The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-11-30
Ex.AuditOr Powell Excerpts.

tor Tor fourteen years ended In 1917,
takes exception to the report Of the
committee Investigating State expenses,
in that The impression is conveyed by
the report that the trouble arose from
false construction of the law by
Powell and Hale" Sec. 306-quoted
by the investigating committee-of the
law specify ing the duty of the auditor
i'm the case of certain claims is this:
tIe shall examine and adjust all claims
the State, not otherwise especially
pfc!el for by law, in favor of persons act
ing under tAe authority of the State, or of the
executive, including military accounts referred
to him by the Governor, and allow such sums
as he finds Justly due, and draw orders on the
State treasureFfherefor."
Col. Powell denies that he construed
this law sc permitting the allowance OF
the claims described. He argues thet
the allowance of these claims rested on
legislative sanction and quotes in sup
port of his position, decision of the
Supreme Court in the matter of The
payment of the Norwich cadets ty the
State when ordered out for drill as a
part of the militia The ex-Auditor
says:
II never relied upon any construction | ever
placed upon section 306 Very likely my
course would have been the same had there
been no such section. The long continued
practice, to the knowledge of the Legislator
is in my judgment sufficient The trouble has
not been the lack of authority to charge ex
penses to the State, but its abuse. With the
exception of the adiutant generals office there
was little cause for criticism prior to the last
administration. All familiar with the facts
have known that the real duties and necessary
expenses of that office were not large | made
a strenuous effort to get those expense vouch-
ers in proper condition, earnestly warning the
general of what | felt would overtake
him. His vouchers were held up for some
time, upon the ground that expenses should
be so itemized and classified as to show def
ntely the makeup of each item. He procured
the approval of the Governor, insisting that
upon such approval the bill must be paid. /
never considerd the approval of the Governor
added anything whatever to any bill, except
in cases whore special appropriations we're to
be expended under his authority, or where the
law required such approval. He finally made
an attempt at classification and the suspended
bills, except certain items, were audited. While
my success was very Indifferent, | did all
that could be done without assuming that my
conception of his office, and not his should
govern both as to the duties and the manner
of their performance. Is the auditor to tell
the Governor when and where he may appear
with his staff ? Is he to tell each or any of
the State officers that he may or may not do
thing he conceives to be his official duty Or
rather, is the Governor and each State official
to do his duty as he understands it, and to
take the praise or blame of it? The Office of
adjutant general and the whole military es-
tablishment of the State have been run largely
for the glitter and the glamour of it. The
real value of the militia has been recently
tested Is General Peck alone responsible for
this? His methods have been open as the day.
The entire press, and the Legislature, and very
largely the people have known for at least six
teen years just what we were getting and
what it cost. 1t has been approved over and
over again in every way in which our approval
can be shown. Has he not had some reason
to think that his conception of his office was
endorsed by the Legislature and the people?
My purpose is not to justify his bills, however,
as they we're not at all i'll accord with my CON
cepton of the Office when they were less than
half his recent bills His bills in those days
were consistent with his idea of his office and
1 1
clerk hire were never charged as | remember
Now, as to the implied censure of the two las
auditors in the first quotation from the report |
have only to say that | consider the conclusion
entirely unwarranted, and l certainly accept
no part of the censure. No such bills as those
of the last two years were ever audited by
me, and one sufficient reason for it is that
never saw any such Section BOG was pa sed
in 1890. An early construction under it recog-
nized until this day and approved by each
Legislature until this think will stand until
repealed or changed | never had any doubt
of the authority for allowing official expenses,
and since the Norwich University decision, |
/ shall not allow my faith to be shaken by
this report
1t might be difiicult for the people
who are vociferously claiming that 1.-The
auditor should audit" to show that Col.
Powell is not entirely right in the view
lie takes Of the duty and responsibility
Of the auditor in reference to the claims
in question, technically and "a matter
Of principle. AS to the course of the
press in respect to the expenditures for
the militia the files OF this paper will
show that it, at least, had been an out
spoken critic of the States military
policy and from eur 10 year had shown
the unreasonable burden, in detail and
in the aggregate, 1t Was entalling upon
the people. The matter was some
times before the Legislature, but that
body invariably fell under the ban-
dishments of gold lace aud was per- uad-
ed to take no action to modify the
system or curb its extravsgance. The