Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1886-03-16
THE SIGNAL SERVICE ACCOUNTS.
Letter Of the Secretary of War 10 the
Secretary of the Treasury.

The Secretary of War has addressed letter
to the Secretary of the Treasury in reply to the
memorandum of the second controller of Janu-
ary % in the matter of the adjustment of the
settlement of the accounts of disbursing officers
of the signal service, accompanied by reports,
two of the chief signal officer, dated February
4; Of the quartermaster general, dated Febru-
airy s. and OF the paymaster general, dated Feb
ruary 18th. From the first, the Secretary says,
it appears that the accounts of the dis
bursting officers who preceded Capt. S.
NJ. Mills were at one time consid-
cred settled by the accounting officers
ana it is known that the accounts Of Lieut..
H0wgate were not reopened in the controllers
office until after payment of the first amount
The on tne hs ihn g. h
seen that If there have been any Irregularities
in disbursements of signal service appropria-
has not been brought to the attention of the
department. In the act of March 3, 1888, Con-
for the first N, time egna and
the fact that they were and are 3" TO
be expended by the Secretary of War" the
Secretary says, 'seems to have been overlooked
in the memorandum of the controller" The ac-
ton OF the department in directing the expendi-
lures must, he says, be considered final until
revoked by the Secretary, and If any payments
made, particularly since July 1st, 1885. are not
considered proper by the accounting officers, it
ton and explanation. The Secretary then
states that some of the rules laid down by the
controller are In direct violation OF the prOh1bi-
tions of the act of March 3, 1888, and in answer
to the statement of the controller that he is
able to find any authority for the disbursement
of the public funds by these signal officers, the
Secretary calls attention to the fact that the
controller has cOunterSigned all the requisi-
tions to advance funds to said officers without,
as he is advised, questioning them. The appro-
priatiOn for observation and report of storms
1856, seems TO the Secretary to be applicable to
the expenses OF sending kilograms well
as receiving them. For the Information of
the controller, the Secretary quotes at
length from the decision of the Supreme Court
in the case of the U. s. agt. mcdaniel. stating
the principles upon which the departments
are to be administered, which holds that "Of
necessity usages have been established in every
department of the government which have be-
come a kind of common law, and regulate the
rights and duties Of those who act within their
respective limits. And no change OF usages can
have retrospective effect, but must be limited
to the future"
The Secretary concludes as follows: "The
memorandum of the controller, which Ques-
lions the current business of the signal service,
relates, am advised, to telegraphing reports
telephone service, expenses OF meteorological
stations not receiving reports, and the payment
of civilian printers, &c, in printing maps and
bulletins. AS all these items have been either
estimated for, approved by the Secretary of
War, or passed the scrutiny of the accounting
officers without question for many years, it is
submitted that the service should continue for
the remainder of this fiscal year under the
listing orders of the Secretary of War;"