Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-12-04
How virginia Via, Save Money.

Recently the wess Point Vire'nian
made the suggestion that the General
Assembly ought to provide for the APP
pointment Of travelling AUDITORS TO cx-
anime the account. OF the Common
wealth's bonded officers. In the several
cities and counties The South Boston
Times antagonizes ghis suggestion. and
says that travelling auditors would be
superiluous. as long as there are such cor
porations as guarantee companies III
then calls attention 20 the fact tnat
the Treasurer and the Sheriff OF that
county did not ask personal security. but
offered ;he surety Of responsible guar
an,ee company. which was accepted by
the Judge OF the County Court
There Is no doubt that a strong feeling
is manlfesting itself Ia the state in favor
OF The guarantee-cOmpany system OF
bonding officers. which was earnestly adj
vocated oy Governor Mckinney during
his administration. The argument In favor
OF this system Is that the companies
would. through employees acting as
travelling AUDITORS. examine al regular
and short intervals the accounts Of OIL
GERS for whom they were surety and thus
minimize the probability of carelessness'
or anything like heavy shortages u ae-
falcations. These examinations the COM
panies would make for their own protec-
ton. and in protecting themselves they
would protect the Commonwealth. Again.
the system. II Is urged, would protect the
officers Themselves against taking risks
no matter how honest might be their IN
ten;ions. IN the majority OF instances,
where officers, who have had the handling
Of the States money, have suffered and
caused the Commonwealth 10 suffer, there
has been no criminal intent, but the trou-
BILE he's proceeded from mixing" their
private and their official affairs. This con-
dition could not well continue for any
length of time In any case
where the officer was bonded by a
guarantee company, seeing that such OIL
Ger would have to keep his accounts on
a strictly business basis.
Another thing: The state and counties
have been heavy losers in times past
on account OF defects in the drafting and
signing OF official bonds. some Of these
defects should have been evident 10 the
merest tyro i'm the law Certainly, some
improvement. in the manner OF eXamin-
ing these bonds should be made. They
ought 10 be subjected to more rigid scru-
tiny than they are now. The acceptance
OF sureties who sign through attorneys
powers of attorney being given, Is
fruitful cause Of trouble.
The present law requires these bonds
to be referred to the masters OF ac-
counts for examination and report, but
this work is often done In a perfunctory
manner. and sometimes by persons who
do not know what have been the de-
clsions Of The highest courts on important
questions. and when shortage occurs
the suretes can usually find defects
enough to beat the State, or compel the
State or the county or city to agree to
compromise.
During the past fiscal year, we believe
the losses Of the State were slight, il any,
but. under our present system We cannot
hone for continuance Of this good luck.
The Commonwealth would nave a very
full Treasury, indeed. If it could collect
the bulk Of the sum that has become due
to it during the past twenty-five years.