New-York tribune., 1900-01-29
THE ISLANDS REVENUES.
rur SECRETARY OF WARS REPORT
AwAEED WITH INTEREST.
-e1EeRApH TO THE TRTBUNB.I j

osfnr
.s pserto Rico and the Philippine Arch
80. - the military authorities of the United
p 80 nav serve to dispel disagreeable i'm
..n which prevails 10 a considerable extent
- members Of the Legislative branch of
~ government irrespective Of party The Sec
-.t.,v is directed to send to the Senate copies
= IN ,r.oclamations and orders that have been
t.sned or made respecting the collection of Gus
.1,s internal and other revenues in those
stands the rates and total amounts thereof,
l,s,s Of all persons engaged in the revenue SER
vice ~and how such customs. internal and other
revenues have been and are being dsbursed.
,,s whether the same any portion thereof
nave been covered into the Treasury of the
limited States
reformation required by that portion of the
resolution quoted above viii not be the least in
lsresting feature of Secretary Roots answer
r. Is officially known that some S2oO0000O
:. revenues have been collected by the
,;,itsrv authorities in those islands and
t, natural desire is felt and expressed to
k,ou how much has been expended from
his large fund. whether all the items of
,xnenditure were just and proper. and where the
balances remaining. if any, have been deposited.
n certain sense the collections constitute trust
,unss administered by the military authorities
!, tbe several islands. and expended for the sup
nor+ of the respective governments and the ben
eft of the inhabitants of the islands. In a GER
tain other sense the collections regarded as
nublic funds Of the United States. In either case
II was Of prime Importance that both the
cs,pts and disbursements should be properly
accounted for, and Congress so regarded it And
ret none Of the accounts, either of receipts or
expenditures thus far, have been passed upon
by the regular accounting officers of the Treas
ury Department or. far can be ascer-
-eza.s
ngton.
CLERICAL FORCE INCREASED.
The act making appropriations for the Legfs-
lative executive and judicial expenses of the
Government for the current fiscal year increased
the clerical force in the Office Of the Auditor OF
the Treasury for the War Department by eigh-
ty-fve persons from April L. 1899, to March
81. 1900. on account of Increased work incident
10 the war with Spain" The act also included
the following provisions:
For the temporary employment Of additional
clerks and messengers in the discretion Of the
Secretary of the Treasury, may be required
IN the Office of the Auditor for the War De-
partment for the prompt and efficient auditing
Of the accounts OF revenue collected and dis
bursed by military authorities in the West India
Islands occupied by the United States forces.
S25,0Q0, to be available from and after April
l. 1899: provided that the Secretary Of the
Treasury shall on the first Monday in January,
1900 report TO Congress the number of persons
employed and the amount paid TO each under
inns ~s---aFriat tor
This act was approved on February a, 1899
Prior to that, in December, 1898 the President
by virtue of his authority as Commander in
Chief Of the Army and Navy OF the United
States had ordered that during the military
occupation Of certain islands in the West In
dies an officer Of the Army be assigned as Col
Iector of Customs of said islands. and that all
For IN 4ha ha
deposited with said collector. 1t further
ordered
There shall be appointed an auditor who shall
be stationed at the chief port, whose duty shall
be to examine all entries Of merchandise, and, if
found correct, to certify to them. Such auditor
shall on the first OF each month, make full and
complete report, duly certified to, to the Secre-
tary Of War, Of all expenditures made there
from. which shall be referred to the Auditor Of
the War Department for audit
PROVISIONS OF THE ORDER
The provisions and requirements of the Execu-
tive order Of December 1898, and the law of
February "a, 1899, were clear and explicit They
required that the accounts should be properly
made and certified, and should be audited by the
Auditor for the War Department in Washing
ton the other accounts Of that Department
are audited. Congress authorized the employ
ment Of additional clerks TO do the work and
appropriated money TO pay for their services
and the Secretary Of the Treasury was required
70 make on the first Monday OF January, 1900
report showing the number of persons so en-
poyeo and the amount paid to each. The law
OF Congress has not been changed by that body,
put the Executive order has been modified and
the business seems to have been done under the
latter' without reference 70 the requirements of
the act Of Congress.
AS result Of inquiries In the Treasury De |
sr,%1-
strictly Official, information on this subject has
been obtained 1t appears that in the winter !
O early spring Of 1899 batch Of accounts was
received from Cuba and in due course referred
10 me Auditor Of the Treasury for the War De- (
p0lCLhehI On examination the accounts were
-"iia 70 consist merely Of a certified statement
:. moneys received and expended by the Col /
'oi u customs at Havana and his deputies
a uie supports OF entry wholly unsupported
0y vouchers Of any description.
NO VOUCHERS HANDED IN.
according 10 the statement large sums of
mao oeen received on account of tonnage
1Na other port dues and customs duties and
paio out for various purposes indicated or
0Ise' the Auditor was obliged TO say that be
-iu ~ NOT audit an account in such a form. be-
there was substantially nothing TO
1i@ and he called for the vouchers. Weeks
c,r "itnout any reply. and then a second
60 i tne vouchers was made Some time
"@fo ION May g. 1s99) another Executive
rega.s "0S obtained by the Secretary of War. in
b. :, 10 the moneys received and disbursed
,o. 'HSOlar collectors Of customs which did
-. tuife mat the accounts should be audited
ne,s-t auditor Of the Treasury for the War
-. .. i'ent, d as provided by the act Of Febru-
So S59 but provided that such accounts
- De audited by insuar auditors appointed
:. lNe seyetary of War These anditors a,