The morning times., 1895-11-08
THEIR BONDS TOO sMAlL
Those Of Dishursing Officers
Should Be Increased.
AUDITOR HoLCOMB'S REPORT
He Says That Those Officers Who
Advance Large Sums Should Give
Heavier Surety-District Commits
sioners Cited as n Case in Point
Some Other Instances.

Thomas Holcomh, auditor of the Treas
ury for the State and other departments
IN his annual reports recommends that
Congress be asked to change existing
laws so that every disbursing officer
shall give bond in an amount which shall
exceed, say by go per cent, us in the
case of the Public Printer, all advances
that may be deemed necessary, aud TO
prohibit the advance, in any case of any
sum which shall create an indebtedness
III excess OF the limit fixed. and that there
shall he added 10 the salary of the officer
appointed certain amount for every
81 900 OF security required, so hat The
inequality and injustice above referred
to shall not continue.
THEIR BONDS TOO SMALL.
In the case of the disbursing officer
of the department of Justice the salaries
payable by that officer necessitate ad-
vanccs of from $50, 900 To Sl25, 900. while
the bond given is Tor $4,000. The con-
diIionS as TO the uisburSing officer of the
Department OF Agriculture are very nearly
the same.
The large advances necessarily made 10
the Commissioner of the District OF Co.
iumhia for The payment of expenses in
volycd i'll the administration of a large
city cause an average balance against the
commissioners of more than a half mil
lion dollars. The bond of each of TWO
of the Commissioners is in the comparatively
small sum of $4,000. willie the third
Commissioner, being an army officer, is
not required 10 give any bond.
In The cases of the three disbursing Of
ficers of Congress, 1t is claimed that very
large advances are necessary, and the in
debtedness of these officers varies from
500, 900 to $500. 600, while the bends in
the case of these are for SEQ, 900 and of
the other for $50, 600.
LIBRARIAN SPOFFORD'S ACCOUNTS.
The accounts of Librarian SpofroTI, of
the Congressional Library, are settled in
Auditor Holcomb's office. Among the
duties of the Librarian OF Congress is that
of rendering to this office his accounts
for receipt of copyright fees, which aver
age considerably over 500 daily.
The rendering OF these accounts has cen
greatly delayed and an examination into
the matter made during the year has made
it plain that the present system does not
secure the best results, either for the
government or the general public.
The librarian claims that the multitude
OF his duties and an inadequate clerical
force are responsible for the trouble.
HE SUGGESTED CHANGES.
Whatever be the cause" says Auditor
Holconlb, "a remedy should be found. and
would respectfully suggest, as a solution
OF the difficulty, that Congress be recon-
mended to separate the duties OF register
of Copyrights from those of libraria of Con-
gress, enacting such laws as would pro-
mote the interests of the public in secur
ing prompt action in copyright matters, and
would at the same time protect the iu-
terests of thegoverument in securing prompt
returns OF moneys received from copyright
fees"
Auditor Holcomb states that the accounts
of Mr.. +. ]. Kieckhuefer, disbursing officer
OF the State Department, whose resigna-
ton was recently requested, have been
adjusted for the fiscal year To June 80,
1895.
Among the items OF expense are: Tribunal
OF arbitration at Paris OF S46. 1867; Pan
American Medical Congress, Sl22.6 So; inter
continental railway commissioners, S3l,-
929.33; rescuing shipwrecked American
seamen. So, ,177.06; American Republics
Union, S26, ,7OO.44.