St. Paul daily globe., 1888-02-23
The EXAMINERS OFFICE.
Gov. McGill Is Not Yet Ready to Name
Mr. KnoXs Successor.
HE HAS PICKED HIS MAN.
Duties Of the Examiners Office as MIR.
Knox Looks at Them---A Hard
Place to Fill.

"The new public examiner" echoed
Gov. McGill yesterday in answer to
question asked by GLOBE reporter.
"ill announce the appointment in due
time, but not just at present. l will
say this much, however, that I've
picked out nay man and he's a good one,
too. The place is hard one to GlI and
Public Examiner Knox is a hard man
to succeed. He has been a faithful
public officer, and l regret very much
that he has decided to leave the public
service" ~
1.-The governor was vexed at this mat
ter coming out at this time" said Pui,y
lie Examiner Knox yesterday. "He
wanted it kept quiet until he bad de
cided upon a man for the position. Of
course he could act with much greater
freedom if unembarrasSed by applica5
tiOns and candidates. -,
This department." continued Mr.,
Knox, lis divided into three distinct
classes of work. The first is the examf-
nation of the state banks, of which
there are now nearly seventy. The,
second is the examination of the ae7
counts of various county officials. This,
alone necessitates eighty examinations !.
Then, besides these, the state institu-
IiOilS tlC dil W Uc eAtiIllnbu. lie
department was organized May l, 1875
and l took charge of it at that time.
The county work was the principal
thing then, as there were only thirteen
state banks in the state at that time.
The work has increased very much in
all departments since then. The banks
have not only increased in number, but
also in capital. My work has been prin-
cipally i'll the way of organization. |
started in to provide system of ac-
counts for the county officers and mama
gers of the state institutions. Before
1873 there had been great many de-
falcatiOnS
AMONG THE COUNTY OFFICERS,
and the two used the same system of
accounts. Laws had been passed with
out much reference to each other. and
no one but specialists knew the law
regulating these matters. l started in
to cOdify these laws and to get the alb
surd ones repealed, with the idea of
making coherent SYSTEM. The Office
is now in good shape. There is a sys-
TEN of accounts and reports, and the
laws have been cOdifed-indeed almost
everything has been reduced to sys-
tenn and there are few points the new
man won't find interpreted for him."
''ln regard to the salary paid to the
head of this department., Mr.. Knox,
sis it large enough to secure the kind of
a man required?'
Il never asked for any increase of
salary" he REPLIED" but man quail
| fed to take this office can do better
elsewhere. He ought to have more, or
| else the work should be divided. The
| state bank department is daily becom-
| ing more important, and unless con-
| greSS does something very soon it will
| in great measure take the place of the
national bank system in the states.
This will, of course, vastly increase the
work of the department.
But the hardest work of the office
has been done. A clear, simple system
| has been introduced, and everything is
| in good order. OF course, there's
| plenty Of work yet to do-enough for
any man to make a reputation on.
My resignation will take effect March l.,
and L shall assume the duties of my
new position shortly after that time''
Mr.. Knox will go to the Security bank
! in Minneapolis.
FOR MIR. KNOX'S SHOES.
Among the names known to be under
consideration by Gov. McGill. perhaps
| the most prominent is that of Deputy
| Public Examiner E. d. HaskinS.
This appointment would be in
| the line of civil service reform.
| Mr.. Haskins has been the deputy pub
| lie examiner for some time, and so we'll
has he performed the duties of the
office that Mr.. Knox has recommended
him in the most favorable terms for the
| appointment.