National Republican., 1883-11-01
THE THIRD AUDITOR.
Annual Report From nn Important
Branch OF tho Treasury Department.


The annual report of T. w. Koightley,
third auditor of tho treasury, shows that
during the fiscal year ended June 3O 1888,
there were settled 1864 accounts, involving
S70,50l,2 The unsettled accounts on hand
on June 80, 1883, numbered 25,S91, involving
500, ,055,ll
The report Of tho pension division of tho
third auditors office, the duties of which em-
brace the settlement of all accounts which
pertain to the payment of army pensions,
shows that the amounts disbursed by pension
agents during the year aggregated S5O, ,006'b sol.
OF this amount there was disbursed at Wash
ington, ID. C., $3,ii0,610; indianapolis,
So 15lS0o Chicago, S5,S56,779; Columbus
$5,6s4,320; Philadelphia, $3l06,7i1; New
York. 81, 2,635, ,346, &c, &c. The total amount
of arrears of pensions" disbursod by agents
during the year was S79,S11.
Respecting payments by non-bonded off,
GERS Auditor Keightley says: Many of tho
suits in which this Office has been called
upon to furnish transcripts have been in
stitutcd against non-bonded officers who dis
bursed public moneys during the late rebel
lion. In this connection / desire to call at
tention to the practice of employing non
bonded officers TO disburse government funds,
practice which has resulted in great loss to
tho government during each of the several
wars in which the United States has been
peace. At the present time 120 non-bonded
officers are disbursing in the quartermaster's
department alone, having in their hands
S2l0,OO0 too large a sum to be held and paid
out by any class of men upon the security OF
honor alone. In the engineer department
tho entire amount appropriated by the river
and harbor" and "fortifcation" bills is dis
bursed by officers not under bonds. The sums
so paid out aggregate millions Of dollars every
year. This is not in accordance with
good sound business policy. 1t is said that
there is not O sufficient number of bonded
officers in the army to mako necessary DIS
bursement, and that nonbouded officers must
be employed to make payments In reply to
this it may bo said that bonds may be re-
qurcd by law of all commissioned officers,
or in default of this, non. bonded officers
should, in my opinion, be authorized to pur-
chase only, leaving payment to be made by
tho bonded officers within the district or de-
partment of the purchase. BY this course
the government would not only be secured
against disbursement by irresponsible officers,
but payment of every claim could be readily
traced, and better protection afforded against
fraudulent claims and double payments. l
| believe firmly in the honor and fidelity OF
| the great body of our army officers but | also
| believe that, in the interest OF the govern
rnent, inherent honestly should bo supple
mented by good and sufficient bond.
Concluding his report Auditor Keightley
says: In order to prevent great delay in the
| transaction of current business. in April L
was compelled to ask authority to extend the
hours of labor In this office to include tho
hours from to 10 o'clock in the evening
one-third of the force to be employed each
evening. The order, having been issued May
/, was cheerfully obeyed by the entire force
for the remainder of the fiscal year. For the
willingness and promptness with which the
clerks of this office look up and performed
these additional duties they are entitled to
great credit and ought to have good reason to
hope for additional compensation at the hands
of congress.