The Portland daily press., 1901-02-28

The dates OF the checks submitted a.
| evidence OF payment and when ledger
was kept, the account with individuals,
show many cases delay OF weeks or
months between the date OF cash received
by Mr. Mokeen ana his disbursements OF
the same in payment OF bills.
The limited time 1 have had to ex.
anime into the records covering so az
tended period prevents submitting
items In detail that q more complete ex-
animation would contain.
| ! teg leave to mention that the most
serious omission in the official manage
ment OF this department Is lack OF
| itemizsd vouchers on file, signed by the
payee that would confirm all disburse.
ments ana enable proper auditing OF
| accounts.
The Official routine by which bills are
audited and approved for payment aD-
pears 20 be formality, without system,
/ items or evidence of facts necessary IN
every voucher that draws money from the
/ state treasury.
Alter ths reading of the report, Mr..
Rioe took the stand. He said that from
| 1872 to 1871, there was practically no
| book keeping IN the office. There were
vouchers In the office OF the secretary OF
state but they were not IN FORM thN
would b. accepted in business liIe as
many were receipted for the credisors by
Mr. McKeen himsslt. He bad found 70
or 80 omissions In the accounts. On the
deposits made by Mir. Mokeen In the Au-
| gusta : ale OeIosit company Interest
! emounting to S4a 50 had accrued. In
many OF the vouchers the lack OF itetnized
accounts seriously impaired their value,
| A certain class Of nay yments were made
| on Mr. Mckeen's own bills. These were
for his expenses. In 1894, there were bills
OF 1898 to the amount OF Sl02l paid aud
in smaller sums this appeared year after
year. This WINS made up finally by the
assistance OF money transferred from
other appropriations,
ON oross-examination, MIR. hice said he
had received every assistance from Mr.
MoKeen and his report contained all that
| he had found.
MIR, HeseItine asked II It was possible
to tell what part of MIR. Mokeen's tran
sactions related to his privats affairs and
what to the public funds in his care. Mr.
| Rice replied that n Mr. Mckeen poiD ted
out the transactions IL might be possible
to tell, but IL would not be possible with
out MIR MoKeen 5 assistance.
Mr. Spear showed by questions answered
| by Mr. kice that all the bills had been
audited by the Governor and Council
whether right or wrong.
MIR Mokeen was then recalled py MIR.
| Heseltine and submitted data secured at
the state fair. MIR. McKeen testified that
| the salary of the secretary was raised
| from $500 to $500, while Mr.. Gilbert was
secretary. Mir Mckeen said he had
nothing farther TO say about the stipend
| OF the PomologioaI society. lie thought
he mad admitted all there was to that.
This closed the case SO far as the In
| vestiQation conducted by MIR. Hsseitine
went. hlr. Spear in opening for MIR. Mo
Keen said that after two half days OF
foraging the oomplalnants, II he might
! so call them, had finished their case. In
behalf of Mr. McKeen a short explanation
would be made of some matters before the
| committed MIR. spear called attention to
the assistance given by MIR Mckeen to
the committee and the accountant. Mr..
Spear was glad TO say that In thess days
| when expsrts are SO apt to take sides, IL
was refreshing 10 find one 20 impartial as
Mr. RIoe With the conduct OF the eT-
animation by Mr.. Heseltine no fault was
to be found Ne know eaid Mr.. spear,
that B Walker Mcksen ID an honest
man. We admit careless bookkeeping
and delay in making payments, but NOT
one cent has been traced TO the POCKET OF
b. Walk er McKeen that did not belong
| there
MIR. MoKeen then again took the stand.
He showed that Mr., Gowell's work at
the state fair was under vote OF the
Board The employment OF the leaisla-
| tive committee already mentioned was
also authorized by the Board as the
records show. The expenses OF the MEM
bers at the Dairy meetings had always
been paid out of the appropriation, but
at the last annual meeting 1t was voted
that the memb bers should pay their own
expenses. As to the Blue Hin case, Mr..
Mckeen said that he acted under the
direction OF the executive committee and
| the sanction of the authorities The
| members thought tile investigation
warranted by the scare over tuberculosis
Mt the time. The genealogical and agrl-
cultural finds were held only one year
py Mr. Nc Keen. He again admitted the
delay in payment. In the year as TO
| faHN Inv
| Dir Mckeen did not hold the fund Then
came MIR MoKeen's version OF the story,
| told by Mr Ellis, OF the Interstate dairy
meeting at Portland, whsn the lady
from Vermont stole the lauTels OF the
Maine butter makers. MIR Mchesn read
the list OF COM petitors which showed that
the butter was regularly entered, lie
said that the reason the butter was not
scored by the senior judge was because
that gentleman knew the exhibit having
judged many of the same exhibitions.
: AIR Nick zen denied that he told the
nudge whose butter It was. lie hau not
| seen the lady before or since ana had no
| Interest in ner. Az 10 the $50 contribution
ut the Portland Dairy meeting ib was
accounted for on the hooks Then Mr..
Ellis and Mr. Mckeen talked 1t over at
length, each maintaining his side OF the
great controversy.
Miss Winslow, foA i've years clerk in
MIR MoKeen office, showed the reccId
of the $50 contribution to the Portland
meeting and said it was added to ths
premiums.
Then came another chapter OF the Blue
Hill ease, and Mr.. Nahum HinkleY II
that town told 1t MIR. Hinkley is menu
bar of the executive committee OF une
Board, and he SAID tbat they sanctioned
the sending out of remonstrances by Mr..
Mokeen against the pending bill chang
ing the manner OF eleoting the secretary.
MIR. HinkIsy corroborates Mr. Mckeen' 9
story of the Blue Hin matter. lie pad
tribute to Mr.. Mckeen WORK as score
tRry.
William q. Huntoon of Readdeld, three
years a member Of the Board, told of ap-
pearlng before a legislative committee
in reference 20 the feed bill and pure
grass seed bill. This was as member
of the Board 9 committee on legislation
He received 81 day and expenses. Mr..
Huntoon said that Mr., Mckeen was an
eminently satisfactory secretary.
Mr.. Ellis then told the butter story
again and the case closed. Neither OF
the ooungal made arguments.