Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1880-04-22
COUNTY ACCOUNT.

We further beg leave to report to the honor
able court, that from the fact of the auditors
last year having called the attention of the
disposed OfbcfOre magistrates OF the city and
county, the auditors were desirous OF knowing
whether it had had any effect on those officials,
so as to show reform in that direction, and
on examination we find that the costs in these
cases were s., 1886. II less during last year than
for fort the former mel which shows gratifying re.
will continue in keeping down these costs as
much as they possibly can.
The annual costs OF public printing for the
penses are heavy and, in our opinion, might be
reduced.
In examining the accounts Of the treasurer
of the board OF prison inspectors Of Lancaster
county, we discovered that the treasurers did
not charge themselves with all the money re-
celved from the county commissioners and
prison keeper, which accounts tor the auditor
having a balance in the hands of these treas
urers, and on examination of these and other
prison officials we find that it has been the Gus
tom of the prison treasurers to draw some
times more money from the county treasury
than it required for the payment of their
monthly bills. This over-plus, as admitted by
the prison keeper tor his convenience in buy
ing revenue stamps, Whenever the salesman
ut the prison could effect q sale of cigars the
this over plus they would have had no money
to buy those revenue stamps.
The auditors would further report that from
the quantity and quality of the provisions con-
the conclusion but that there is a leak some
where, but just how to find it the auditors
think is beyond their ingenuity: The difficulty
tie boar5 Prison ne % Pnspsetors ssper Thas aa
disposing of the large quantity Of goods
manufactured by the inmates should fall so
tar behind the necessary funds, as to require
the inspectors to leave balances in his hands
tor which they are charged by the county
treasurer and directly responsible to him,
system da all of nars hesse hepeg
with this institution destroys that system of
checks and vouchers by which alone the peo-
pie can be protected, and leaves a loophole
from which to escape the closest scrutiny of the
accounting officers. Ifthe prison cannot earn
enough money to pay for its own revenue
stamps, & without not Iirlug the county treasnr;
prison labor might be made more remunera-
tive by hiring it out under a system OF con-
public have become tired of the experiments
of running refOrmatOry and corrective institu-
tlons ON non-selt-supporting basis.
The auditors, find from an examination of the
been purcased at prices far above that allowed
to be paid for the meat furnished to the prison
1T Is fair inference that the meat is used by
great consumption of meat or else great ex-
travagance, as this sum, on a careful calcula
ton, would supply the table of an ordinary
hoc,i Will hoI lGss lhAn twenty pOundS OF me
meat per day. 1t must be remembered that
this meat bill does not include the other large
bills tor poultry. While upon this subject the
auditors would further beg leave to call atten-
ton to heavy bills Of dry goods, charged 10 the
prison keepers personal account, and not
shown to have been used outside of the prison
family. amounting in the aggregate to $500.
The auditors likewise find q bill OF $50 cha rye
for horse hire by the prison keeper, besiues
what he Is allowed for keeping his own horse.
We, as auditors, cannot too strongly advert
to the loose manner Of accounting which at
present exists in prison circles, especially the