AUTHORITY. The Board of State Auditors shall submit to the legislature annually at the commencement of its session in January, a report of their doings during the year next preceding.-Compiled Laws 1897, section 122. REPORT. To the Honorable Chase S. Osborn, Governor of the State of Michigan: Sir-In obedience to the requirements of law, we have the honor to submit the following report of the proceedings of the Board of State Auditors for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1912. FREDERICK C. MARTINDALE, Secretary of State, HUNTLEY RUSSELL, Commissioner of the State Land Office, Lansing, Michigan, July 12, 1911. The Board of State Auditors convened at the capitol at 9 o'clock a. m. No quorum being present, adjournment was taken to July 13, 1911, at 9 o'clock a. m. JOHN B. MATHEWS, Clerk. Lansing, Michigan, July 13, 1911. The Board of State Auditors convened at the capitol at 9 o'clock a. m. Albert E. Sleeper, State Treasurer, Huntley Russell, Commissioner of the State Land Office. Minutes of previous meeting were read and approved. Report was made of allowances of meetings June 14 and 28, 1911: amount claimed, $41,331.08; amount allowed, $41,242.01; amount disallowed, $89.07. Report of postage allowance for the quarter ending June 30, 1911, was presented and ordered forwarded to the Governor as required by law. The total allowance for postage for said quarter amounted to $3,890.11. The Board of Control of the Michigan Home for the Feeble-minded and Epileptic and the Board of State Auditors met with the Governor in the Executive Office in accordance with the call of the Governor and considered the rate of charges per week to be paid to the Home for the board and treatment of patients. On motion the following resolution was adopted: Whereas, Section 27 of Act No. 101 of the Public Acts of 1909, provides that the rate of charges per week to be paid to the Michigan Home for the Feebleminded and Epileptic for the board and treatment of patients shall be fixed at a joint meeting of the Board of Control of the Michigan Home for the Feebleminded and Epileptic and the Board of State Auditors, and, Whereas, At a joint meeting of said Boards held in the city of Lansing on June 28, 1911, the rate of charges per week to be paid to the Michigan Home for the Feeble-minded and Epileptic for the board and treatment of patients was 249329 fixed at the sum of three dollars and thirty-six cents ($3.36) per week, which said sum so fixed has not been approved by the Governor, Therefore be it resolved, By the Board of Control of the Michigan Home for the Feeble-minded and Epileptic acting jointly with the Board of State Auditors at a meeting called by the Governor in the Executive Office in the Capitol, July 13, 1911, that the charges to be paid to the said Michigan Home for the Feebleminded and Epileptic for the board and treatment of patients be, and the same hereby is, fixed at the sum of three dollars and twenty-two cents ($3.22) per week, the same being at the rate of forty-six cents (46c) per day. On motion recess was taken to 1 o'clock p. m. The Board reconvened. Mr. Sleeper, Mr. Russell. 1 o'clock p. m. The Board considered claims which had been presented for allowance. A communication was received from Hal H. Smith, chairman Michigan Employers Liability Commission, requesting that Mr. R. L. Drake, a member of said commission, be authorized to act as secretary of said commission at a salary of $175.00 per month. Act No. 245 of the Public Acts of 1911 provides for the appointment of this commission consisting of five members who shall serve without pay, but shall be allowed their actual and necessary expenses incurred by them in performing their duties as members of said commission while traveling within the State. The Board directed that the question be referred to the Attorney General for his opinion as to their authority to authorize the employment of a member of the commission to act as secretary at a salary of $175.00 per month. Franz C. Kuhn, Attorney General, appeared before the Board and stated orally that in his opinion a salary could not be paid any member of the commission for acting as secretary, or in any other capacity connected with the commission, while a member of the commission. The Board directed that Mr. Smith be notified accordingly and the communication was ordered filed. A communication was received from Patrick H. Kelley, secretary Michigan Commission for Investigation into Taxation, requesting allowance of claims for expenses of members of that commission in visiting one or two states, particularly Massachusetts, for the purpose of discussing in detail certain tax legislation in force in those states, and which the commission is likely to recommend for this State. On motion the request was granted and communication was ordered filed. A communication was received from H. P. Orr, Deputy Commissioner of Insurance, requesting the Board of State Auditors to authorize the establishment of a branch office of the Insurance Department in the city of Detroit. The Board directed that the communication be referred to the Attorney General with a request for his written opinion as to the authority of the Board of State Auditors to grant this request. Walter R. Carven, county drain commissioner for the county of Ingham, appeared before the Board and discussed matters relating to the Toll Gate Drain, and presented an agreement in duplicate wherein it was decided and agreed that the just per cent to be paid by the State of Michigan by reason of the benefits accruing to the State lands shall be thirty-five per cent (35%) of the total cost of constructing the said drain, said amount to be paid when the said drain is completed according to the specifications and survey annexed. The agreement was signed in duplicate and one copy was ordered filed and the other was delivered to Mr. Carven. On motion the Board adjourned. JOHN B. MATHEWS, Clerk. FREDERICK C. MARTINDALE, Chairman. Lansing, Michigan, July 26, 1911. The Board of State Auditors convened at the capitol at 9 o'clock a. m. Albert E. Sleeper, State Treasurer, Huntley Russell, Commissioner of the State Land Office. Minutes of previous meeting were read and approved. Report of State Oil Inspector for the quarter ending June 30, 1911, together with reports of deputy oil inspectors for the months of April, May and June, 1911, were approved and ordered filed. The amount due State for the quarter as shown by State Oil Inspector's report was $2,430.17. The following contracts accompanied by contract bonds were received and signed in duplicate: Michigan Power Company for heating Capitol and Old State Block for two years beginning July 1, 1911. Michigan Power Company for lighting Capitol and Old State Block and for furnishing power for elevators for two years beginning November 1, 1911. One copy of each was ordered filed and one copy of each was ordered sent to the contractor. The following resolution in duplicate was adopted by the Governor and the Board of State Auditors: Resolved, By the Governor and the Board of State Auditors acting under authority of sections two thousand two hundred thirty-eight to two thousand two hundred forty-two of the compiled laws of eighteen hundred ninety-seven that the Board of Control of the Michigan Reformatory be, and is, hereby authorized to rebuild the building which contained the dining room, kitchen, hospital, tailor shop and laundry destroyed by fire July 6, 1911, and that the amounts that may be expended in rebuilding said building, and replacing said property destroyed therein are as follows: Rebuilding building Total $20,000 00 One copy was ordered forwarded to the Auditor General and the other to the Michigan Reformatory. A communication was received from Board of Water Works and Electric Light Commissioners of the city of Lansing offering to maintain the system, and to furnish the electric current for the proposed tungsten lamp system surrounding the Capitol square, provided the State will install the poles and equipment ready for the current, and offering to install the system at actual cost, as per sketch of proposed system submitted therewith. On motion the Board authorized the Board of Water Works and Electric Light Commissioners to install said system at actual cost, and directed that the system be equipped with five light poles instead of three light poles, and directed that the said Board of Water Works and Electric Light Commissioners be notified accordingly. Communication and sketch of proposed system were ordered filed. The Board considered claims which had been presented for allowance. On motion recess was taken to 1:30 o'clock p. m. The Board reconvened. Mr. Russell. 1:30 o'clock p. m. The Board continued the examination of claims which had been presented for allowance. Mary C. Spencer, State Librarian, appeared before the Board and requested the allowance of claim for expenses of herself in attending a meeting of the National Association of Law Librarians to be held at Boston during the last week in August, 1911. On motion such request was granted. C. A. Palmer, Commissioner of Insurance, appeared before the Board and requested the allowance of claim for expenses of himself in attending a meeting |