The Hawaiian gazette., 1902-12-05
HOW AUSTIN
MET CHARGES
CONTINUED from Page ca

THE DEPUTY AUDITORS STATE
MENT.
MIR. Myers stated that he had been
Deputy Auditor since July, 1898. i was
Informed by the Governor that he had
suspended Austin and he requested
that I should take charge OF the office
tho books and papers and everything
connected with IT and perform all the
duties OF the office, and on September
rs | took the Rys Of the office and so
on and have had possession ever since.
q Mr. Myers do you know of any
checks that have been presented by Mr..
Austin to any department Of the Gov
eminent, checks drawn on that depart
ment? A. No, sir.
Q. How many warrants have you
issued month in your office?
a. Perhaps the average would be
twenty-seven or twentyeight hundred
u month.
Q. Who signs them?
A. Mr.. Austin unless he Is absent
from town. then | sign them.
Q. How long would it take you to
sign these twenty-eight hundred war
rants?
a. Well, should think a thousand
day could be done readily. Bills have
TO he more or less examined as he goes
through with them.
Q. You think If a man did his work
thoroughly and conscentiously that he
! could do a thousand day?
A. ! think so, yes.
Q. And looking through all the bills
and everything?
A. There are so many salaries at the
end of the month they would get
through them quicker than the bills.
@. What do these warrants consist
Of just salary warrants?
A. No; between the 18th and the
Goth of the month. The intention of the
Office is to settle up all the bills for
the previous month. Each bill has a
warrant drawn for it.
@. Then warrants don't all come at
one time?
A. oh, no; they are spread through
the month.
@. But you say that, conscientiously
the Auditor or the Deputy Auditor
could do a thousand a day?
A. If he wasn't disturbed by some
thing else. There is always something
occurring that would probably prevent
it.
G. How often-who audits the diff
ferent departments?
i A. Mr.. Austin attends to most of
them.
@. You audited the Public Works De-
partment?
A. Yes. this part of it right here.
Q. How often did you audit that?
A. Well, irregular times.
Q. What do you mean by irregular
. times?
; A. Well, now this last time Is was
, from February to September; previous
to that it was three months previous.
q. You mean to say the Public
Works Department was never audited
between February and September? A,
a. Yes, sir
q. How about the Treasury Depart
ment?
A. Well-you know in the Treasury
, Department proper we have "A copy of
their cash book six times a month, so
We check that, and at the end of the
Z month we have n general trial balance
! between the two offices; so the Treasury
, Department proper is checked up to the
day, you might say.
Q. Whose duty was it to count the
/ cash in the Treasury?
A. Well, of course, the head of our
, department. l done know when it has
ever been done by our office.
, 9. Don't you think it was the duty
, of the Auditor to do so?
, A. 1t should be done occasionally.
@. For instance. you take at the end
, OF October, how is the Auditor to know
, what the cash is on hand?
A. He cannot know unless he counts
ii.
Q. Then it is his duty to count that
', a. | suppose it is; it has never beer
the custom to do it, only perhaps-Mr
Laws did it once.
9. Mr. Meyers. isn't it fact that
& Mr.. Austin was out OF the office a gooc
deal?
a. Yes, sir, he was this year; h,
seemed to be in great trouble: l know
nothing directly but from ntimation:
| would hear on the streets l supposed
1t was financial troubles.
= Q, When did he usually come to the
- Office in the morning?
A. Sometimes he would be there a
u, half past eight in the morning.
., When did he leave?
a. About nine or half past nine h,
would go away occasionally and
IA N'"'NH hHoN anything ABOUT MN 10
quite while.
II O. So that you, as Deputy Auditor
would have To do his work.
y. Yes, | remained in the office al
the time.
q. And he was absent a great dea
II of tho time when he should have beef
n In his office?
Is \, Yes, that Is what | thoughts | d
II not know any reason for him TO go out
r. side except those financial troubles
> when he Tried to relieve himself
l. MI McGandless' @ lie was not out
l. side ON business of the office, was he2
n a, No, ! do not think he was,
3 g. Mr., Meyers who gave You order
[, 10 go into each one ~ these differen
70 departments az times, when you Wen