Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-03-15
OFFICIAL BONDS
The Must Hereafter Be Examined
Every Two Years.
REPORT OF BUREAU WORK REQUIRED
Two Provisions in the Legislative
Appropriation Bill.
DocKERY COMMISSION WORE.

There are two paragraphs in the legislas
tive, judicial and executive appropriated
bill affecting the operations Of the DEPART
ments in Washington which are now in ef.
feet, although the general provisions Of the
bill do not take effect until July 1 next.
These paragraphs were inserted in the blu
by the Dockery commission and are the re-
suit Of the work of the experts.
One of these provides that Hereafter
every officer required by law to take ana
approve official bonds shall cause the same
to be examined at least once every two
years for the purpose of ascertaining the
sufficiency Of the sureties thereon: and
every officer having power 10 tx the
amount of an official bond shall examine
it to ascertain the sufficiency of the amount
thereof and approve or fix said amount at
least once in two years, and as much
oftener as he may deem 1t necessary. Here>
after every officer whose duty 1t is to take
and approve official bonds shall cause all
such bonds to be renewed every four years
after their dates, but he may require such
bonds to be renewed or strengthened often.
er If he deem such action necessary"
A General Overhnuling Will Results
The result Of this law will be, it is said.
a general overhaulng of the official bonds
of large number of government officials.
duu IL Inlay Ue tudt new OoHuS Will nave 70
be executed. The experts who Investigated
this matter found that there were many
cases where bondsmen were dead or insol-
vent, or the guardian of the faithful dis
charge of the duties Of the officials other
wise impaired.
1t is said there are 1900 or 1900 fourth
class postmasters whose bonds will have
to be examined under this law. This task
will be performed at once and new suretieS
demanded by the government in neces-
sary cases.
Condition OF Business.
The other paragraph Of interest to the
departments is as follows:
ut shall be the duty of the head Of each
executive department or other government
establishment in the city OF Washington to
submit to the first regular session OF the
Fffty-fourth Congress, and annually there
after. in the annual book Of esttmates
statement rs to the condition of business
in his department or other government es-
tablishment, showing whether any part Of
the same is In arrears, and. II 80, In what
divisions of the respective bureaus and
Offices Of his department or other goverr-
ment establishment such arrears exist the
extent thereof, and the reasons therefor.
and also q statement of the number and
compensation Of employees appropriated
for in one bureau or office who have been
detailed to another bureau or Office for 4
period exceeding one year."
Il think the effect of this win be salu-
tary," said Mr.. Dockery today. 'inas-
much as it will likely cause some bureaus
of the government to keep up the work.
At any rate. the next Congress will doubt-
less be interested In knowing what bureaus
have fallen behind in their work during
the vacation. We have a statement of the
condition of the work up to a recent date
and that will furnish a basis for calcula-
ton when the cext report comes In.