuit of that maybe
accountants salary could be dispensed with and the
the bank examiner who could function
just we'll Eek offco" such. We have notion why it
wasn't done. Have you?