Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-04-18
Comm unicntiOIi.

Mr.. EDIToR:-I see i'll a late number
of The Wing that the taxes due by the
Exchange National Bank are put al
Sl2,5l7 80 ard the time due for len
wears, instead of $3.50 and five years
us stated. How much the deposit may
he the auditors Office ought to be able
to tell-hut, l have no data other than
that from which l took my first figures
regal ding it. II the increased amount
and time is correct it only shows the
more strongly the mire of incomlE.
tcncy in which the conduct ofthe affairs
of the auditors Office has so long been
swampcd. There is an act of the AS
sembly which is designed to protect the
public from calamity such as lately
has smitten the cities Of Norfolk and
Portsmoutll-the parallel of which can
be found only in the yellow fever vista
tion of 1865, orthe late war. This act says
that all banking houses "silall lie requlr-
ed to make to the auditor of public ac-
counts statements of their financial
conditions ut such times identically. as
the national banks organized under the
laws of the United States are required
to make their statements to the comp
lrolcr of the currency" These state
ments are required to be published "as
published by said national hunks" and
'sllall be certified under oath by the
president or cashier of the bank, and at
tested by at least three of the directors
of said ank." 1T Shall lie the duty of
the auditorofpublic accounts to call mp
OH the banks for the statements" re-
quired, and 1.-The penalty for failure to
comply with such demands within ten
days shall be IL fine Of $780," if the fail
ure continue ''for thirty days a fine of
81 900 shall be imposed, and the officer
of any bank who knowingly makes a
false statement of the condition of the
bank, shall lie deemed guilty of felony,
and upon conviction thereof shall he
fined not less than 500, and imprisoned
in the penitentary not less than one nor
more than ten years. !"
Here is a statute the execution of
which, in its letter and spirit, would af-
ford protection to thepeople-unless the
bank officers should swear falsely. Has
the auditor executed this law? The log
ic of events says, no. Let us hope that
the enforcement Of "the penalty forfail-
IRE to comply" with islaw, and the
prosecutions for having under oatlI'
made false statements" of bank affairs
will say, yes. If, in view Of the manner
of administration of the auditors Office
for tie last twenty years, we are to
Judge of the future by the past, and
believe that IAN ounce of prevention is
worth Il pound Of cure, the duty of the
people is plain. That duty is to see to
it that no man is placed at the head of
that Office whose whole training is not
in the line of the work to be done, who
has not "the highest and best business
talent" whose entire and undivided at
tention will not be given to every detail
of the duties of his oilice-witliout a
thought of what the future MAY give
HIM, or fixing" tor contingencies. The
accomplishment of this end may be Sc
cured by refusing to vote for any man
for the General Assembly who will not
pledge himself to the support Of such Il
man-and not to support mere politi-
Clan or popular good fellow" Thus
we will secure the trained business man
we must have if we would hope for bet
ter days for the Commonwealth. Atall
events we Shall have done our duty in
thus seeking to reach an end so impera-
lively demanded. The history of the
conduct of the affairs Of the Office OF the
auditor Of public accounts for the last
twenty years is to say tile least hnmilia-
ting. The loss of a quarter million of
money is not alive have lost what is
more valuable than money
KEGoTANK
Accomack G. II. April Is, 1885