The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-06-02
- clsy onsaal rsses.
WEDNESDAY,. SusE 2.


~ nopoft Of Douglas Young on thc
{ 4pno< 81 which the road district funds
Aepo 6osn handled shows the Erosssst
5itence on the part OF those who are
61op6nsihdo for the opportunities afforded
- fsAud. Occasional errors OF tnfs-
q ~ 6us 70 oversight might DO excused.
1T u y evident that the commissioners
ua3 hare been guilty Of persistent care
8 5iseoa, Tor which they should be severe
1 III censured. Tho systematic raising Of
Narfau4s IL the worst feature Of the af-
III. - far as the audifor's Office and
~ eonnty commissioners are concerned.
1ocausa the simplest checking would
havo ttnclosed tbs fraud. A. the expert
1ninta cut, pcreorator would have made
Sniaink Impossible. and any system Of
nookkeeplng ought to have presented the
11en1epenciea between the amount OF the
4 AUDITED hills and tho amount OF cash
<lfsWn ~ tho warrants presented This
~ duty which the auditor and com
sninsfossers should have performed as part
~ TIM most ordinary routine Of an audit
~ nl1ce.
Apart from this. there must have been
nnfortoua collision between the super
sioerw sad those doing the work. While
! 1nfernsesiiarias may have benefited In some
an1snnres BY the raising Of warrants fe-
eompAaied BY forgery. the hearers Of tho
ti1s1 chsc,ss could not always have been
& l9noranf Of tbs fact that they were beins
1ai1 mora than shey were entitled TO.
Tho folly OF permitting the disbursing
} department to be It's own auditor has fire.
Quently been referred to, even when there
was no suspicion OF wronE-dosng. 1t
ehowsd want OF method which no buai-
n<ss house would permit. and the county
commissioner and auditor are much to
AsAmo for not having instituted a system
oven for their own protection.
Tho suggestion Of the accountant that
eAatecaes,ts In detail ahouii be posted In
3 conspicuous place where the facts would
~ well known II u gocd one. but even
more important Is tho Inauguration OF a
eystcm by which all cash payments shall
- nnade by the treasurer. Every audited
IN should be entered In a book and "A
nopy given 70 the treasurer. sb that the
Notal cash paid out may be seen 10 agree
with the auditors books. This would pre-
vent the raising Of warrants. There will
u&ill be need Of = system by which the
Wills Il supervisors should be checked.
The claims should be made out In detail
~ the parties doing the work and checked
and signed by the supervisors, and the
warrants made out separately.
II Is fortunate that the discovery has
oscn made and that the frauds can DO
stopped immediately. The next step to
- taken h to place the responsibility III
goct1y where Il belongs. The statement
oaiy goes back 10 lxe. and II may be ar
ucult 70 trace the Irregularities prior 10
hat time. but with the evidence now at
hand and the Instances so recent. there
should be no ilf1eulty In reaching the
guilty parties. ana even IL criminal prose-
eution cannot prevail. the moral blame
can attach.
Those who have been instrumental In
Asciosing the Irregularities are entitled to
credit. ofiieials In the past have declared
Mat there was no ground for charges os
wrong doing. A confidence in their IN
1neyity wen fer them defenders. That com
odenee has been abused. and those who
we're most trusting arc those who now feel
most Indignant that they should have per-
Witted themselves TO he deceived by men
Vho had eaen relied upon by their friends
end honoresi by the people.