Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-28
A STATE AUDITOR.
Governor Powers Tells Why There
Should Be One.


Jul ms MS ieeeht oinclal visit to the Cap
itol. Governor Powers expressed himself
very freely upon the proposition to es-
tablish State Auditor. Il believe" he
said. that 1t will cost the State less
money to audit Its bills through a state
auditor than 1t costs today to audit them
through committees of the Council 7
am fully persuaded that a good, compe-
tent 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.
| Il am something Of a taxpayer my
self. and | certainly have no desire to
| multiply bureaus in Augusta or to in
crease 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 besides our
own are without state auditor is a
strong presumption that such an officer
is necessary. Every city and almost every
large town in the State has its auditor
to look after and report the expenditure
of its money.
But the State Year Book does not give
! them for the towns" interposed the re-
porter.
Il know, for some reason they do not
appear in that publication but my state
ment is, nevertheless. correct Under our
present system Of handling bills there is
no satisfactory record made and publish
ed in detail showing the States expendi-
ture OF money, 50 that every citizen and
taxpayer may know precisely what is be-
ing done with it,. A general knowledge
of this would be, in my judgment a
great hindrance to extravagant and un-
necessary appropriations. The system
under which We are now acting might
have been very well in the early history
of the state, when the public interests
were few ana the amount OF money ex-
pended comparatively small and vet fan
to be adequate when the amount for
which warrants are drawn is nearly 81
100000. | do not believe that any good
business corporation would expend that
amount of money annually or anywhere
near it, without having some Thoroughly
competent person to carefully audit and
scrutinizc all accounts.
1T has been said that the various COM
mittees of the Council are all that is
needed. This might be so If they couiu
devote all their time to 1t, If they were
accountants and If they had a clerk to
keen in detail such Il record of accounts
as an auditor keeps. The fact must not
be overlooked that a considerable por-
ton OF the Councils time must necessari-
ly be devoted to other matters than the
examination Of State accounts Nv I'M
derstanding of the proposition that Is to
be submitted to the voters of the State
at the approaching election does not nee
essarily create State auditor 1t simply
confers upon the Legislature the author
lily TO take such steps for the proper safe
guarding of State expenditures as NAV
appear after a careful consideration of
the whole matter, to 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 ac-
counts STEW, doubtless the Governor
could look them over in detail; but TODAY
it would require all his time. With the
many other duties that press upon the
Executive. ana the Interruptions TO when
he is, necessarily, subjected it would be
a physical impossibilty and do not be-
lieVe that any Governor in recent years
has undertaken to accomplish it. | 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 in
terests. 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 Legislature. in which | expressed the
opinion that ii would not be advisable to
create such an Office at that time
I'm my last message, as a result of
experience and observation. | approved
the suggestion in the following Ian
guage:
I'm my former address | called atten-
ton to the fact that had received COM
munications from quite number of men
familiar with State affairs declaring
that in their judgment there was an ur-
gent necessity of creating the office of
state auditor and insisting that the State
would save much money by so doing in
excess Of the cost of the department
After two years experience in examining
and auditing bills against the State by
committees of the Executive Council, I
am fully convinced of the truth and cor
rectneSs of these statements and the
pressing need of such an officer. | care
not how faithful committees of the Coun-
ell may be, they cannot so fully protec.
the interests of the State as an expert
enced auditor would. L think there are
but two states in the Union beside our
own that do not have, this officer. To.
create this office it will be necessary, per-.
haps. to submIl an amendment to the
State Constitution, as Section 4. Article
| 5, now imposes very many of the duties
| of the auditor upon the Governor and
Council
Il am still of the opinion that l was
! right in my last expression on the mat
| ter
/ The cost of the office of auditor would
| not be all output, even if its work resu,.-
ed in no direct saving in the expense ac-
| count of the State government. We now
| pay about $3.50 a year for the examina-
ton of the treasurer's accounts, which
could be saved and applied to the ex-
penses of such an office. In the early days
of Maine and in fact till within a COM
paratively recent time, all the State de-