Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1897-02-23

the State. Ii is worthy Of note that the
treasurer seconded the auditor i'm pro-
claiming he public necessity in this re-
gard. in his report for 1851, page 6, where
i'm he informed the public of the necessity
for increased appropriations of the enact
meut of the Legislature tending TO cur
tail the amount of this class of demands.
The general rue for keeping public ac-
counts. as found I'm the Code, is the same
that has prevailed for more than thirty
years. and is of a character to secure the
greatest accuracy and safety from frau
dulent practices, and so far, there has
been nc ground for just criticism regarding
the keeping Of accounts of State funds.
Some Of the appropriation bills. in past
years. have contained provisions which
have tended to confuse the treasury Of
fcials in matters of detail and this has
rendered the public duties Of the officers
difficult in their efforts to reconcile appar-
entity conflicting Laws; but these troubles
have been intelligcntly overcome. and the
financial showing from year to year, has
been truthful and perspicuous. Under the
methods i'm use the public can rest secure
and confident that the statements in the
annual reports OF our treasury affairs are
full and complete as well as accurate.
OF course. it will appear, that if the Leg
islature of 1895 had made adequate APP
preparations for the criminal charges and
other public services for which made
quate sums were allowed the payments
thus authorized would have resulted in
the expenditure of more money than was
L q
vious two years. and the aggregate sum
to the credit of the State fund would have
shown a corresponding reduction. Elk
cept for the Inconvenience this state Of
affairs has caused to the States credi-
tors there has been no harm done and the
present opportunity 20 authorize the use
of sufficient funds to meet past ard pres
ent obligations, will relieve the situation
entirely. The majority report Of the COM
mittee appears TO be based on certain tab
Ulated statements made up by the clerks
of the committee who have been employ
ed upon this work about one month at
considerable expense. To me this labor
was a work of supercrrogation, the fallicy
of conclusions drawn from which will be
apparent when it is known that it con-
sists Of memorandums OF uneXpended bal
ances which have been. in large part, COW
cred into the treasury and have become.
from year to year, part Of the common
fund by direct action Of laws operating
10 this end. II these harmless and effete
balances are to be called up in proof of
deficits now, their accumulation in twenty
to fifty years would cover the entire rev.
enues Of the state. and, to the uninitiated
citizen. would serve to throw doubt and
confusion upon the integrity and accuracy
of any possible statement Of the State $
financial condition. 1t would appear to be
the better policy TO rather quiet unjust and
unreasonable suspicion regarding so i'm
portant a part of our system of govern
ment where there is no just cause for
such suspicious. II the laborious duties Of
our chief financial officers are to meet
with constant and nwarranted rencc-
tions upon their conduc.. ry inuendos such
as the majority report appears to induce.
the best and most capable of our people
will hesitate to accept employment in the
public service. No possible political or
partisan advantage can Justify the indul-
gencc in a course which will tend to this
result.
Z. 4. BENNETT.