The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-03-06
A DELAY
No Needless Holding
Up of Bills.
Statements of Auditor General Austin
And Finance Committeeman
Carter on the Subject.

With merchants and other creditors \
Of the Government limiting audibly at |
unnecessary delay in the payment of
bills incurred in the course of sanitary |
work, it is delightful to hear from the |
authorities concerned that the accounts
are held up only by the fault of the
complainers.
Finance Committeeman George Car
ter challenges criticism of the commit
tees dispatch of its work and Auditor
General Austin wonders at the ignor-
ance of those who carp at the slowness
of payment. Says George Carter, |
kicks are welcome. We yearn for
them. AS moisture unkinks maiden's
artificially curled hair so do complaints
about bills help to straighten out diff
culties with the sanitary accounts.
Seriously, If anybody has a bill I'M
necessarily delayed by us we want ii
known; for it will be news TO us and
aid our efforts to get matters adjusted
as quickly as possible. We have sent
already to the Auditor Generals Office
bills amounting to 1859, O59.53 for ma
terials and supplies for January alone
and pay rolls for $9S.472.96. Why,
we've worked late and early to hurry
the payment of all bills and it's foolish
to accuse us of DELAY"
auditor General Austin found time
in a busy day to state his departments
denial or procrastination.
"Our province in the sanitary work,
sad Mr. Austin, lis to issue warrants
on the Treasury for accounts certified
| correct by the Finance Committee. We
go over all the figures, items, extern
SONS and footings, and ascertain that
/ they are mathematically o. X. We see
| that the proper official has endorsed the
/ bill and that the amount called for
/ is not incompatible with the items.
| Then we issue the warrant and send
a, by messenger to the creditor. Most
of our business is with persons well
known to the office and ordinarily the
| bills of one month are paid on the
goth OF the succeeding month. Thus
January's accounts are paid with war
rants dated February 20. Usually when
bill day passes and tie person entitled
to receive money does not come along
we defer payment till the next month.
This is the usual custom but since
the plague and the mourning Of extra
ordinary expenses we have waived
ormalities and tried in every way to
forward the sanitary work. All en-
ployes of the Board of Health are paid
almost Immediately but in auditing the
large accounts of the Finance Commit
tee we have to guard against losses tC
the Government by error or fraud
| III t., -
II DE. The creditor presents IL to tn
Finance Committee ard the separate
bills rendered with each purchase arr
compared with the months statement
The law requires the official diTectl!
responsible for any purchase to certif'
| IN the same. Now and again we flint
mistakes in accounts. When this hap
rers we are not empowered to look int
the matter but merely to note the cor
-nctiOns and return the bill to the Fl
nance Committee. The committee ha
20 put the account through the Healtl
po"rd AGAIN and II may be some day
before we have it in our hands to nay
THE public would he surprised a
the errors common in bills presented
often the INGREDIENTS do not set dow
the official who incurred the expens
ard as often charge the amounts to IN
wrong DEPARTMENT These aDparentl
irihing mistakes easily rectified in M
offici'l circles ne"e~sitate the ac~ount
IN question beirg thoroughly core owe
again. Take some lUmhe- bills. for in
stance. that contain fifteen PAGES c
tens. Az thasn have TO no checke
nv my clerks md II is \ r1atter ~ ~
''tt'a limo We gro honestly evpedit
ing rayments of all bills ard feel ths
- home is to be attached to us, g
least"