The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1856-09-11
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser,
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER IL


WHEN a man is forced from any circumstances to
borrow money in order to carry on his regular bust
ness transactions, however systematic he may before
have been, nothing is so important to him as that he
should then look more closely into his receipts and
expenditures, for every one knows that it is vastly
easier to incur a debt than to pay it off, and debts
once assumed readily accumulate. At such a turn
of his affairs, it becomes him to see that every penny
and every dollar that passes out of his hands, goes
for nothing but its full equivalent and not that only,
but that it is paid out at its proper time, in the proper
way, and 10 the proper person. For instance, he is
owing a small bill, and custom requires a quarterly
or semi-annual settlement. He is called on before the
customary time when the bill is payable, and settle
ment demanded by a person understood to be en-
ployed merely to collect the bill. The amount is paid,
but no voucher taken, and no account of it made. At
the end of the quarter the demand is again made by
the principal, but payment is resisted, as the bill had
been settled. No receipt however, car be produced,
and the amount has again to be paid. A business
carried on in such a loose manner would shortly rem
der the richest firm bankrupt.
However important it may be that individual bu-
siness transactions should be kept with unerring
accuracy, it is far more so in the management CT the
public business. Governments are established to give
OAA dHA POdOO " CnCII ClllZcuS II SuUIcCCS. liner
business affairs are extended throughout the length
and breadth of the dominion, requiring the employ
ment of a large number of persons of various capac-
tiles, some of whose duties are merely nominal. What
the number of employees of this government, in all
its branches, may be, we are unable to say, but have
no doubt that at least 1900 persons are paid directly
or indirectly from the public treasury. A govern
ment in some degree resembles an extensive mercan-
AL 1~I - = E0n -, 1000 -o~
sons are employed-al of whom are responsible to
the head of the establishment. The smallest outlay
for the expense and labor in each department must
be accounted for to the cashier whose duty it is to ex-
anime and pay each item if correct. So it is in every
well organized government. There is one person
whose duty it is to examine, and if correct, approve
the payment of every dollar that passes out of the
public treasury, as well as to examine the accounts of
those who are appointed to collect the public revenues.
Under most governments this officer is called an aud
itor. His duties are briefly these:
<He is the head Of the Finance observation-disclosures
ry demand on the Treasury, after having been pre-
viously examined and approved by the proper officers.
must be submitted to him to be fna11v allowed ond
be granted he must satisfy himself that the money is
legally due, remains unpaid, that the payment of it
from the treasury is specifically authorized bv law.
that the person presenting it is not in anv mannor
, oNA II lit Ut i'll OIIGCr. In2f
he has Tot absented himself from the duties of his Of
nee Inc auditor is also required to countersipn all
receipts Tor moneys paid into the treasury and regis
Ter them, so that bis books will constantly show all
the money that goes in, and all that can legally go
out; lie is required to be constantly acquainted
with the exact condition of the treasury and every
IaWtul demand upon it. He is required to give his
personal attendance at his Office during office hours,
and Is prohibited from following or engaging in any
other occupation, office, or calling. He signs and is
sues all licences, and has numerous duties to perform
relating to the public revenues and expenditures.
The Importance of this Office can not be too highly
estimated. II should be filled by one of our ablest
hnanciers, n man whose probity is beyond suspicion,
and one who viii insist upon and carry out the great
est possible retrenchment in the public expenses .
The Hawaiian Government has never had such an
officer save only in name, and the Office, such as il
was, was abolished several years a1o, as ministers
preferred to he their own auditors. We say it with
shame that there is no officer in the Kingdom whose
duty 1t ia 10 examine into the expenditures of each