The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-06-16
SMALL LEAKS IN THE STATE
OIL INSPECTORS CLAIMED TO BE
SHORT IN SETTLEMENTS.

spectOrs Drew Salaries in Savan-
nnh in One Month-The System Of
bookkeeping in the Agricultural
Department Declared Very Defcc-
tive-Higb Price Paid For FertiI-
izer Tags.
Atlanta. Ga, June 15.-Smoke is begin
ming TO grow very thick around the Bla-
lock investigating committee since il en-
tered the agricultural department, and
tongue of fame is leaping up now and
then.
Commissioner Nesbitt is thought by the
committee to be due the state a little
over 5000 He does not deny that he may
owe that much, but points out the fact
that the state was receiving nothing ana
expected nothing from the inspection Of
oils when he went into office and has
since received in seven years about $4,000
The present fee charged, he says, was
merely intended to defray the expenses |
of the inspection.
A member of the committee said this |
afternoon. "Of course, nobody doubts |
that Commissioner Nesbitt is a thorough |
gentleman and a good farmer, but the
question is, is he a good close business
man?"
OF the oil inspectors, four others have |
been thought by the committeeman be |
hind in their accounts with the state. Col. |
Riley or Inspector Moprissey of Savannah, |
is said to owe the state S125. 1t is ac- |
counted for in this way: Col, Riley was in |
office one month, during which the pres |
ent inspector relieved him. For that month |
each drew $125, which is the limit of an
inspectors monthly salary under the law.
No matter how much business the office |
may transact, the committees idea is that |
Sl25 was all that was due the Office for an |
inspectors salary. 1t made no difference |
whether there was In the same month two |
or more authorized inspectors or only |
one
The question involved Is worth consider |
ing The law entities an inspector to |
IS per cent. of the fees he collects, 10 mat |
ter how little is collected. It entities him |
in addition to a percentage on two-thirds |
of the remainder If his collections amount |
70 anything. but if they are large enough |
TO run his commissions up to more than |
S125 per month, then the law calls a halt |
and says that is the limit of his salary. In |
Savannah the monthly inspection fees are |
heavy, amounting to several thousand |
dollars, possibly 81. 900 or IS 900. There was |
plenty to pay both inspectors under the |
law and they seem to have taken the full |
salary limit OF the law, but the committee |
holds that for the mouth both served the |
two should count as one man. There is !
talk on the part of the committee OF in |
Producing a bill to amend the law so as
10 make it impossible that such a con- |
flict in construction may arise hereafter. |
Ex-Inspector John w. helms, now sher- !
iff of this county, is held to be $54 in ar |
rears to the state. Sheriff helms has been |
heard 10 remark that in order to collect |
it a good place for the committee to |
go would be to hadeS.
Inspector James Lille of Athens, is con-
sidered $50 short.
The late Hale Barrett of Augusta. faith |
er-in-law of Manager Editor Clark Howell |
of the Atlanta Constitution, foots the list |
with a shortage of 81.
The committee charges no wrong in |
tention 10 any of these gentlemen. all of |
whom stand high in their respective COM |
munities but say they are hewing to the |
line and, who ever has ventured in reach |
is likely TO hear from falling chips.
The commissioner is expected TO make an |
effort to have the money on these short |
accounts returned. In cases where he has |
been attacked for paying out too much to |
oil inspectors he explains that they were |
hosd-over men who had rights under the |
old law, which gave them all they collect |
ed since the new law did not operate ret |
roactively. ~
spoken in his declaration that the book |
keeping in the agricultural department |
had been foupd very defective. The tax |
record, he said, was admittedly wrong |
and the record required by law of the num- |
Der of tags for fertilizers bought and con- |
sumed had not been kept at ALL The com |
missioner himself says his clerk neglected |
this, relying on the vouchers he signed |
when the public printer delivered the tags |
The question of tags seems to be an inn |
portant one
The committee dived into the euano heap
this morning and assisted a little in |
the inspection of fertilizers. Every bag of |
the SCI coo tons sold this year has borne its |
Dennison tag. OF these, something over |
100000 were attached by the inspectors
last year and 100000 this year. They have
been obtained of the public printer the
Franklin Printing House, located here.
Dsnnison had a monopoly at first or a
small and cheap, but useful article pro-
tected by his patents, and at the time the
present commissioner went into office they
were being bought by his department at
$3.50 per thousand. Later he managed to
get a reduction, and now pays $l60 A
long time ago he wrote direct to Dennison
and endeavored TO obtain the tags at a
less rate. The tag is a simple piece Of
pasteboard about one-fourth as large as a
small hand. IL has a hole al
one end, reinforced to prevent
tearing, and through this runs wire
nook bent so as 10 secure itself somewhat
like a safety pin, but in a much cheaper
fashion. To manufacture one may cost
the one-hundrodth part of a cent, or it may
not But Dennison had a valuable pat
ent, and could dictate. He wrote back
declining to deal directly with the COM
missioner, and referring him TO the Frank
bn Printing House. Later some one
claimed to be In possession Of machinery
which would manufacture the same thing
practically without infringing Donnison's
patents, ana offered the tags Cor less Two
weeks ago the commissioner called for
sealed bids, intending 20 award 20 the
lowest bidder il Is understood that some
are now upon his desk. While this state
has been paying SL6O, he points out that
the same agents through whom he has
been obliged by Dennison 20 deal have
been selling the state Of Louisiana for the
original $3.50. The committee estimates.
judging from It's labors to-day that the
tags and other expenses Involved in the
inspection OF fertilizers and cotton seed