Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1886-05-21
FiDuclARY GRIMES
Two Plans For a Reduction IN .,
Q of Embezzlement. e

ANeuuCtlOn In III. u
be~ of Embezzlements Mn
What can be done to stay the tide =,
fiduciary crimes. There is a cont a
round of disclosures of embez,lNu00'
and forgery that makos the trustoa eAS
ploye anxious, for if men whose ~, s@'
are the most circumspect and who ~ a.es
the highest honors fall. is anv m nos
reputation safe. The m%ultiplicitv !,
such cases has sent a shock into or,s W
avenue of investment, and touchcd ,v;S
more or less influence the vast m,io maa
of employers, $ that it comes as = ~
serious question, Who can be tru<to,,
The high value of an honest NAN ~ ~
been h!story's delight. but has tho s't s
cies become so rare as to be extinct s y,
has the world gone beyond the meib 1ua
by which they can be securede Thass
294 men occupy the convict's cell for .t NV
theft of about $50, 900, 900 is not ass, us
ancc that the class have all been canrht
locked up or disclosed. Nor is if e'
tain that the disgrace thus branded win
check the flood of rascalitv. TIKI
iniquity ought to be ended, and cvars
honest man is ready to join in the me,;.
ures that best suggest how to do it.
There are two plans worth discussjDc
and that are not wholly novel in their
workings. They are, first, by means Of
regular inspection by public account.
ants, and second, by the cooperation q,
honest employees in disclosing the habits
and society Of financial clerks and mana.
gers. If the State would enact a law bv
which an accountant could be licensed.
as in England, we might have the sery.
ices OF a competent MAJ to overhaulthe
affairs of a firm at any time. By the
terms of his license, and the bonds he
filed. absolute integrity in examination
would be had, for if by accident he over.
looked any item wherein subsequent de.
velopments show fraud had existed,
this accountants bonds would be held
responsible; and if he were found to
have disclosed to others the secrets of
the business he had investigated, the
aggrieved principals would secure re-
dress through his bond. OF course such
continuance would lose the accountant
his license and his reputat on. 1t is the
custom of a house h>ving several
branches in the various cities of the
Union, all doing a large business, to
send twice a year a corps of book-keep-
ers from the home Office to investigate
the books of these branches, Mt the same
time taking the book-kecpers from their
branch houses to the home office to over
haul the records there. 1t has secured
absolute honesty in their business, sys-
tpyo,n+iunI %1,@s,, >,AI,l -.- ~
stimulus to their employees. All con
Germs are not so situated, but no honest
manager OF book-keepcr will for a mo-
ment object to the sharpest inspection,
and no employer should for a momen,
hesitate to verify the balances thai
monthly and semi-annually are handec
him.
The tell-talc, the espionage, are moi
popular. Gossip and SANDER are
~despicable, and no one thing so quickly
irritates as the report Of suspicion: and
yet very few crimes come to the surface
out Of the mercantile and public employ,
but scores of 81 told you sos" abound.
1t is a delicate office to perform,
a%cquainting 4 house of the evil an m
ploye is into, and yet there are few men
so associated in organizations and
orders but that seeing an erring brother
they cannot find wise counsel to whom
to make known the facts, and so reach
the parties at interest. The bucket
shops have been a prolific source for
irregularities, and no prudent employer
has Il wish that his people shall pa
tronize them. Fast associates are the
allurements to hundreds of youths, and
peculations their chief support. If
young men and the middle-aged ceased
to wink at the '%'follies of the day." and
We're as stern in their integrity for their
associates as they were for their own
characters, a vast deal of this dissipa-
ton would end, and compulsory hon
esty would save many an embezzler.
cam | my brothers keeper?:" was an
swered i'll early times with a decision
and an experience that ought to have its
influence to-day. The matter is worth
very serious attention, for these multi
plying de%falcations are making it more
and more difficult for even honest men
to obtain positions of confidence, trust
and northumberland Budgct.