New-York tribune., 1872-10-17
BOOKKEEPING IN THE U. s. TREASURY


A GOVERNMENT CLERK TELLS HOW THE AC-
COUNTS ARE KEPT-CARELESsNEsS AND IN
COMPETENCY-DIsREGARD OF LAW-H0W
DEBT STATEMENTS ARE MADE.
TO the Edftor Of The tribune.
SIR: The American people have, no doubt,
an idea the public accounts Of the Government as
kept in the Departments Washington, models of
neatuess oxacuess and truth, and that erasure or
blot would as Tim Lnkwaters case give seepless
nighs TO head OF bureau and doom the hapess per-
perator 10 Instant dismissal Several years cerkng in the
Treasury and keeping books in the various bureaus
have gwen me knowledge OF all the details and IL IS as
humatng 20 Ihy pride bookkeeper as 1t Is mortfy
ing to me as AN citizen to state that there can
not be found in any countinghou or establishment
that pretends to keep bookkeeper in America miser
ably kept so badly written wretchedly ruled, often
erased oted and inaccurate books as are TO be found
in any bureau the u 8. Treasury. There ia no uni
form system The Secretary the Controller the Regis
method. The Auditors likewise have their peculiar
methods. There are not over q dozen clerks 10 the
Treasury acting boOkkeepers who have any illness for
the position, could get employment as bOokkeepers In
o bank or commercial house There Is no Treasury
OF huge books marked on the out de Ledgers, which,
some four or five years after the entries are
made, arc balanced In the Registers Office only.
IL is not In the power OF the Secretary OF the Treasury
or any other official OF that Department. give the
cepts any named source, customs, or lands for
the past 20 years. without days OF patient labor in the
Ressers office or without reference TO printed reports
The Navy Department cannot tell what its annual eX-
pendures been for the past 20 years hardly for
past three years. and the state OF affairs oXist
I'm all of the Departments. Take the public debt 40
counts Not one the offices having these accounts II
called separately could give tho correct amount OF
the debt and neither Office would with the other
Registers office, which by law is charged with the
duty and responsibility OF exhibiting "a true ana exact
OF the public accounts cannot give the amount
OF principal OF the public debt outstanding and the
Treasurer OF the United States only takes an account OF
the redempons and issue of bonds His accounts
only exhibit side OF the account Tie books OF the
Secretarys Office, from which the monthly public state
ment Is made up, do not nor cannot give the true
amount The monthly exhibit Is taken from an aptly
termed especial Debt Ledger" which has counterpart
I'm the Department, and eau be manipulated 10 suit
the convenience s author the Secretary without
at all affecting the general accounts OF Receipts ana
Expenditures" What is to prevent the increase or de-
crease the monthly statement when the statement OF
the amount OF cash hand on the last day or each
office Or II decrease OF debt OF unusually large
amount needed just before close election, how easily
and how often done To keep back tie expenditures ana
add the cash balances. There s way 20 detect the
fraud because the monthly Public Debt statement Is en-
trey I'm the control Of the Secretary OF the treasury
and rs made from warrants actual transactions OF
the Treasury demanded by law, and can be made 10
exhibit thing desired The actual reduction Of debt
can only ascerained when the receipts and eXpend
lures are up by the Register the close OF each
quarter the true amount Of cash In the hands or the
Treasurer is known by these quarterly eXhlDlts Ins
was understood by Congress- Wnen III passed.
law making tho duty OF the Secretary of the Treas
ury TO publish quarterly exhibit OF receipts ana eK-
Those quarterly eXhibits are now dlscon-
tined, they conflict with the monthly inaplpulaOns'
TREASURY CLERK.
n n cf 4 4