The evening times., 1899-09-12
Mr.. PRhCEWELt'S REPORT
The Annual Statement From the
Comptroiler's Office.
Last Year an Exceedingly Eusy One.
counts Disposed Of-SumerOus
Opinions Rendercd-L. II. Mitchell
Complinented for His Good Work.


Comptroller of the Treasury Tracewell
today sub.1itted his annual report to Sec
retary Gage. According to the report, the
fiscal year which ended June 80, 1889, was
an exceedingly busy one, but the Office kept
pretty well up with the work. The num-
ber cf appeals from the decisions of the
auditors filed was $50, and the number OF
appeals disposed of during that period was
IA. The number of accounts taken up for
revision by special examiners on motion
of the Comptroller from March l to June
80, 1899, was 12O, of which accounts IS
were disposed OF. The number of appeals
on hand June 80. distributed among the va
rious auditors, are ITO, of which number
"a were filed during the month Of June.
Opinions were rendered by the Comp
troller and Assistant Comptroller under
act of July 81, 1894, classified as follows:
To heads of departments. $780, on construc-
tion of statutes etc, by the several audit
ors, 147; cn appeals from the several aud
itors, 269; to disbursing officers, 2T6; on
renearlngS, Zo5, total, ,22i.
Continuing, the report says: THE above
classification of work performed does not
include the hundreds of letters received,
bIiefed, and entered upon the register, nor
likewise the hundreds Of official letters
written relative to matters before the Office.
Nor does it include the numerous applica-
tions by the benefciaries of the estates Of
deceased persons to have sums under 500
that may be due the estate from the United
States paid without requiring letters OF ad-
ministraticn. This class of work entails
no little labor and responsibility upon the
Office, necessitating as 1t does, a careful
examination of the laws of the various
States relative to descents, distributions.
and exemptions. These payments being
without authority OF law are necessarily
made at the risk of the Government.
therefore renew the recommendation con-
tanned in my last annual report, that the
matter be laid before Congress with the
view OF obtaining appropriate legislation
! in regard thereto.
The number of appeals filed during the
! fiscal year 1899 exceeds the number filed
! during the fiscal year 1898 by 252; the
number disposed of during 1899 exceeds
! the number disposed of during 1898 by
! ia. The number of decisions rendered
4 during 1899 exceeds the number rendered
during 1898 by 157. There were entered,
etc, and countersgned in the year 1898.
! 9.212 mere warrants than in the year 1888.
! There We're examined and approved during
the fiscal year 1899. 235 more certificates
I of authority than in the fiscal year pre-
ceding. The letter books mot decision
books will show at least 1000 pages more
/ of correspondence than the fiscal year
/ 1898. 1t will thus be seen that the work
! of the Office has very materially increased
Your attention is recalled TO the ac-
tiOn of the clerk OF the Supreme Court OF
the United States in refusing to allow my
representative and the representative oi
the Auditor of the State and other De-
partments to examine the books and pa
pers of his office, basing his refusal on tho
ground that the act of March 10, 1898 had
! no application to his office, which act
reads:
All books, papers. and other matters relating
to the accounts OF officers OF the Government il
the District OF Columbia shall at all times b
subject 10 inspection and examination by tn
Comptroller OF the Treasury ard the Auditor 0
the Treasury authorized to settle such accounts
! or by the duly authorized agents OF either o
| said officials.
IF it is the intent of Congress that tn
examinations provided for in said act shall
include the office of the clerk of the Su
preme Court, in view OF the position takel
by the Supreme Court, as evidenced by tn
letter of its Chief Justice of date May 5
1899, appropriate legislation making this in
tent clear and specific should be had b,
Congress.
The preparation of advance decisions
requests for which are made by heads o
departments and the numerous disbursin;
oi1ers is one Of the omportant duties o
this office. Under these decisions man,
thousands of dollars are disbursed. and a
| they are binding upon this office as well a
| upon the auditors, it is very essential tha
they should be carefully considered am
weighed before being promulgated. in or
der that no embarrassments may resul
therefrom. These requests for advance de
cisions have increased very considerably
this year, as shown above, and there
| every reason to expect that they will con
! tinue TO do so, as the disbursing clerks be
come more fully apprised of their right
under the act of July 81. 1894. ~
| THE present force of law clerks will
hardly be able to give these question
that careful study and thoughtful consd
Grafton to which their inipo- fance entitle
them. The chief laws clerk has an assign
mept of work. the same as other Law
clerks, and in addition thereto it is hi
duty to read over revise, and initial al
decisions prepared by the law clerks be
fore submission to the Comptroller or AS
sistant Comptroller for their signature
l-The addition to the force of another Law
clerk or of a private secretary to tn
Comptroller, would relieve him very ma
terialiy and enable him TO more thorough
ly scrutinize and consider the decision
prepared by the law clerks and thus NOR
securely guard against possible error II
making this suggestion l do not wish t,
be understood as in anywise refiectin.
upon the work of the law clerks. but max
it purely in the interest of correct and ac
curate decisions. ! cannot commend to
highly the conduct of the law clerks. an
other employees of the office. They ar
capable, honest and industrious, all O
which is borne witness to by the characte
and amount of work performed.
"In this connection l take pleasure il
acknowledging the valuable assistanc
rendered in the conduct of this Office
which has made possible the gratifyin
showing of its volume of bushes for tn
past fiscal year and the substantial per
formance of ell current business present
ed by L. P. Mitchell, Assistant Comptroll
er, who has had under his immediate su
pervision all business arising through tn
Departments of War, Navy, and Interior
The Disposition of Dead Animals,
| Thomas w. Cridler, the Third Assistan
Secretary of State, has sent to the Dis
trict Commissioners a copy of repor