The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1870-02-03
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 3, 1870.
MISMANA CEMENT OF THE STATE
TREASURY.

IHhAOUhIs
TIE Legislative investigation into the manner
in which the State Treasury has been man
aged promises to be more complete than was
at first anticipated. Mr.. Mackey, the out
going Treasurer, was on the witness stand
yesterday, and his answers to various interro-
gatories were in themselves sufficient to de-
monstrate the demoralizing and unjust
nature of the present system, and to clearly
indicate the necessity of sweeping reforms.
One of the first questions asked was in
regard to the amount of the present balance,
which he stated to be about 81, 100000; and
as at least q million dollars of this sum
might as we'll have been appropriated to
the reduction of the indebtedness of the State,
there is an evident annual loss to the tax
payers of 800, 900 in this one item alone.
The subsequent answers prove that while the
people lose q large amount of interest, this
loss enures to the profit of such banks and
bankers as are fortunate enough to win the
favor of the Treasurer. The committee dis
played no little anxiety to learn whether the
selections of that official were influenced by
personal pecuniary considerations, but on this
point Mr.. Mackey was extremely reticent, as
the testimony
@. What was your balance with j. 3. Ridgway
on the FIRST OF August last? A. Ii was never
changed from Mr. Ridgway from what received it
from my predecessor, namely, one hundred thou
Q. That is since you came into onlceG A. Yes, sir.
q. Have you received any consideration for per-
mittng that money to remain there? a. cannot
anstcer ot question am 10 be oTrdfgned for sup
posed ntdlfeaSance in office
O. simply want the facts? A. II am to be ar
raigned, want to be arragncd according to law;
really % want e to gve you m s M ad @ GX bn
do not wish to be placed in a false position.
Remarks by Wallace have no threats to make,
us to make threats, aud equally absurd for us TO
promise there should be no prosecution. Oar duty
is well defined. We simply want to know what Is
the present and past condition OF the Treasury.
A While am perfectly willing to give you the
exact position of the Treasury, if It is to involve
in question OF prosecution, decline n a,,sicsr
Hts.queStion.
And AGAIN.
Q. Have you received any interest or compensa-
ton, direct indirect, at any time, for use OF
moneys of the Commonwealth? ? A l thought the
other question covered that.
@. Any interest or compensation. direct or indi-
rect, for moneys of the Commonwealth? A. For
the same reason decline 20 ansicsr. If am to be
arragned, prefer 1t to be done in the right way.
On the general question of the free use of
the public money for private benefit, Mr..
Mackey was more communicative. For in
stance, when asked s'whether the money in his
meet the demands of the Government, he
said;-
eyes, sir; every dollar OF it, except the adoances
made to members Of the Legislature and other officers
for which got no credit"
And when Mr.. Mackey was pressed more
closely in regard to the readiness of the deposit
taries to pay his drafts promptly, the following
testimony was given:-
@. Were these depostares at all times able to
Know that they were without giving them s5me
trouble; do not think that any bank would Keep its
@. Has not the practical working of the system
been to permit the banks to use 1t by loaning? A.
o. Could you not have drawn. for example
draft upon the First National Bank at Harrisburg
of whatever balance was there, and have 1t honored
promptly9 A. / suppose ID might hare been
honored but 1t might haze gtoen them great deal Of
trouble,
When questioned in regard to the use of
money to control elections, Mr.. Mackey said
that he had not used the funds of the Com
monwealth for this purpose, but he acknow-
lodged that he had ''spent little of his own
occasionally" for this laudable purpose.
Independent of these statements it will be
seen by the testimony that the money of the
State is scattered over the Commonwealth in
decidedly loose manner; that two of the
and that the balances handed over to Mr.
Mackey by his predecessor consisted of a
miscellaneous assortment of 'moneys in
banks, sight checks, and some other things, a"
which the witness was not prepared to de-
scribe in detail.
This statement is by no means gratifying
to taxpayers. 1t plainly proves that the Trea-
sury is managed in the interest of banks,
bankers, and the Treasurer, rather than in
the interest of the people; that balances are
suffered to accumulate unnecessarily, as if
for the express purpose of enriching officials
and their favorites; and while some positive
losses exclusive of interest) have already
occurred through this loose system, a CON-
mercial revulsion might swell the aggregate
of these deficiencies to a large sum.
1t will be easy for the Legislators, if they
are earnestly devoted to reform, to devise q
remedy for nearly all these evils, and we trust
that the present investigation will result not
merely in the exposure of wrong, but in the
prompt application of a remedy.
A BILL has been introduced in the Legisla-
ture TO grant the Thirteenth and Fifteenth
Streets Railway Company permission to lay a