The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1898-01-21
The Auditor Generals Office Beehive OF
Industry.

Rapids Herald In recent interesting letter
told something of the vast amount of work
done In that Office since Roscoe ID. Dix as
sumed control year ago. A part of the
letter was as follows:
In that busy beehive, the Michigan state
capitol, there is no more lively section than
that occupied by the auditor generals de-
partment. and 1t Is indeed a remarkable
record of business ability and efficiency that
General Roscoe ID. Dix has made during
the first year of his administration. The
routine business of this most Important de-
partment of the state has more than doubled
during the year 1897 as compared with 1896.
The routine letters and applications in 1896
numbered 20, 1856, and for 1897 the enormous
total Of 5000 was reached, and this does
not include the large number of personal
and special letters which the auditor gener-
al Is constantly receiving. When General
Dix assumed control of the department the
| first OF January, 1897, he found the mont
tor and timekeeper system in vogue, and
the chief duties of this official seemed to be
to spy upon and report the conduct Of
clerks. Believing that better way would
be to rely upon the honor of his subordi-
mates of every grade and description to
faithfully perform their duties during Office
hours, the auditor general at once dispensed
with the services of the monitor and time
keeper, and his action not only placed him
In high favor with the employees of the de-
partment, but secured results far larger
than was possible by the odious system he
terminated. The entire force nObly re-
sponded by cheerful and largely increased
industry and greater interest and accuracy.
| RESCUED FROM BANKRUPTCY.
Probably his greatest work as comptroller
of the state finances was his successful
bringing of the state treasury out of the i'm
pending bankruptcy in which he found it at
the beginning OF his term of Office, to COM
Portable condition of solvency. In doing
this he has been greatly aided by the earn
est and well directed cooperation of State
Treasurer Steel. When the auditor gener-
ais department was turned over to him by
his predecessor, General Dix was informed
that the state treasury was ''in the hole"
$21 ,993.34, and on top of this the legislature
that the only way out was to borrow $780,
600, and this advice caused him to think.
After thorough investigation he decided
to apply his own plain, unpretentious bust
dc fn ototo ffair md hxya
lar he at once acquainted the county treas.
urers throughout the state with the situa-
ton In which the state treasury was placed,
and appealed to them to at once remit any
hand or could collect, without awaiting the
close of the quarter. He followed this with
a circular letter to the boards of the various
institutions; appealing to them to withhold
their usual quarterly acquisitions upon the
state treasury for three months in advance,
and draw only for present and pressing
needs.
AVOIDED ISSUING BONDS.
To the credit of the boards and county
officials it may be said they all responded
promptly, and faithfully co-operated with
the auditor general In his efforts to tide the
state treasury over its difficulty, resulting in
pense of $125, S30.S3, the primary school
monies of 81, 004, 1884. 40, and all the lawful
demands of the state institutions to date,
with balance In the state treasury at the
oil Of huo for fba nf
But owing to the tendency of former legis-
latiOn to underestimate the demands upon
the treasury, growing out of laws already In
existence, he has been confronted during
the closing months of 1897 with situation
which has compelled him to ask the for
bearance of some of the state institutions to
withhold their acquisitions until the treas
ury becomes easier. This same embarass-
ment is likely to occur in the closing months
of 1898 and 1899, simply because the pres
ent legislature would not heed his warning
and place in the tax levy the amounts
shown to be necessary by his careful official
estimates for the general budget, but in
sisted on reducing it by the amount of
$3.50, 500.
STAFF OF AUDITOR GENERAL.
The personal staff of Auditor General
Dix is composed of John f. Wilkinson,
deputy auditor general; Henry Humphrey,
general accountant; Colonel Frederick
Schneider, private secretary; Edward j.
Wright, chief clerk; William s. Humphrey,
assistant chief clerk. They are bound to-
gether by close feeling and are in
tensely loyal to their chief. Indeed this
feeling prevades the entire department.
General Dix and Colonel Schneider we're
comrades together" In the war, and when
the former fell on the bloody battlefield of
Knoxville. East Tennessee, November "a,
1858, shot through the hips he was but
few feet from where stood Colonel Schnei-
der, who was then sergeant in Company
A of the second Michigan infantry, of
which he ultimately became the colonel.
General Dix was a sergeant In Company X
of the Same raUimant II was thOupht he