The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-07-27
SOME THINGS THE
OLD BOARD DID
How Agricultural Department
Was Managed.
LoeE HARRIS GOT $500
TO LOOK AFTER" THE LAST
LEGISLATURE.
SOME.vOUCHERs THAT ARE UNt EXPLAINED
Apparently no Accounts We're Ever Challenged
and Whatever Was Presented Was
Paid. loge Harris as a
Hsndy Man.

ssPHSJ
The investigation now going on of the
conduct of the affairs of the Depart
ment of Agriculture by the fusion board
has brought out several things thus far
that need to be isolated and emphasized:
/. 1t shows that after the Democrats
carried the State the fusionists padded
the pay rolls to the cost of $4,000
?. That money was voted to mem
bers of the board and its employees on
the slightest pretext.
B. That no bill presented by members
or employees of the board was ever ques-
toned, however queer" it might APP
pear on it's face.
4. That bills were allowed without
any attempt to determine, or any means
of determining from their face whether
they were right and proper or indeed
what they were for. beyond the mere
declaration for Expenses
>. That time and again members and
employees received double pay for sup
posed services in Il double capacity.
8. That at various times members
and employees were sent on useless and
expensive junketing trips.
{. That the bills were not examined
and audited until after they had been
paid.
8. That a half dozen ways were
found for utilizing Mr.. J. c. l.. Harris,
all of them more or less expensive.
And there are other things, but this
will serve for the present, as the others
will be brought out more clearly as the
investigation progresses.
Ex-Secretary j. l.. Ramsey was the
only witness summoned yesterday. He
approached the lick log with much less
coaxing than on the day previous, and
good humoredly aided the committee in
finding any matters in the records de-
sired. Truth to say Ramsey was about
the cleanest of the whole lot if APP
pearances so for anything. OF course
he was compelled to hold by his gang,
but SO far as he was personally con-
cerned does not seem to have sought for
opportunities to sqtklnder the States
money under the guise of absurd Eek
pense accounts" or to have drawn
money from the treasury in three or
four capacities at one and the same time.
A man of more robust make would per-
haps have refused to look on while others
did these things. 1t is hard to see why
he should have sought to explain or
apologize so much to the committee for
things for which he was not RESPONSE
BILE.
A large part of yesterday was devoted
to ascertaining how much J. C.. Logan
Harris got out of it and in what capaci-
ty. The result showed that Loge has Il
most frugal mind.
Loge got just. .S3,3II.OS
OF this as Attorney he got. 2,926.S6
As member and, bottle washer. 44S.22
That was not altogether bad in the
way of lift. How he got $1,000 for
a single speech was told yesterday. How
he got some of the rest as member
and general utility man. appears from
the following vouchers copied verbatim:
1898. To J. G. l.. Harris.
Dec. II. To per dem as member
OF Board of Agriculture, on
Dec. Is, II, ID and Is, 1898. :. 5000
Five days board at $500 per day. 1000
Dec. 17.-One day attending meet
ing of Executive Committee. -. 400
One day board. ................ 200
800
IOId. 49,. SoO.UU
1t will be noted that this voucher is
for four days dates given attendance
as member Of the board As the per
diem was 81, four days should have
made $16 Whereas times four APP
pears TO have made 30 The records
show that the board met onsthe 18th and
adjourned on the 10Th. Ii there is
mistake in the records tSecretary Ram
sey vouched for their accuracy and the
board held over until the 18th, then Mr..
Harris received pay on that day, both
as member of the board and of the
executive committee for the voucher has
a charge of Sc for the latter cause.
This voucher, Secretary Ramsey adj
mitted on the stand he could not ex
plain. All the other vouchers for the
same meeting of the board were for
four days only.
Here are two more vouchers the dates
of which are identical, and both of
which were for the same trip:
April 2. 1898.
DIR. To. J. C. l.. Harris.
For expenses to Washington and
return, board and expenses while
one Of the delegates Of the De-
partment to the Pure Food Con
gress.... .S2S.oO
Received payment,
j. G.. l.. HARRIS. /.
April =, 1893.
DR.. To ]. C. L. Harris, Attorney
of the Department for Contin-
gent expenses IN suit of Patasco
Grano Company against the De
partment of Agriculture. 80. .S15.47
Received payment,
j. G.. l.. HARRIS.
How this double decker expense ac-
count came to be presented and passed
nobody seems to know.
BY far the most unique account yet
unearthed was that for the payment of
CASTORlA f9lnfants and ChHdna
Tia Wind Van uavA Alvsavc Qounhf