Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-31
VOICES OF THE PRESS.
Auditing the States Accounts.
tPortland AdvertiserD

Arguments pro and con on the State
authorship question are flying around.
ne nam objection is on the ground of
expense. 1t Is bad policy. the opponents
urge, to saddle another expensive office
on burdened people. to do the work
Ihat the governors council are employed
10 DO Abolish the council, they say. and
we VIII listen To the other proposition.
Ibc Lewiston Sun has suggested this,
anu Mr.. Warren II. Ninton Of GRAY says.
ne only excuse the present governor :
council mas Tor existing is that it Is the
state auditing board" They have time
enough, he adds, and are authorized to
take time enough to do tho business prop
crly. That they do not he thinks comes
from lack of backbone" If it were a
proposition to abolish the councI and
choose an auditor instead. II should vote
! To try the experiment. But this is simply
proposition to create a new office and
add it to the number already too large =
There is reason to think that Mr.. Vim
ton makes radical statements which he
cannot prove Is it true that the council
| Is useless caudal appcndage," with
| no excuse for existing except that it is
| the State auditing board? Governor Pow
ers denies this, and he will be confirmed
by every man familiar with the duties
OF the State government. He afllrms that
auditing bills Is but a very small part of
the counciTs duties: that 1t has to act on
nominations, hear petitions for pardon,
prisons, hospitals and other public insti-
tfionS, etc; and that to abolish the
council would be out of the question.
That these are the facts can be seen by
anyone on examination of the constitu-
ton and the statutes prescribing the du-
les of the council. This body is intended
as an advisory body or sort of cabinet,
as well as a check on the executive. To
, do away with it and leave everything for
the governor alone would be to overbur-
I den him on the one hand and on the
other to invest him with too unrestrain-
ted power The councillors receive the
ESame compensation and mileage as men,
bers of the Legislature during the time
the Legislature Is in session-that is $50
ana TWO dollars for every 10 miles travel
from place of residence; while for services
at the periodical sessions called by the
governor at other times each member re
ceives two dollars day and the same
mileage, ana for service on committees
, at other times, three dollars and half
day and expenses This Is rather mod
crate pay; Being generally men with
considerable business interests. the coun-
clllors make pecuniary sacrifice in at
tending to the public business and they
can afford to spend no more time in IL
than really necessary. This makes impos-
sibe the proper auditing of the multi
tudinous bills against the State amount
ing to two million dollars a year, besides
attending to all other matters that re-
quire attention.
What is the practice of other states?
1t appears that besides Maine only two
other states in the Union, New Hamp-
shire and wisconsin. do not elect audit
poration. collecting and expending large
sums yearly. Business men know the
Importance of expert examination of ac.
counts In order that no bills may be al
lowed which are not proper. With such
large and complicated accounts as the
State of Maine must keep ii Is urged with
reason that it is impossible for the coun-
Gil at its periodical meetings to scrutinize
them as they should be scrutiniZed: that
in consequence over charges are liable to
get through, and the State to lose thou
sands of dollars in consequence.
The only practical question is whether
the State authorship would pay. Those
i'll position to know best give it as their
candid opinion that competent account
ant employed at a regular salary would
save the state many thousand dollars
above the cost of his office. IL that is so
and We see no reason to doubt 1.-THE
conclusion follows that it would be good
business policy to employ an auditor. In
view of the economy to be effected. any
objection on the score of increasing the
number OF offices does not weigh straw.
By peculiar provision of the Constitu-
ton oil Utah, the term of the present
Governor. elected in 1895, is five years.
After next November the term will he
four years.