Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1900-08-15
STATE AUDITOR.
Governor Powers Gives Reasons Why
There Should be One.


There Should be One.
Governor Powers, in a newspaper inter-
view recently, expressed himself on the
proposition to establish the office OF State
auditor. He said
8" believe it will cost the State less
money to audit its bills through a State
auditor than it costs to- day to audit them
| through committees of the council. am
fully persuaded that good, competent
auditor, devoting his entire time to the
work, going carefully over every bill in
detail, and with all the bills passing
through his hands, would save the State
many thousands OF dollars that are now
paid.
81 am something Of a taxpayer myself,
and certainly have no desire to multiply
bureaus in Augusta or to increase taxes,
yet | would not hesitate to DO that which
believe to be for the real interest OF the
State The fact that only two states and
territories beside our own are without
| state auditor, is strong presumption that
such an officer is necessary.
..under our present system of handling
bills no satisfactory record is made
and published in detail, showing the
States expenditure of money, so that
every citizen and taxpayer mey know pre-,
cisely what is being done with it. A
| general knowledge of this would be, in
my judgment, a great hindrance to ex-
| trayagant and unnecessary appropriations.
The system under which we are now act
| ing might have been very well in the early
| history of the State, when the public
| interests were few and the amount of
money expended comparatively small, and
yet fail to be adequate when the amount
| for which warrants are drawn is nearly
| - 000, 600. do not believe that any good
business corporation would expend that
amount of money annually, or anyw here
near it, without having some thoroughly
competent person to carefully audit and
scrutin re all accounts.
1T has been said that the various COM
mittees OF the council are all that is
needed. This might be so il they could
| devote all their time to it, if they were
| accountants and if they had a clerk to
| keep in detail such a record of accounts
| DIS an duultbf Keeps. Ht ldtl iHuSl IlOt
be overlooked that considerable portion
OF the councils time must necessarily be
| devoted to other matters than the exami-
| nation of State accounts. My under
| standing OF the proposition that is to be
submitted to the voters of the State at the
approaching election, is that it does not
necessarilycreate State auditor. 1t simply
| far bo laaic lot he, ,th or nv
| to take such steps for the proper safe
| guarding of State expenditures as may APP
pear after careful consideration of the
whole mattefto be for the public interests
| 1t leaves the Whole matter in the hands of
the peoples representatives., with power to
| act.
"When the State was small and the
accounts few, doubtless the governor could
look them over in detail; but to- day it
would require all his time. With the
many other duties that press upon the
executive, and the Interruptions to which
he is necessarily subjected, it would be
physical impossibility, and l do not
believe that any governor in recent years
has undertaken to accomplish it. l am
frank to say have not.
"If there are any departments that the
| best interests of the State do not require,
| let them be abolished. If there are any
that are necessary to the States best
| interests, let them be created. Before
had entered upon my duties as governor
| had not examined the matter closely,
and was not very favorably disposed
toward the creation OF an auditor. This
appeared at the time in my message to the