Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-17
THE EGOVERNMENT ACCOUNTS
Changes in the System Made in the Leg
islative Bill
The Results of the Investigation Into
Department Methods Of Work by
the D0ckery Comnission.

In the legislative bill which passed the
Senate yesterday was embodied one Of the
most important changes in the routine work
Of government made since the war; The
bill carried into effect the recommendations
Of the Dockery commission to reorganize
the accounting system of the Treasury De-
partment, which was established in 1872
by Alexander Hamilton and has been in
vogue since, with occasional revisions. Al
though defended by Senator Sherman, once
Secretary Of the Treasury, this system was
said by the commission of experts to lack
symmetry and to be cumberous to the ex-
tent Of congesting the business Of the de-
partment. The new plan will not go into
operation until the 1st Of October. as time
will be required to make the changes.
The Change of System.
The existing system includes a tripIicate
examination of accounts; whereas the new
plan provides for double examination.
with checks and safeguards modelled after
the workings of some of the largest corpor-
ations In the country. 1t abolishes the first
second and third controllers and creates a
controller, who is the law officer of the
treasury, and. IN sense, an appellate
court since his construction of the statutes
will govern the auditors in settling ac-
counts. The new system, which will bring
up to date work which is dragging two
years behind, is intended to secure the
prompt adjudication of claims and ac-
counts. while incidentally it saves the gov
ernment s2OO.OOO a year by dispensing with
the services of 1S5 clerks.
New Form of Money Order.
Another work of the Dockery commits
sion is the new form of money orders, which
came into use on the first of this month.
superseding the old money orders and the
DOStal WI
In form they are more like the postal notes
than the money orders which they succeed.
having coupons which show the amount
they carry, so arranged for clipping that
the orders cannot be altered without decreas-
Ing their value. Most important, however.
they involve a saving both to the govern
ment and to the user. since smaller fees
are allowed to postmasters for issuing them
making the uniform rate Of three cents: and
the charges to the public are reduced rang
Ing from three cents for orders less than
WOO up, to thirty cents for 800.
The Work Of a Year.
The Dockery Commission has been in ex-
istence but little more than a year. having
been organized June O. 1893, by act of Con-
gress. Its author is Representative Dock
cry Of Missouri. With him are associated
Representatives Dingley of Maine and Rich
ardson Of Tennessee. and Senators Cockrell
Jones and Collum. The work of inyestiea
tlon or the business methods OF the de-
partments has been carried on by !. w
Reinhart. c. W. Haskins and E. w. Sells
Messrs. James G. Courts and Thomas p.
Cleaves, the clerks Of the Iouse and Sem
ate committees on appropriations have
furnished much of the material for its re-
ports Eight or ten bills have been recon-
mended by the commission. all Of which
nave become laws. One OF the most Inpor-
tant was that which provided for the bur
chase of supplies for all government de-
partments by committee Of three and an
other was the bill doing away with the ex-
penslve engrossing Of acts of Congress, and
directing that they should be printed.