Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-04-11

r. Smith, trusted c'erllin the Audit
or IS office, u loss rangiI 6 from Sl0o,0OO
to 100000
Third, by the recent failure of the En-
change National Bank of Norfolk; LIST,
a deposit of $500 of State monies, and
End. $3.50 of taxes due covering Pc
Rod of five years, aggregating sl2,5So
Here we hive a total loss to the bur
dened taxpayers of the State of S24I $50,
which we are told, may reach S347 $50
or even more. The haphazard. reck-
less. inefficient and unbusinesslikc
methods of handling the public funds
are clearly and forcibly shown by the
losses in the Ilantcrs Bank and the En-
change Newfoundland it is to no Official
vigilance, but the failure of these Ballks'
The public know the facts. In the case
of the taxes due-$7, $50, by the En-
change National, the astounding dccla'
ration is made that they had not been
collected, because 10 assessment was
made by the auditors office! And this
for five years. The watchful secretary
the vigilant eye, and close training Is
wonderfully exhibited in the case Of the
defalcations of Smith. He wls en-
gagged in his work for many, many years,
and WAS discovered at last solely thro'
the curiosity Ola new clerk. DESTROYS
Of KNOWN G what amount his father IL
county Officially paid into the treasury.
1t was through 10 case of any compe-
tent auditor this was discovered
To account for these losses it is evil
dent there has been gross failure of du-
ty. somewhere-and that somewhere is
il. the auditors Office. Every auditor
who failed to 50 examine the books of
his office us to permit the populations of
Smith-whether they go buck one or
twenty years, or permitted Il bank total
to pay its taxes. or failed to assess these
taxes. whetherit be for one OF five years:
or who failed to use all and every pow
er of his office TO know the exact colldi-
ton of every bank holding State depos-
its-is responsible for the loss. The
whole trouble has been all along for the
last twenty years, that men have been
appointed to office who, however honest
they NAV have been, were unfit to fill
their places because Of inef1icicncy. in
competency, and Il tllorough lack of the
business qualities demanded. 1t is time
to call halt Bought wisdom we
are told, "is.Mst." Certainly aQuarter
Of million Tor more of dollars is pay
ing sufficiently high price to get good
article. The bestowll Of Office demand
ing. the highest and b est business talent
and trimming upon men whosconly claim
is political work, has cost us dear. Let
lis have done with this supreme folly.
1t is time we had workerS-n0t mere
politicians--to iii this business Office.
If we cannot get Il thoroughly trained
business man at thepresent salary, raise
it. five should pay s., 600 (even) ayear
it would take fifty years to reach the
sum of our late losses! Let the people
see to it that the present penny
wise and pound foolish" policy is done
aw,ly with. Let no mar be appointed
TO such an Office whose whole Trainings
not in the line of the work TO be done
or who will not scrutinize every pigeon
hole in his office just so soon as he gets
IN the saddle. Otherwise the same
story will Ue told agilin--with possibly
worse additions. kEGoTANK.
AccomacC. H., Va, April Sth, 1855.