The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-01-28
Tie Question Of Rerenchnnen
and EgefOrni.

ment and reform we are or one accOru, bt'
whether there is either wisdom or ecOnOm,
in certain curtailments is a matter of in
auiry and investigation. If great publ
duties and response bilitieS are imposed, til
! means of "a faithful and efficient perform
ance of the same should not be denied
Proper checks and balances are inva
riably established in wise fnancia
/ legislation, as web as ordinary bust
ness, for a more certain detection o
errors, as we'll as the prevention o.
i frauds: and as these entries are multiplied
! by their passage through different hands
the more labor must be done. Legislation
! therefore, should not be had upon the bust
ness and employees of the Auditors and
Treasurer's offices, without thorough in
vestigation as to duties devolved under the
law and work necessary to be performed.
Then let us see the work to be done in the
Auditors office, and the comparative in
crease since the adoption of the Code of
1857. Ia Hutchinson's Code it will be
found QS43) that the Auditor was allowed
a Deputy Auditor and Clerk, the former
at a salary OF 81 200 and the latter at $500
per annum. In 1848, the Auditor was al
lowed an additional Clerk at salary of
$500, and this was continued and carried
into the Code of 1857, with this exception,
one of the Clerks was allowed 81 900 and
the other $500. In 1859, Col Madison
McAfee, in his report to the Legislature,
stated that this force was inadequate TO the
discharge OF the complicated duties of the
office, or the salary sufficient to pay compe-
tent clerical force. Here is what he says
at is necessary that there should be an
additional clerk in the office. The labor to
be performed is too much for the present
force, and it is not to be expected that the
Auditor will obtain additional help with
out being authorized to do go.
would respectfully suggest that as the
duties OF this office are arduous and compli-
Tod nraI Of 80
mand the very best clerical ability on the
part of the assistants, it is of the utmost i'm
portance TO the State that the Auditor have
clerks, and such clerks cannot
be obtained at the present salary paid by
the State. have had two clerks, Messrs |
Brown and Swan, who are entirely compey |
tent, and L take this opportunity to express |
my obligations to them for the energy and I
efficiency they have displayed in the dis
charge OF their duties. could not ask their
services tor less than they could get else /
where, and l have had to retain them at a
personal cost of six hundred dollars annu-
Ally. The salary paid by the State to the
Auditor will not justify this expense, and
rust you will relieve my successor OF this
outlay by increasing the salary of the
Jerks"
Inc Clerks were thereafter allowed So 400
" 200 each. After the war Acts 1861
ne work was done by the Deputy Auditor
nd the latter $1,000 each.
Inc business of the office at that time
onsIsted in settling with tax collectors. and
edemptlen of sales of land and COVERING
ne revenues into the State Treasury bv re-
eipt warrant.
ne Code OF 1857, they were required TO SET
lie within thirty days after the 1St q
ay of June, annually. The fines. for {
33ltures, license to hawkers and ped
lefS, went TO the counties, and were c
ana over to the County Treasures. d
ne Auditor had no accounts with Comfy
reasurers, Justices OF the Peace-no rc, :
orCS TO HE, settlements to make RECENT I
arrants to issue and vouchers to file away
mong the records after passing the hands ,
'r entry, of three different clerks. Nor n
a aS any setIienehts OF privileges or liquor .
censes py deDlt. report and credit See
lie difference. The warrants issued aIona o
nder the Code of 1857 and laws of 1855 5
ny warrants on Treasurer issued in 1S57-s f
ere re- 1'54d; IN 1859, 1,170; in 1861, 1877:
1867, 1852; in 1868, 2,O59 Fl
Now take the last three veoro :, q
az, there were issued 5000, in 1874 q 2o7 s.
ld IN 1879, lO,020. Now when If i to ha
'nsldered that the voucher upon which
On warrant Is issued has Seven entries mon y
e DOCKS OF this office, besides examinafion II II
~ niilng, passing through the hands OF
ur clerks, the difference in This reSnoct -
one, Is apparent Salaries were formerIv ,
avn quarterly, now monthly. Since the ="
option OF the present Constitution and
os noeo 1n force, the work has increased NJ
I less les, than five hundred per cent. $3.50 NJ
oe.9ionehts are now required to be made ar
onthly instead of annually, and with So
~ three counties instead of sixty &c TO-
'rIy, win collectors, and they are rpouir- "a "a
10 report whether any c0llectionS no ot
zee or not, and payments of some Kind 10
maze monthly, arising either from priv
ge TAX or liquor license general Stoto m;
( or insolvencies. Thus this denartnoo,'t II
lures Twelve times the amount of 49,
ormerly die. Now license to retaiI o ~ n
lfhege lax incense are issued bv fit -.
ce ana charged to collectors, which = vi
nc moIh LOT any one com petent man W.
INK licenses from So up to $1,000 To si%n
mp with seal OF office, charge and rooit9, ST,
upon payment, to issue receipt warront Or
er on check book, make ard file vnnnI, $
make general entry. Now, this ofiica Me
II separate account with every Can't Sh
a as. every Justice of the Peace. every
CUT ana every Chancery ClprE an35 |
ry District Attorney in the Str ana g BY
:, lorIeltufes, emercements. land rol
IpCfohs, etc. A Common Sehooi ~ Joi
punt and enumeration of educabla o Luu Ces
u H.; ana distribution of fund under TN tba \
is required. iueI the W
! view of the immense o., d
Us Under the new order of tbin@S SoIas
w 9eTe allowed in 1870 as follows SAID De
loIO the force in the office was inorooo, y
az as lohows: Deputy Auditors sa Gaseo Sor
nv c of salary ada 81 OOeach three clerk lin
X at s si,ooU each, and two assistant
ne deputy and seven clerks. H nsaaihg IN
90 page Col And after ''u n Acts
er dnlS seemingly liberal allowannna =
- ora ana salaries, here is what Hon roe IT 81
isIatr Audltor says in his report To- the
IS the statistics of this ro,,o.. Mis-
business of this office baps oi VIII snow, cati
sed. would resnectf,lIt' largely in Nor
cal force now ayitbon;.15 state that the TT
uate to a proner 49,, Ecu Dy law is in Cou
cally is this trna s;a &c OF the duties held
lie Tax Land po sihce the publication Feb
Sc of Repres a report ordered by the tt
, no "a clerk has been furnishod ma An N
m hv Ia T since the close OF the last Wed