The age-herald., 1898-08-28
THE MINE BOSSES
 ARE EXAMINED
MT. Purifoy Reports on the Books
 of MT. HiIIhOuSe.
GENERAL LACK OF SYSTEM
Is Charged With an Only Error of $27 in the Inspectors Favor-A Bet ter System Should
 Prevail.

Montgomery, August 27.-(Special.)- .)-The state examiner of accounts today filed the following report with the governor:
 As required by law, respectfully sub- init report of my examination of the ex- pense accounts of the mine inspectors, paid from the state treasury, and a state- ment of receipts and disbursements for ex- aminations of applicants for certificates as mine bosses, as shown by the inspector and chief inspector
 The period covered by this examination is from the date of the appointment of MT. Hillhouse in 1893 to and including June, 189S During this period MT. Hillhouse was mine inspector under the provisions of "an act to amend an act to create the office of inspector of mines and to prescribe the duties of such office, approved February IS. acts provided for one inspector at a salary of fifteen hundred dollars per annum, and fixed "an allowance not exceeding four hundred dollars per annum for actual travelling and office expenses, to be paid out of the treasury"
 From May, 1884, to the present date, he has held the position of chief mine inspec- tor and Messrs. John M. Duncan and Frank Culverhouse have held the positions of assistant inspectors, under the provis- ions of "an act to regulate the mining of coal in Alabama" approved February 16, 1897, which, in addition to providing for a chief with salary of fifteen hundred dol lars and two assistants with salaries of one thousand dollars each, per annum, appro- priates nine hundred dollars for expenses, which shall be dsbursed by the chief in- spector on a showing to the state auditor.
 During the period named there has been paid out of the treasury, under these two provisions, the sum of SALLY For $1,166 of this sum I found no other evidence to show the manner in which 1t was expend- ed than the vouchers on file in the au- ditor's office, which vouchers consist of ac- counts sworn to by the inspector and chief inspector respectively for the two periods named. Of the latter sum- $255.50 is al- legged to have been expended for typewrit- ing, 1,75 for hotel bills s191, for postage, $2S146 for travelling expenses, including hire of teams, $32 for stationary, $86, said by MT. Hillhouse to have been paid for service of janitor, but which is shown in the voucher allowed by the auditor to have been part of the monthly rent, the rent each month being charged in the account when the voucher shown to the examiner is $S for each month, being a charge of g per month charged as rent and the ball. ance consists of several sums covering sundry expenses. which he states were 
 No Memorandum f,l1 MT. Hilhouse produced no memorandum book, or other book or evidence, showing to or when these expenditures were paid. His own expense account since his appointment as chief inspector, are, with rare excep- tions, shown in bulk, in the voucher al- lowed, and no itemized evidence was pro- duced by him to denote for what these sums were expended. When placed on oath, among the items named by him to make up these sums, he claims that he is entitled to car fare from his home to his office and return, two trips per day Sun days included, 10 cents per trip, making $500 to $6.2O per month for this.
 He also stated that he is away from his office at least ten days each month on other business connected with his official duties. It seems to have escaped his at tention that for these ten days no car fare should be charged He produced no evil dence from which I could determine the amount of postage, stationery and type writing needed, except his own affidavit and that of his stenographer found but very few copies of letters written by him, taken in his copy book, and he produced no file of letters received. The af1davits or himself and stenographer are attached and asked to be considered.
 Errors and Overcharges
 The actual errors and overcharges shown by comparing the original vouchers with the itemized vouchers allowed by the aud itor are as follows:
 Against the State
 For -1893-4-5-6-7, overcharge for
 rent eco. ......... % ~