The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-05-05
The TRAILS CROSS
Railway Commission Should Get
Together With Public Examiner.
ON EXAMINING RAILROAD BOOKS
Inspections by the Former Taken by
Auditors to Be for the
Latter.

Auditors of the various Minnesota
railroads are wondering why the railroad
and warehouse commission and the public
examiner do not get together.
Last winter the legislature passed an
act requiring the public. examiner TO
check up the books of railroad and other
corpora tons paying a gross earnings tax
to the state, and verify the return they
make. to the state auditor.
=. Heretofore the state has taken the com
pany's word for it.. There has been no
examination of any kind by state Off
Gals. However, this year the railroad
and warehouse commission has sent its
statistician, G. G. Yapp, to make an ex-
animation of the books of the railroad
companies His visit preceded that of the
public examiners deputy, and. in some
of the offices at least the auditors got
the impression that his examination was
the one contemplated by the law. They
were much surprised when the public ex-
-aminer's deputy showed up to make the
examination for that department. They
did not question the public examiner
duty. In fact, the law makes it manda-
tory upon him. 1t was good deal OF
trouble. however, Ito undergo two. eX-
aminations in such a short space of time.
General w. B. Bend, auditor Of the Chi
cago Great Western, says Of the mat
ter :#sG ~ =
81 read the act passed by the Legislature
last winter, providing for an examination
of our books. We have no objection to
any authorized person" looking up anything
they want. in our books, and. were quits
willing to submit to the examination
About month ago the representatives
Of the railroad and warehouse commissions
called on me and asked to be allowed te
go throughout BIC oks. I spoke. of.the law
passed last winter. He said that was al
right. He would make: the :eSamin at1on
and the public examiner could have the
figures. He did not say So, butt under.
stood that there would be only one ex;
animation. 49, ;ss
Last Tuesday the public examine
called and asked that L permit&his deput,
| to make the examination. I told him i
had already been done by Mr.. Yapp. HI
said that he had nothing to do with that
and that the law required him or nj
deputies to make the examination. O
course 7 gave his deputy access to tht
books I have no complaint to make, ex
| cept that the double examination takes
much Of the time of our office, and if
| had known both gentlemen were COINS
| to do the work, should have asked then
| to come at the same time. They have
/ both been very considerate, OF our time
and have no grievance against either Q
! them
Secretary Clausen of the railroad an
warehouse commi ssion, says the examina
tion being conducted by Mr.. Yapp is en-
tirely on a different line from that con
templated by the law. It was begun be
fore the passage of the act, for the pur
pose 4of comparing the different systsem
of railroad bookkeeping, and devising I'M
proVements in the forms for making re
ports to the state.
BE that as it may, the impression ha
gone abroadzSin railroad circles that h
]. two departments OF the state are Work1n
sat cross purposes for some reason q, g
iother.