A REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS BY GEORGE E. FRAZER, C. P. A. PREPARED FOR THE EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE CREATED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE FORTY-EIGHTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY STATE OF ILLINOIS Cv ' SENATORS WALTER I. MANNY, Chairman - Mt. Sterling W. DUFF PIERCY - - - - Mount Vernon LOGAN HAY - - - - - - Springfield CHARLES F. HURBURGH - - - Galesburg REPRESENTATIVES CHARLES F. CLYNE, Secretary - - Aurora SPEAKER WILLIAM McKINLEY - - Chicago JOHN M. RAPP Fairfield EDWARD J. SMEJKAL - - - - Chicago JOHN A. FAIRLIE, Director - - - Urbana THE WINDERMERE PRESS, CHICAGO 191 CONTENTS „ T 1 . Introduction S-6 I. The Present Accounts of the State of Illinois 7.37 A. Constitutional Provisions 7-10 Historical N ote 7 Legislative Control • V.'.* 7 Financial Administration t/( '*.**."** 8 Extent of Constitutional Provisions .*.*.*.*.*.**.*.* 9 B. Legislative Procedure 10-13 Appropriation Acts U C. Statutory Provisions for Auditing and Accounting 13-21 Auditor of Public Accounts .13 State T reasurer 15 Accounting 'and Auditing other than by Auditor* and Treasur^ Auditing Powers of Governor ] Ig Auditing Powers of Secretary of State and ’ State ’ Board ’ of * *Co^^ tracts ‘ 2g Auditing Powers of the Civil Service Commission 19 Auditing Powers of the Board of Prison Industries 20 Auditing Powers of the State Architect 21 The Court of Claims *'.'*.*.*.*.! *21 D. Accounts and Accounting Procedure in the office of the State Au- ditor 21-31 1. Revenue Procedure and Auditing 21-25 Accounting for the Collection of State Taxes.* .22 Accounting for the Collection of Inheritance Taxes 23 Collection of Revenue other than for Taxes 23 “Receipt Book and Receipt Ledger” *. ! *.23 Auditing of Receipts !.*!.*!.*! .24 Cash Audits .25 2. Disbursement Procedure and Auditing *.*.*.* .25-29 Appropriation Ledgers .*.*...26 • Auditing of Disbursements **27 3. Classification of Receipts and Disbursement Accounts 29 4. Perpetual Inventory ’ 3 q 5. Reports 7 * ] ’ ’ * [ 7. *.!*.!*.! *31 E. Accounts and Accounting Procedure in the Office of the State Treasurer 32-36 Register of Warrants 32 Accounting for Cash Received *..**..**..**..**..**.!*. .* *. .* *. .* .* ’. .* .* .* ! !32 Accounting Procedure for Disbursements .33 “Cash Ledger” * 33 Local Bond Cash Transactions 33 Monthly Reports of the Treasurer 35 State Depositories • .**..*!.**..*!.*!.*!.*!* 35 Biennial Report of the Treasurer .*].*!.*].**..**..* *. .* *. .*!.’] .* *. ! *. .* *. ! .* ] .*36 F. Conclusions 36-37 List of Forms .*.*.*..*.*.*..*.*.*.*..*.*.*.*.*.*.*.*. .37 Page II. Accounting Needs of the State of Illinois 38-64 Introduction 38 Auditing Requirements of the State 39 The Need for Financial Information 40 Accounting Information Needed by Members of the General Assembly 40 Schedule 1. Statement of Budget Proposals by Funds 43 Schedule 2. Statement of Estimated Revenues for the General Revenue Fund 44 . Schedule 3. Statement of Appropriation Requests from the General Revenue Fund 44 Schedule 4. Comparison of Appropriation Requests 45 Reports Needed by the Governor 49 Reports Needed by the State Tax Board 51 Reports Needed by the State Board of Equalization 51 Accounts and Reports of the Auditor of Public Accounts 51 Accounting Needs of the State Treasurer 53 Accounting Needs of Revenue Collecting Agencies,..,. 53 Accounting Needs of Heads of Departments and Boards in charge of State Institutions 54 Schedule 5. Budget Proposals for the, State Normal School 55 Schedule 6. Department of, Free Balances in Allotments 57 Accounting Needs of Institutional and Departmental Executives. 58 Accounting Needs of Employes of Departments and Institutions .'..59 Accounting Needs of the Public 59 A Plan of Accounting for the State 61 Constructive Accounting Work to be Done 63 INTRODUCTION. The resolution of the Forty-eighth General Assembly creating the Efficiency and Economy Committee, provided that the committee “shall have full power and authority to investigate all departments of the State government, including all boards, bureaus and commissions which have been created by the General Assembly, such investigation to "be made with a view of securing a more perfect ’system of accounting, combining and centralizing the duties of the various departments, abolishing such as are useless and securing for the State of Illinois such reorganization that will promote greater efficiency and greater economy in her various branches of government.” After its organization, the committee gave careful consideration to the work possible of performance under this resolution before the meeting of the Forty-ninth General Assembly, especially with regard to the sum appropriated by the General Assembly for its investigation. The committee was of the opinion that its energies and funds could best be expended on the consideration of a plan for the reorganization of the administrative work of the State. It recognized the importance of scientific and adequate accounting, and the desirability of providing a permanent constructive accounting authority to prepare adequate accounts for the use of State officers. But it was believed that any system of accounts could do no more than reflect the organization of the State, and that major results towards efficiency and economy could best be secured by a reorganization and consolidation of the greatly elaborated system of administrative bureaus, offices and departments. The present accounting system of the State is inadequate, and constructive accounting is imperatively needed. This report presents an outline of the present accounting methods, and of the accounting needs of the State. In a separate report, there is presented an illus- tration of an adequate accounting system in the form of a proposed system of accounts for the State penal institutions. The report prepared by George E. Frazer, C. P. A., on the present accounting system of the State was made for the use of the committee, to the end that the present accounting methods might be had in mind in planning reorganization of various State activities. The report is now published because it gives in brief and readable form a summary of the accounting that now obtains for the State. Mr. Frazer has also prepared a brief statement of the accounting needs of the State, which is submitted herewith, with the recommendation that pro- vision be made for a program of constructive accounting work, and especially for a scientific State budget and control over the obligations incurred by departments and institutions that must subsequently be met from State funds. 6 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. ] Professor Spurgeon Bell, of the University of Texas, has prepared for the committee a report outlining a comprehensive system of ac- counts for the penal institutions of the State, with special reference to the financial control of penal institutions under the proposed board of prison administration. These reports taken together will serve to acquaint the members of the General Assembly and the citizens of the State with the account- ing needs of the State, and with the results that may be expected if an adequate system of State accounting is provided. The reports do not present a system of accounts for the State, since such a system of accounts as the State needs can be prepared and installed only after a careful and detailed analysis of all of the financial transactions of the State, of the organization of the State, and of the functions of each of the State departments and institutions. Such an accounting and finan- cial study is needed, arid provision should be made for it. John A. Fairlie. REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 7 I. THE PRESENT ACCOUNTS OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS. A. CONSTITUTIONAL PROVISIONS. Historical Note. Article II of the first State Constitution contained two sections relating to appropriations and expenditures, as follows : Sec. 20. No money shall be drawn from the treasury but in consequence of appropriations made by law. Sec. 21. An accurate statement of the receipts and expenditures of the public money shall be attached to and published with the laws, at the rising of each session of the General Assembly. In the second State Constitution, the above provisions were con- tinued and combined in Section 26 of Article III. Another section of the same article added the following: Sec. 22. Bills making appropriations for the pay of members and of- ficers of the General Assembly, and for the salaries of the officers of the government shall not contain any provision on any other subject. The Constitution of 1870 continued the first and third of the fore- going provisions, and further elaborated the requirements and restric- tions relating to appropriations and loans. Legislative Control. Under the Constitution of 1870, the General Assembly is given control over the finances of the State. Section 18 of Article IV provides that each General Assembly shall provide for the ordinary and con- tingent expenses of the various departments of the State by making appropriations for the period ending with the first quarter after the adjournment of the next regular session of the General Assembly. In order that the General Assembly may be provided with informa- tion as a basis for the making of appropriations it is provided, in Sec- tion 21 of Article V, that all public officers and departments shall report to the Governor at least ten days preceding each regular session of the General Assembly ; and that “the Governor may at any time require information in writing, under oath, from the officers of the executive department and, in Section 7 of Article V, that the Governor shall present at the commencement of each session of the General Assembly “estimates of the amount of money required to be raised by taxation for all purposes.” Section 10 of Article IX of the Constitution provides: “the General Assembly shall provide such revenue as may be needed by levying a tax, by valuation, ” on real and personal property, and by levying fees for licenses, franchises, and privileges. It is provided in Section 18 of Article 4 of the Constitution that “the State may, to meet casual deficits or failures in revenue, contract debts,” never to exceed $250,000. The Constitution does not provide 8 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. how any debt may be contracted, and the matter of arranging for the contracting of debt is left by inference to the General Assembly. (See Section 389 of Chapter 120 of the Revised Statutes, empowering the Governor, Auditor, and Treasurer, under certain circumstances, to negotiate loans to the extent of $250,000.) It is seen that the constitution of Illinois provides that the Governor shall make recommendations to the General Assembly; and that the General Assembly shall raise revenue, and control public expenditures by the passing of appropriation laws. Limitations are, however, imposed on the General Assembly in making appropriations and authorizing expenditures. Section 16 of Article IV, provides that : The General Assembly shall make no appropriation of money out of the treasury in any private law. Bills making appropriations for the pay of members of the General Assembly and for the salaries of the officers of the government shall contain no provision on any other subject. Under Section 19 of Article IV, it is provided that: The General Assembly shall never grant' or authorize extra compensa- tion, fee or allowance to any public officer, agent, servant or contractor, after service has been rendered or a contract made, nor authorize the pay- ment of any claim, or part thereof, hereafter created against the State under any agreement or contract made without express authority of law; and all such unauthorized agreements or contracts shall be null and void; Provided, the General Assembly may make appropriations for expenditures incurred in suppressing insurrection or repelling invasion. Section 20 of Art le IV provides that: The State shall never pay, assume or become responsible for the debts or liabilities of, or in any manner give, loan or extend its credit to, or in aid oh any public or other corportion, association or individual. Section 25 of Article IV, provides that the General Assembly shall provide a legal procedure for the letting of State contracts for fuel, stationery, and the printing and binding of public documents, subject to the approval of the Governor. Financial Administration. The enforcement of the will of the General Assembly as to the collection of revenue and the disbursement of public funds ^under appro- priations is placed by the Constitution in the hands of the Auditor of Public Accounts and the State Treasurer. Under Section 17 of Article IV, the disbursement of public funds is dependent on an appropri- ation that is passed by the General Assembly, and on the presenta- tion of a warrant issued by the Auditor of Public Accounts. The same article makes necessary the keeping of accounts in that it requires the Auditor within sixty days after the adjournment of each session of the General Assembly to “prepare and publish a full statement of all moneys expended at such session, specifying the amount of each item, and to whom and for what paid.” In Section 7 of Article IX of the Constitution, it is provided that all taxes levied for State purposes are to be deposited in the State treasury. In Section 1 of Article V of the Constitution, it is provided that the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Treasurer shall reside at the REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 9 State Capitol during their term of office, and “keep the public records, books and papers there, and shall perform such duties as may be pre- scribed by law.” The Constitution apparently contemplates that all departments and institutions of the State government shall be subject to the auditing powers of the Auditor of Public Accounts; but it does not concentrate all of the accounting responsibility in his office, and indeed it distinctly provides that the Governor is to account directly to the General Assembly for all funds subject to his order. (Section 7 of Article V.) Extent of Constitutional Provisions. It will be seen that the Constitution of 1870 provides, either directly or by inference, for practically all of the processes of governmental accounting. In the first place, the Constitution itself provides for a complete State budget in that : A All State officers and institutions are required to make reports in the form prescribed by the Governor at least ten days preceding each regular session of the General Assembly, and the Governor may specifically require reports as to financial condition. (Section 21 of Article V.) B At the commencement of each regular session, the Governor is required to present a report to the General Assembly, summarizing the condition of State departments and institutions, and including an estimate of the money required to be raised by taxation for all purposes. (Section 7 of Article V.) C The General Assembly is required to provide necessary revenue by the levying of taxes and fees (Section 1 of Article IX), and to pro- vide for the proper disbursement of public funds by the passage of appropriation laws covering all expenses for the period ending with the first quarter after the next General Assembly. (Section 18 of Article IV.) D It is specifically provided that contract debts of the State shall never exceed $250,000, except in time of war or invasion (Section 18 of Article IV), and that the State of Illinois shall never be made de- fendant in any court of law or equity. (Section 26 of Article IV.) A careful study of the Constitutional provisions will show that the present Constitution provides complete powers and the necessary machinery for the installation in the State government of a scientific budget system. The Constitution also specifically provides for the enforcement of budget control by the Auditor of Public Accounts, and for the safe keeping of public funds by the State Treasurer. The General Assembly is given power to pass laws providing for the necessary financial pro- cedure in the office of the State Auditor arfd in the office of the State Treasurer. While the Constitution makes necessary the keeping of accurate revenue and appropriation accounts it is silent as to the keeping of accounts showing the detailed cost of each of the activities of the vari- ous State departments. It may, however, be safely assumed that the U heads of departments cannot fully comply with the Constitutional re- 10 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. quirement as to biennial reports to the Governor and that the Governor cannot fully comply with the Constitutional requirement as to the char- acter of his biennial message to the Legislature, unless there is a complete system of cost accounting for each of the State offices and institutions. The Constitution is silent as to the keeping of such accounts, either in the office of the State Auditor or elsewhere, as will show the assets and liabilities of the State and of its several departments. The Con- stitution does require that the contract debts of the State shall never exceed the sum of $250,000. It is difficult to see how this provision of the Constitution can be enforced unless an account is kept in each of the State departments and institutions of the outstanding contract obligations of that department or institution. To summarize, it may be said that the Constitution authorizes the General Assembly to pass laws requiring the executive officers, or any one of them, to keep : A. Revenue accounts. B. Appropriations accounts. C. Cost accounts. D. Asset and liability accounts. B. LEGISLATIVE PROCEDURE.- Up to the present time, there has been little or no preliminary work before the meeting of the General Assembly in compiling and analyzing the estimates and requests for appropriations. Estimates and proposed bills have been prepared beforehand by the various officers, depart- ments and institutions; and a long list of appropriation bills are in- troduced by individual members. Since the creation of the Board of Administration, estimates for the charitable institutions are prepared by this board, and the amounts recommended are included in two bills — one for ordinary expenses and one for special appropriations— each of these bills covering all the charitable institutions. Separate bills are introduced for each of the other public institutions and for some of the other State offices and departments; and a large number of the offices and bureaus submit their requests to the Appropriation Com- mittee, to be included in the so-called omnibus bill for the ordinary and contingent expenses of the State government. After the session of 1913 had begun, a compilation of appropriation bills was prepared, with comparative figures showing the appropriations made two years before. But this contained no data as to the expendi- tures and unexpended balances ; while the various items showed a wide variation in the form and detail of the proposed appropriations for the different offices, departments and institutions. The Act of 1913 creating a Legislative Reference Bureau requires this bureau to prepare a detailed budget of proposed appropriations. It is made the duty of the bureau : Sec. 5d. To cause to be prepared, printed and distributed for the use xof the members of the General Assembly, a detailed budget of the appro- priations which the officers of the several departments of the State govern- ment report to it are required for their several departments for the biennium REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 11 for which appropriations are to be made by the next General Assembly, together with a comparative statement of the appropriations by the preceding General Assembly for the same purpose. Sec. 6. The officers of the several departments of the State govern- ment shall make duplicate reports by the 1st day of November next pre- ceding the convening of the next regular session of the General Assembly of the appropriations which are required for their several departments for the biennium for which appropriations are to be made by such General Assembly. One of said duplicate reports shall be filed with the Governor and the other with the secretary of said Reference Bureau. These provisions form the first step towards the preparation of a preliminary budget of estimates of appropriations. But it should be noted that the proposed budget will be simply a compilation of the estimates of the several departments; that there is no provision re- quiring these^ estimates to be prepared on a uniform or systematic plan ; and that there is no provision for including a statement of expenditures to compare with the previous and proposed appropriations. There may also be some doubt as to how comprehensive this compilation of estimates will be. Does the phrase '^departments of State government” include the State institutions and elective officers, or is it limited to those officers and bureaus whose appropriations are included in the omnibus bill? Each house of the General Assembly provides for a committee to which appropriation, bills are referred. The membership of these committees is large — the House Committee on Appropriations in the Forty-eighth General Assembly had forty-four (44) members, and the Senate committee had thirty-seven (37) members. There are also several other committees dealing with financial measures — on claims, contingent expenses and on revenue. Uporf the organization of the Appropriation Committee, sub- committees are appointed by the chairman to visit each of the State institutions, and report to the full committee. Joint hearings of the appropriation committees are held, at which the heads of the various institutions appear to explain and urge their requests for appropriations. After these hearings, the committees pass on the, various bills, and pre- pare the omnibus bill, making such changes as are agreed to. With the exception of deficiency and emergency appropriations, the approoriation bills are not reported to the house until nearlv the close' of the session. At this stage, the chairmen of the committees are said to have practical control of the appropriations ; the committee recommendations are rarely changed in either house. Tf changes are made in one house and not accepted by the other, the bill goes to a con- ference committee, whose report is almost invariably accepted. After passing both houses, appropriation bills go to the Governor, who may disapprove any of these bills or any item in any of them, within ten days. A considerable number of appropriations are regularly disapproved by the Governor, and the aggregate appropriations reduced. Appropriation Acts. The absence of any comprehensive preliminary estimates and the numerous bills introduced are reflected in the appropriation Acts as passed. In the session of 1913 there were 94 separate appropriation 12 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. Acts passed, covering 116 pages in the volume of session laws. Some of the leading characteristics of these measures may be noted in the following summary: SUMMARY OF APPROPRIATION ACTS— 1913 Ordinary and contingent expenses of the State gov- ernment (omnibus bill) — State school fund Other items (96 paragraphs) Pay of members of 49th General Assembly and sal- aries of State officers, no items Charitable institutions — Ordinary expenses, 6 items Special appropriations, 131 items University of Illinois, U. S. grants . . Normal schools, 33 items Penal and reformatory institutions — Five bills National Guard, 9 bills. Highway Commission, 4 bills. Total, 23 bills Other bills Grand total $6,000,000.00 , 5,863,825.24 $11,863,825.24 2,600,000.00 $7,904,637.42 , 2,636,405.47 , 615,408.57 11,156,451.46 4,600,000.00 1,235,500.00 ,$4,500,000.00 , 100,000.00 ,$1,489,150.00 57,839.44 .$1,431,655.12 . 318,090.53 1,547,009.44 1,749,745.65 1,107,500.00 $35,860,031.79 2,055,326.14 $37,915,357.93 The various Acts offer the most startling contrasts in the extent to which appropriations are itemized. That for the pay of members of the General Assembly and the salary of State officers appropriates $2,600,- 000 in one sum. The amounts paid to each person is regulated by the salaries provided in the various statutes; but the appropriation bill does not show the amount for each office, not even the totMs for the General Assembly, the executive officers or the judiciary. The appro- priation for ordinary expenses of the charitable institutions ($7,904,- 637.42) is made in six items, three for each year; and the appropria- tion for the state University ($4,500,000) is made in four items, two for each year. On the other hand, the omnibus bill, while including the school grant of $6,000,000 in two items, appropriates about the same sum in 96 paragraphs, most of which are itemized in detail. The special ap- propriations for charitable institutions are specified in 131 items, besides a number of reappropriations of unexpended balances, not specified in the Act. The appropriations for the five normal schools are included in one Act, with 33 items. But the appropriations for the penitentiaries and reformatory are in five separate Acts; those for the Highy^ay Com- mission are in four Acts; and those for the National (juard are in REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 13 nine Acts. Several of these bills include provisions for the reappro- priation of unexpended balances of former appropriations, the amounts of which are not specified. Much the larger part of the appropriations are included in 23 Acts ; while 71 other Acts make separate appropriations aggregating about $2,000,000. One appropriation Act for sewer improvements at Ottawa is for $286.50. The entire list of appropriations covers about 1,500 separate items; but there is the widest variation in the character of the items. While in a number of cases, several million dollars are appropriated as one item ; in many other cases, the amounts for salaries and expenses are ‘ specified in minute detail. Thus the appropriation for the Grain In- spection Department includes such items as $75 a year for rubber stamps, $50 a year for inspection pans, $50 a year for steel bars, and $75 a year for twine; the appropriation for the State Board of Ex- aminers of Barbers includes an item of $60 a year for the secretary's bond; and the appropriation for awards made by the Court of Claims includes an item of $7.90. This minute specification of minor items serves no useful' purpose ; while the mass of such details makes more difficult an understanding of the purposes of the appropriations. On the other hand, the large lump sum appropriations practically transfer the real work of appro- priation to the managing boards of the departments or institutions. The appropriations for each office or institution should be made on the same general plan, showing separately the amounts for salaries, for other current expenses, and for land and permanent improvements, with specifications of the more important items under each of these main divisions. C. STATUTORY PROVISIONS FOR AUDITING AND ACCOUNTING. The General Assembly has provided accounting and auditing pro- cedure both in general laws and in provisions in appropriation accounts. Auditor of Public Accounts. In Section 7 of Chapter 15 of the Revised Statutes,^ the auditing and accounting procedure to be employed by the Auditor of Public Acounts is very specifically set forth. The Auditor is required to “audit all accounts of public officers who are to be paid out of the State treasury, of the members of the Legislature, and all persons authorized to receive money out of the treasury, by virtue of any appropriation made or to be made by law particularly authorizing such account.” The Auditor is further required, under Section 7, to keep the accounts of the State “with any State or Territory, and with the United States, with all public officers, corporations and individuals, having accounts with this State.” This wide sweeping statement of duties was passed in 1845, and has not since been amended. It is further specifically provided in Section 8 of Chapter 15 that “on ascertaining the amount due any person from the Treasury, the Auditor shall grant his warrant on the treasury for the sum due.” ^References are to Section numbers in Hurd’s Revised Statutes, 1911. 14 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. Sections 9, 10 and 11 provide that a fair record shall be kept of all warrants drawn, by their numbers, that the Auditor shall, in all cases, personally sign all warrants, and that warrants are to be counter-signed by the State Treasurer. To carry out this provision, it is further pro- vided in Section 19 of Chapter 15 that “the Auditor shall credit the Treasurer’s account with the amount of cancelled warrants returned to him monthly by the Treasurer, and give him a receipt for the same, and shall enter the date of cancellations of such cancelled warrants in his warrant book.” In issuing warrants, the Auditor is to take into consideration, as a set-off, any claim that may be due to the State. (Section 12 and Section 13 of Chapter 15.) Proper auditing protection is required in the issuance of duplicate warrants on account of warrants that have been lost or destroyed, in that the payee is required to give a bond in double the amount of the warrant, and to pay all costs and charges, should the State afterwards be compelled to pay the original warrant. (Section 14 of Chapter 15.) These provisions are summarized in Section 17 of Chapter 15 by the statement that “the Auditor shall keep a correct record of all accounts by him audited in books to be kept for that purpose.” It will be noted that the statutory requirements, so far as expendi- tures are concerned, provide only for the auditing and recording of disbursements in this particular from the State treasury. The statutory requirements in this particular do not seem to extend to the auditing and accounting by the State Auditor of the expenditures of public credit. Under Section 17 of Chapter 15, the State Auditor is required to “keep an account of all taxes or other moneys which may be due by any person to the State, and also on account of all amounts which may be paid into the State Treasury.” To carry out this requirement, it is provided in Section 20 that “the Auditor shall counter-sign all receipts for money issued by the Treasurer, and charge the Treasurer with the amount thereof.” It will be noted that the Auditor is required to keep an account of revenues as well as an account of receipts. The statute is very plain. The Auditor must “keep an account of all taxes or other moneys which may be due by any person to the State, and also an account of all moneys which may be paid into the State Treasury.” The Auditor is specifically required to keep an account with the entire revenue receiv- able of the State, whether the revenue receivable is taxes receivable, fees receivable, or moneys receivable from fines, forfeits, sales, or the like. It will be noted that the statutes provide a careful auditing pro- cedure by the requirement of the exchange of countersigned warrants 'and countersigned receipts between the offices of the State Auditor (the auditing agency of the State) and the office of the State Treasurer (the cash depositary of the State). No such auditing procedure is provided for the control of accounts payable, or accounts receivable. In order that the exchange of countersigned warrants and receipts may have more auditing effect, it is provided, in Section 21 of Chapter REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 15 15, that “no person shall be employed as clerk in the Auditor’s office who is, at the same time, employed in any capacity in the Treasurer’s office.” As a means of enforcing the auditing duties of the State Auditor, the statutes provide that the State Auditor shall subscribe to an oath, and shall give a bond in the sum of fifty thousand dollars ($50,000) for the faithful discharge of his duties. The Governor is given the right to require an additional bond whenever he shall deem it necessary. (Section 3 of Chapter 15.) This power vested in the Governor should seem to make him in a sense responsible for the character of the audit- ing and accounting in the office of the State Auditor, in so far as the proper protection of the credit and funds of the State is concerned. An important statutory provision is found in Section i of Chapter 15, requiring the Auditor “to deliver up all papers, books, records and other property appertaining to his office, whole, safe and undefaced to his successor in office.” The chief public protection provided by the statutes is that found in Section 18 of Chapter 15, page 112. “The Auditor shall make out and present to the Governor, at least ten days before each regular session of the General Assembly, a report showing the amount of warrants drawn on the treasury, to whom and for what account they were drawn, and if drawn on the contingent fund, to whom and for what they were issued. He shall also, at the same time, report to the Governor the amount of money received into the treasury, stating, particularly, the source from which the same may be derived, and also a general account of all the business of his office.” State Treasurer. The most important duty of the State Treasurer is that specified in Section 7 of Chapter 130: “The State Treasurer shall receive the revenues and all other public moneys of the State, and all moneys authorized by law to be paid to him, and safely keep the same.” In Section 22 of Chapter 130, approved March 7, 1908, it is the duty of the State Treasurer to “deposit all moneys received by him on account of the State within five days after receiving same in such banks in the cities of the State as in the opinion of the Treasurer are secure and which shall pay the highest rate of interest to the State for such deposits. The money so deposited shall be placed to the account of the State Treasurer.” In addition to taxes, it is provided in Section 11 of Chapter 102 that certain specified officers and departments are to deposit into the State Treasury all revenues that they collect. In Sec- tion 12 of the same chapter, it is provided that all such officers and departments are “to keep in proper books a detailed itemized account of all moneys received and from what source, or sources, received, and are to report such receipts under oath 'to the Auditor of Public Accounts at the end of each calendar quarter. The departments specified seem to include all State departments and institutions with the exception of the State Board of Agriculture, the State University, and the State Normal Schools. In Section 24 of Chapter 130, it is specifically stated that the State Treasurer is “personally responsible for the faithful performance of 16 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. his duties under the law and for a proper accounting of all moneys paid to him as State Treasuiter.’’ It appears, therefore, that it is the duty of the State Treasurer to safely keep the moneys of the State by depositing them in banks that, in his opinion, are secure. He is re- quired to select banks which “pay the highest rate of interest to the State for such deposits.” It does not appear that the State Treasurer need deposit money in a bank offering a higher rate of interest than the depositary he has already selected. It is his first duty to safely keep the funds and his second duty to secure as much interest on them from banks as is consistent with the security required. Section 12 of Chapter 130 provides that the State Treasurer “shall keep regular and fair accounts of all moneys received and paid out by him, stating, particularly, on what account each amount is received or paid out.” The State Treasurer has no responsibilities as to the auditing of warrants for disbursements. Under Section 11 of Chapter 130, he is required to countersign any warrant that is presented him to be countersigned, and tO' keep a record of it. Auditing protection is afforded in the requirement of Section 13 of Chapter 130 that warrants shall be cancelled by cutting or perforation and by the requirement of Section 14 of Chapter 130 that the Treasurer shall “at the close of each month, report to the Auditor the amount of money received and paid out by him during the month, stating on what account the same was received and paid; and shall, at the same time, deposit with the Auditor all warrants, properly cancelled, which he may have paid, and take the Auditor’s receipt for the same.” Section 10 of Chapter 130 specifically places auditing responsibility upon the Auditor rather than upon the Treasurer, by providing that “The Treasurer shall not pay out of the treasury any money, except upon the warrant of the Auditor.” The Auditor is likewise made responsible for the auditing of all receipts of the State. Section 8 of Chapter 130 provides that the Treasurer shall be removed from his office if he receives money into the State Treasury otherwise than upon an order from the Auditor. Section 9 of Chapter 130 provides that the Treasurer shall issue dupli- cate receipts to persons paying money into the treasury, and that such receipts shall be counter-signed by the State Auditor. Under Section 7 of Chapter 130, the Treasurer is to receive all revenues of the State as well as all moneys. This section provides for the deposit with the Treasurer of bonds and other credits owned by the State. As an auditing protection, it is provided in Section 17 of Chapter 130, that “every United States or other bond now in the State treasury, or that may hereafter come into the treasury, shall immediately be indorsed with the words following, viz: ‘Property of the State of Illinois, not transferable by the Treasurer, without the consent of the Governor indorsed thereon.’ ” It will be noted that the statutes provide rather complete auditing protection so far as the receipt and disbursement of money is con- cerned, and so far as the deposit of bonds and other credit papers is concerned. It is to be especially noted that bonds owned by the State REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 1 / and deposited with the Treasurer are transferable only upon the en- dorsement of the Governor. In this case, the Governor is made the auditing officer rather than the Auditor of Public Accounts. As Treasurer, the Treasurer is not required by the statutes to pro- tect the State in the disbursement of public credit. This auditing duty devolves upon a board composed of the Governor, Auditor, and Treas- urer. (Section 389 of Chapter 120.) To insure the fulfillment by the State Treasurer of his duties, he is required to take an oath upon assuming office and to deposit a bond in the penal sum of five hundred thousand dollars, conditioned for the faithful discharge of his duties. This bond is to“ be approved by the Governor and two justices of the Supreme Court. The Governor may require additional bonds. (Section 1 and 3 of Chapter 130.) The Treasurer is allowed the sum of five thousand dollars from the State treasury as payment on the premiums on the bonds given by him as Treasurer. (Section 23 of Chapter 130.) Under Section 6 of Chapter 130, the Governor is authorized to institute suits under the bond either against the Treasurer or against' his sureties, without first ob- taining judgment against the Treasurer. As a protection, it is re- quired that the bond of the Treasurer shall be filed in the office of the Secretary of State. (Section 1 of Chapter 130.) An important protection afforded by the statutes is that found in Section 1 of Chapter 130, requiring the Treasurer '‘to deliver up all moneys, papers, books, records and other property appertaining to his office, whole, safe, and undefaced to his successor in office.” One of the chief protections to the public as to the discharge by the Treasurer of his duties is found in the requirement of a biennial report. “He shall also make out and present to the Governor, at least ten days before each regular session of the General Assembly, a full report of all moneys by him received and paid out, and also a general account of all the business of his office.” (Section 15 of Chapter 130.) Auditing and Accounting Other Than By Auditor and Treasurer. Practically all of the statutes quoted heretofore were first passed in 1845 under the Constitution of 1818, the first Constitution of the State. These statutes have not since been changed. The Constitutional provisions and the statutes heretofore referred to seem to contemplate^ that the auditing and accounting responsibilities shall be centered in the office of the State Auditor of Public Accounts. The General Assembly has, however, provided special auditing and accounting agencies for numerous classes of transactions. We have already noted that the Governor is an auditing officer with respect to the bonds of the State Auditor and the State Treasurer, and also with respect to the transfer by endorsement of bonds and other securities owned by the State. Other auditing and accounting duties have been laid by the General Assembly upon the following officers and departments: 1. Governor, exercised through the Institutional and Depart- mental Auditor. Secretary of State and State Board of Contracts. Civil Service Commission. 18 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. / 4. Board of Prison Industries, as to the purchase of furniture \ and other supplies. ^ 5. State Architect, as to building transactions. Auditing Powers of Governor. The auditing powers of the Auditor of Public Accounts have been supplemented in the case of most of the appropriation Acts made for the support of the executive departments by the requirement that the Governor shall approve bills for traveling expenses, pay rolls, and, indeed, all bills submitted to the Auditor as charges against such ap- propriations. (See pages 119 and 120 of the session laws of 1913 for aii example of the tenor of such appropriation Act provisions.) To aid the Governor in this particular, the position of Institutional and Departmental Auditor has been created. This Institutional Auditor has no authority as of his own office, but acts for the Governor. The effect of this requirement of appropriation acts that the Governor shall approve individual bills before the Auditor of Public Accounts shall pay them is to place a very considerable auditing power in the hands of the Governor, or rather in the hands of his Institutional Auditor. While, in point of law, the Auditor of Public Accounts still has the final audit, the prestige of the Governor’s office is undoubtedly such as to make the approval of the Institutional Auditor in the name of the Governor practically a final audit. Section 8 of Chapter 102 of the Revised Statutes provides that /'an account shall be kept by the officers of the Executive department, / and of all the public institutions of the State of all money received ^ or disbursed by them severally from all sources and for every service 1 performed, and a semi-annual report thereof be made to the ’Governor ^^f the State under oath.” This semi-annual report must be made in the form prescribed by the Governor. This requirement gives the Governor a very real power in the prescription of accounting systems for executive departments and institutions, inasmuch as he may require a report in such form as to make necessary the keeping of certain prescribed accounts. It may be well to add that this power of the Governor has never be^n exercised, other than to require institutions to report in detail receipts and disbursements classified only as to ap- propriation Acts. Auditing Powers of Secretary of State and State Board of Contracts. Under Section 5 of Chapter 124 of the Revised Statutes, the Sec- retary of State is given control over the office space in the State Capitol Building, over the furniture in the State . House, and is required to furnish office supplies to his own office and to the Governor, Treasurer, Auditor, Superintendent of Public Instruction, and Attorney General. The same provision is applied to other offices by the statutes creating them. It has been customary to appropriate a sum of money to the Secre- tary of State out of which supplies are purchased for the use of the various executive departments. It has been customary to appropriate such sums to the Secretary of State as may be necessary to maintain REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 1 ) the State House and to keep it lighted and heated. (See paragraph 8 on page 97 of the session laws of 1913 for example of such an appro- priation.) The actual purchase of stationery and printing is done by the Secretary of State, under contracts awarded by a commission on State contracts, composed of the Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Treasurer, and the Auditor of Public Accounts. (Chapter 127, Re- vised Statutes.) To aid this Commission on Contracts in the handling of State printing, an officer is appointed, known as Printer Expert. (Section 21 of Chapter 127.) The Printer Expert is presumed to enforce the contracts of the Commission on Contracts. The Printer Expert is supervised by the Secretary of State (Section 22 of Chapter 127), and is required to audit all printing bills. (Section 23 of Chap- ter 127.) It will be seen that the Secretary of State has a considerable audit- ing power, using the term in a broad sense, in the service that he is required to perform for other State officers. The Secretary of State, thrbugh the Printer Expert, has practically final auditing power, in so far as paying of bills for State printing is concerned. To be sure, Section 23 of Chapter 127 provides that a contractor for State printing may carry a bill, disapproved by the Printer Expert, to the Commission on Contracts, and that the Commission on Contracts shall have final power to adjudicate such a disputed bill. In this limited number of cases, the Auditor of Public Accounts has some direct auditing power over printing bills, in so far as he is ex officio a member of the Com- mission on Contracts. For all practical purposes, it may be said that the Printer Expert is the auditor of State printing bills. The appror priation made in 1913 for State printing and binding (including paper and the State Blue Book) amounted in all to $347,300. (See Sections 15, 16 and 17 on page 98 of the session laws of 1913.) Auditing Powers of the Civil Service Commission. Under Chapter 24a of the Revised Statutes, the Civil Service Commission is given very large auditing powers over the employment of servants of the State. Under Section 11 of Chapter 24a this power of the Civil Service Commission extends to all persons on the pay roll of the State excepting elective officers ; officers, boards and commis- sions appointed by the Governor subject to confirmation by the Senate ; officers and employees of the Legislature; judges and officers of the court; employees of the State military service: instructional staff of the State University and Normal Schools; employees at the executive mansion ; attorneys ; building and loan and bank examiners ; officers of charitable, correctional and penal institutions ; one private secretary or stenographer in the elective offices and offices of the president, dean of men and dean of women of the University of Illinois, and in the offices of the presidents of the Normal schools; all clerks and watch- men in the offices of elective officers ; and students at the University of Illinois and the Normal Schools. While the exemptions to Civil Service requirements appear to be numerous in effect a very large per cent of the employees of the State are in the classified service and hence subject to the auditing power of the Civil Service Commission. 20 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. Under Sections 27 to 31 inclusive, of Chapter 24a, it is provided that the State Auditor and the State Treasurer shall pay salaries for the services of "any person employed in the classified service of the State only upon certification by the Civil Service Commission that the em- ployees named “have been appointed, or employed, or promoted in pursuance of law and of the rules made in pursuance of this Act.” It is interesting to note that under the caption of “Auditing Officer,” Section 27 of Chapter 24a provides that the Governor shall not approve any voucher for any claim of any public officer for the services of any person employed in the classified service of the State in violation of the provisions of this Act.” This Section 27 is a frank statement of the auditing powers of the Governor. Auditing Powers of the Board of Prison Industries, Under Sections 75 to 102 of Chapter 108 of the Revised Statutes, the Commissioners of the Illinois State Penitentiary at Joliet, the Commissioners of the Southern Illinois Penitentiary at Chester, and the Board of Managers of the Illinois State Reformatory at Pontiac are created a Board of Prison Industries. This board is given very sweep- ing powers to manufacture by convict labor in the penitentiaries and reformatories all articles that may be required for State use. State officers and State institutions are required to purchase such articles from the Board of Prison Industries as the Board of Prison Industries may cause to be manufactured and offered for sale. “No articles so manufactured shall be purchased from any other source for the State or public institutions of the State, unless said Board of Prison Indus- tries of Illinois shall certify that the same cannot be furnished. . . . and no claim therefore shall be audited or paid without such certificate.” It will be seen that the Auditor of Public Accounts is not author- ized to draw his warrant in payment for supplies purchased from com- mercial vendors, if it shall appear that such supplies are manufactured and sold by the Board of Prison Industries, and if it shall appear that the Board of Prison Industries has not certified that the particular sup- plies, covered by the bill for which the warrant is drawn, cannot be furnished from the prison industries. The President of the Board of Prison Industries of Illinois, the President of the State Board of Administration and the Auditor of Public Accounts of Illinois are created a Board of Classification under Section 90 of Chapter 108, and, as such, are required to fix the prices for all products furnished to State departments and institutions by the Board of Prison Industries. It will be seen that the Board of Prison Industries and, particu- larly, the Board of Classification have a very considerable financial control over State departments and institutions in that such depart- ments must buy supplies from the Board of Prison Industries at the prices fixed by the Board of Classification. The only share of the Auditor of Public Accounts in this financial control comes in the fact that he is ex officio a member of the Board of Classification, and that, under Section 90 of Chapter 108, he is required to devise and furnish a proper system of accounts for the transactions of the Board of Prison Industries. REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 21 Auditing Powers of the State Architect. Under Sections 13 to 17 inclusive, of Chapter 10a of the Revised Statutes, the Governor is empowered to appoint a State Architect of Public Buildings and Improvements. All State departments and in- stitutions are required to avail themselves of the services of the State Architect in the preparation of plans for new buildings and in the supervision of the construction of all public buildings and works. For this service, the departments and institutions are required to pay to the State Architect a commission of two and one-half per cent of the cost of the work. Nothing is said in the sections creating the office of State Architect and defining the duties of that officer as to his auditing powers. It is the evident intent of the law, Jiowever, that the State Architect shall be responsible for the honesty and efficiency of the plans and the con- struction work on public buildings. While the Auditor of Public Ac- counts remains the financial auditor in connection with the payment of bills on account of the construction of public buildings, it would seem that the State Architect bears the responsibility as to the actual worth of the materials and services represented by such bills. The Court of Claims. All claims disputed by the officers in charge of executive depart- ments and State institutions, or disallowed by the State Auditor may be brought for final adjudication before a Court of Claims created by Sections 331 to 341 inclusive, of Chapter 37 of the Revised Statutes. This Court of Claims consists of three judges appointed by the Gov- ernor. The Auditor of Public Accounts is ex officio clerk of this court. Qaims allowed by the Court are reported by the Auditor to the Gov- ernor, and by the Governor to the General Assembly. The General Assembly may or may not make appropriations covering such adjudica- tions. The action of the Court of Claims is final so far as the claimant is concerned. A bill disallowed by the State Auditor may, therefore, be brought before the Court of Claims and the Court of Claims by adjudication may bring the bill with their endorsement to the General Assembly The supreme and final auditing power in the State, therefore, re. ’T 1 Is g c T3 ^ C ^ ^ § 2d ij CO 3 G £ -Q •' s ._ s Ci. - § - 1 2 CJ) dSvo to *— • ID * rsjo ad’^ to Sc3N I 3 C ' M .22 Q ^ S : fO ^ & w •-1 ;□ 5 J Q W 1 d> tn w u g. 1 tij •«» u ^ ^ c ^ s CO Dc; cq •2 c Q ® ■*S» V •2 ^ ^ ’+- o § So Co On CO to ,-H Ipg S'- c/5 U I 4 -> QJ I'SS O u o. Td >.£ § X)*r: S| to ^3.- ^ S to +J _ CO »-i C rt 05 O p -o a-j CJ C 3 ^ 05*0 B 'A similar statement should be prepared for each fund. SCHEDULE 4. Comparison of Appropriation Requests for the Biennium ipiyipiy With Appropriations for the Biennium ipij-75. Request Request Appropriation Appropriation REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. 45 > t/2 O *■> X :3 c -2 rt ^ y ..o,- ■yC/5V«c/5. ^osS ^ "Jrt O LO t-H I— J T3 I I I I I I I I I I I il^oo g (U^N. I I I I w« ::::::::::: T3 ::::::::::: o.g'V p |T^ ’S cn "rt ^ ^ tr. ■ u >.5^ p W c/3-z: '-P ^ i_i* ,_j W5 £V r1 ^ 56 EFFICIENCY AND ECONOMY COMMITTEE. The statement of budget proposals for the year should be accom- panied by a digest of State laws and regulations directly affecting the finances of the department or institution. After consideration, the governing board of the institution or head of the department should adopt a final budget for the year. Allotments in the final budget should be by projects and activities and should not be detailed as to expense items. Expense items and wages of non- technical employees should be left to the discretion of responsible executives. There are, however, important arguments to support the view that the local budget of each department and institution should give the salaries of permanent positions in detail. The final budget of the year should be placed in the hands of the financial officer of the department or institution as the official basis for receipts and disbursements and for accounts. The statement of budget proposals with its auxiliary statements of work programs by activities, the digest of laws and the final budget should be made a matter of systematic record even in the case of small departments and institutions. The larger institutions of the State now have such procedure, although in some cases the allotment requests and work programs, and even the final allotments, are made informally and without sufficient record for systematic administration. The re- quirement of such records in writing before the beginning of each fiscal year insures careful planning and affords an authentic basis for finan- cial administration and accounting. The monthly reports of departments and institutions acting as revenue collection agencies should include schedules showing revenue collected and revenue receivable classified by kinds of revenue. Such a monthly report as to revenue will afford a record of receipts and will afford also a statement of accounts receivable and revenue collectable comparable with the estimate of revenue contained in the departmental or institutional budget and summarized in the State budget. SCHEDULE 6. Department of Statement of Free Balances in Allotments for the Month REPORT ON ACCOUNTS. cn (U O H-G o CJ o bo .S ' ^ ’5 cn u< (rs tn O P w x: c c/) C3 C u « O C ^