The superintendent of public instruction receives a salary of $7,500 and is required to give bond in the penal sum of $25,000.

The superintendent of public instruction is required to transmit to the Governor biennially a report containing various statistics concerning school attendance, administration and finance. This report is transmitted to the General Assembly at the beginning of each regular session. He has supervision over the distribution of school funds, and may require the withholding from a county superintendent of the amount due him for his compensation or due to his county, from the state school fund until the required information concerning schools has been sent to the state superintendent. Appeals may be taken to the courts from the decision of the state superintendent.

It is the duty of the superintendent of public instruction to visit such of the state institutions as are educational in character and to examine their facilities for instruction. The superintendents of these institutions are required to make reports to him on matters relating to their institutions at such times and in such form as he may prescribe.

It is his duty to confer with the state board of health, state architect, and state fire marshal, and to prepare specifications for the minimum requirements for heating, ventilation, lighting, sanitation, and safety against fire, which will conserve the health and safety of the children attending the public schools.

It is the duty of the superintendent of public instruction to designate the statistics which school officers are required to report to the county superintendent, to authorize county superintendents to procure necessary assistance to conduct teachers' institutes, to require reports from county superintendents, township trustees, and authorities of townships, cities or districts maintaining schools under special charters, and advise county superintendents as to the best manner of conducting schools, constructing and furnishing school-houses, and examining and procuring competent teachers. He is the legal adviser of school officers and it is his duty, upon request of any school officer, to give his opinion in writing upon any question arising under the school laws of the state.

He is given the power to determine all controversies arising under the school laws, coming to him by appeal from county superintendents. County superintendents of schools are required to mail copies of ail bonds of township treasurers approved by them to the superintendent of public instruction, said copies to be filed in his office.

Attorney General. The Constitution of 1818 provided for the appointment by the General Assembly, of an attorney general, whose duties should be regulated by law. In accordance with this provision, the first legislature in 1819 prescribed the duties of the attorney general and provided that he be elected by the General Assembly for a term of two years. The Constitution of 1848 contained no mention of the attorney general and the office was discontinued. By statue, in 1867, it

was again created, to be filled first by appointment by the Governor for a term of two years, and afterwards to be an elective office. Under the Constitution of 1870 the attorney general is named as one of the officers of the executive department, elected by popular vote for a term of four years. The constitution confers no express powers upon the attorney general and prescribes no express duties for him to perform. It simply provides that he shall perform such duties as may be prescribed by law.

The Supreme Court of this state, has, however, construed the constitutional provisions so as to invest the office with all the common law powers and duties of the Attorney General. In Fergus vs. Russel, 270 Ill., 304, 342 (1915), it says:

"By our constitution we created this office by the common law designation of Attorney General and thus impressed it with all its common law powers and duties. As the office of Attorney General is the only office at common law which is thus created by our constitution the Attorney General is the chief law officer of the state, and the only officer empowered to represent the people in any suit or proceeding in which the state is the real party in interest, except where the constitution or a constitutional statute, may provide otherwise."

Statutory Powers and Duties. The duties of the attorney general are:

To appear for and represent the people of the state before the Supreme Court, in all cases in which the state or the people of the state are interested.

To prepare, when necessary, proper drafts for contracts and other writings relating to subjects in which the state is interested.

To enforce the proper application of funds appropriated to the public institutions of the state, prosecute breaches of trust in the administration of such funds, and when necessary, prosecute corporations for failure or refusal to make the reports required by law.

To keep in proper books, a register of all cases prosecuted or defended by him, in behalf of the state and its officers, and a record of all official opinions given by him during his term of office, and to deliver the same to his successor in office.

To file an information in the nature of a quo warranto against any person holding office illegally and against any corporation holding or exercising any franchise or license in violation of law.

To appear for and represent the interests of the state in all matters before the court of claims.

To institute prosecutions for violations of the civil service laws; to appear against trust companies which administer estates in cases of violations of the law; to prosecute pawners societies carrying on business illegally; and to institute proceedings against foreign and domestic corporations in certain cases. (There are a large number of other statutes which provide specifically for action. by the attorney general for their enforcement.)

To examine the title of land in the improvement of which public money is proposed to be spent. His approval of the title of the

land is necessary before any money can be legally expended in such improvements.

To exercise general supervision over the assessment and collection of the inheritance tax, with authority to apply to the county court for the appointment of appraisers, and to appeal from any appraisement and assessment.

The attorney general is ex-officio a member of the state canvassing board. Regular and special assistants, law clerks, special investigators and special attorneys in the attorneys general's office are exempt from civil service.

The attorney general receives a salary of $10,000 per annum. Before entering on the duties of his office, he is commissioned by the Governor, and must execute a bond for $10,000 for the faithful discharge of the duties of his office. The attorney general must give a bond approved by the Governor and whenever the Governor shall deem any bond filed by the attorney general insufficient, he may require additional bond of not exceeding $10,000.

It is the duty of the attorney general to institute and prosecute all proceedings in favor of or for the use of the state, which may be necessary in the execution of the duties of any state officer; to consult with and advise the Governor and other state officers, and give when requested written opinions upon all legal or constitutional questions relating to the duties of such officers; to give written opinions, when requested by either branch of the General Assembly or any of its committees, upon any legal or constitutional question.

The by-laws of building and loan associations must be submitted to him and approved by him before the auditor can issue a certificate of organization. The attorney general must certify the declaration of corporators of life insurance companies as legal and sufficient before the insurance superintendent can give the company a permit to do business in this state. A number of other statutes make his approval necessary in certain cases.

The department of finance is required to report to the attorney general for such action as the attorney general may deem necessary, all facts showing illegal expenditures of public money or misappropriation of the public property.

The approval of the attorney general is necessary to all agreements made by the state treasurer for a composition or settlement of inheritance taxes in estates in expectancy or estates involving remainders.

It is the duty of the attorney general to consult with and advise the several state's attorneys in matters relating to the duties of their office; and, when in his judgment, the interest of the people of the state require it, he may attend the trial of any party accused of crime and assist in the prosecution. It is the duty of the state's attorney whenever it may be necessary, and in cases of appeal or writ of error from his county to the Supreme Court, which it is the duty of the attorney general to attend, to furnish the attorney general with a brief, showing the nature of the case and the questions involved, a reasonable time before the trial of such appeal or writ of error.

In cases of appeals to the county court concerning appraisements in inheritance tax matters, it is the duty of the county clerk to notify the attorney general and later to send him a certified copy of the judgment in the cause. It is the duty of the state's attorney to render assistance to the attorney general in the institution and prosecution of suits concerning inheritance taxes, when requested to do so. The county treasurer is required to send the attorney general a quarterly statement of all inheritance taxes due and unpaid.

IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE FUNCTIONS OF DEPARTMENTS UNDER THE CIVIL ADMINISTRATIVE CODE.

General. The Civil Administrative Code was enacted by the General Assembly in 1917 and went into effect July first of that year. It reorganized and consolidated fifty or more functions and departments, previously existing independently of each other, into nine departments, with a director appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for a term of four years, at the head of each department. Several administrative and unpaid advisory boards were created in the various departments.

It is the duty of the advisory boards to consider and study the entire field of their work; to advise the executive officers of their departments upon the request of such officers; to recommend on their own initiative, policies and practices, which recommendations the executive officers of the department are directed to consider, and give advice or make recommendations to the Governor and the General Assembly when so requested, or on their own initiative. The advisory boards have the power to investigate the conduct of the work of the departments with which they are associated. Such boards must hold meetings not less frequently than quarterly, and the director of the department and the Governor may be present and be heard upon any matter coming before the board. Members of such boards receive no compensation.

One private secretary for each director is exempt from the classified civil service of the state. The salaries of the directors vary from $5,000 to $7,000 per annum and are payable monthly. Each officer, whose office is created by the code is required to take and subscribe the constitutional oath of office, which oath must be filed in the office of the secretary of state. Each executive and administrative officer, whose office is created by the code, is requried to give a bond with security to be approved by the Governor, in such penal sum as the Governor may fix, not less than $10,000, which bond is to be filed in the office of the secretary of state. Annually, on or before the first day of December, and at such other times as the Governor may require, the dirctors of the departments are required to report to the Governor in writing concerning the condition, management and financial transactions of their respective departments. In addition to such reports, each director of a department is required to make the semi-annual and biennial reports required by the constitution.

The directors of departments are directed to devise a practical and working basis for co-operation and co-ordination of work, eliminating duplication and overlapping of functions. Whenever power is vested by the code in a department to inspect, examine, secure data or