Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-08-24
WORK UP TO DATE
Annual Report of Auditor
Person Submitted.
SETTLEMENTS IN YEAR
ALL CLERKS NOW ENGAGED ON
CURRENT CLAIMS.
First Time In Many Years That Such
Q Condition Has
Existed.
SETTLEMENTS IN YEAR

o Condition Has
Existed.
The auditor for the Interior Department.
Robert 8. Person. has submitted to Sec
rotary Shaw his annual report Of the work
of his office for the fiscal year ended June
30. 1868. Mr.. Person says:
THE number of settlements during the
year was 22.514: last year the number was
1874. The total amount involved in the
settlements this year is sol. 800 $40 81.
responding amount for the preceding year.
This difference Is very largely the result
Of efforts, at last successful. to bring the
work of the Office down to date. The num-
Der of accounts reported on hand and I'M
settled June 30, 1903, represents only such
accounts as had been received during the
closing days Of the year. The same is
true OF the number Of claims reported I'M
settled. except such as were awaiting addi-
tional evidence from claimants, which had
been called for, but not received, at the
close Of the year. In all divisions Of the
office the clerical force Is engaged on
strictly current work. This Is the first
time in many years that such condition
Is the result Of efforts during the past
two years to reorganize the ONCE and es-
tablish 1t on a practical business basis.
BY more equitable readjustment of the
salaries of the employees. Congress made
provision for the reorganization, and the
unvarying support given by yourself and
your immediate predecessor in Office to
every wefl-aimed effort to promote the eff
hciency Of the service has made progress
possible.
Leaves Of Absence.
Auditor Person gives an account Of the
leaves Of absence in his Office. saying:
During the calendar year 1902 fifty-one
clerks did not exhaust their annual leave
by 1851 days: that Is, ffty-one clerks
turned in time from one-half day to
nineteen days each, aggregating 1884, days.
to which they were entitled by law for
absence without deduction of pay. Exten-
sion of annual leave on account of sick
ness was granted to ffftyeight employees.
There has been marked improvement in
the general health Of the office force within
the past three years, as is evidenced by the
fact that the loss Of time, on account of
sickness In excess of the annual leave, was
1.1701a days in 1900, 8SS days in 1901 and
474 days in 1902
II have had the harmonious cooperation
of my immediate official associates Mr. G.
P. Durham, the deputy auditor: Mr.. Rob
ert r. West, the law clerk, and Mr. Lee
" Il Z. y.
E. r. Ray. chiefs Of divisions. Among
clerks of all grades there Is a commendable
spirit Of emulation in their service, which
is exceedingly gratifying. and without
which the present condition of the work
could have not been attained"
Jurisdiction Of the Auditor.
Because of the mistakes On the part Of
claimants. members of Congress and 9TH
ers in calling for information from his Of
flee, Mr.. Person gives a history of his Of
fee, showing the present jurisdiction Of the
auditor for the Interior Department. The
data relative to the office is as follows:
THE act of September 2, 11S9, which es-
tablfshed the Treasury Department, created
In the department one auditor. It was
made the duty of the auditor to receive all
public accounts and after examination to
certify the balance and transmit accounts
with the vouchers and certificate to the con-
troller for his decision thereon. 1t was
socn discovered, however, that one auditor
was not able to settle all of the claims aris-
ing in the operation of the War and Navy
Departments. These claims had multiplied
to such degree that in 1892 the Congress
departing from the original purpose of
keeping the accounting system independent
Of the department In which claims against
government originated, in May Of that
year created an accountant to the War De-
partment, who was charged with the set
Element of all accounts relative to the pay
of the army, subsistence Of officers boun-
ties of soldiers, etc.
This step was followed in 1898 by an
act in which was created an accountant of
the navy and by another act in 1916. sup
Elementary to the act of May 8. 1892 Gre
ating an additional accountant in the War
Department Thus In 1916 there were four
officers whose duty 1T was to receive and
settle claims and accounts arising against
the government-one auditor, two account
ants in the War Department, and one ac-
countant in the Navy Department. After
fifteen years trial the fneff1ciency of the
system was manifest, and on March 3, 1917,
an act was passed to provide for the prompt
settlement Of accounts. by which the orig
inal system of accounting was restored It
was provided that from and after the Sd
day Of March, 1875 all claims and demands
whatever by the United States or against
them and all claims whatever in which the
United States are concerned either as
debtors or creditors. should be settled and
adjusted in the Treasury Department.
Four Auditors Created.
That act also created, in addition to the
officers in the Treasury Department already
established by law. four auditors and one
controller. and the work Of receiving and
settling accounts was divided between the
four auditors. The second auditor received
all accounts relative to pay and clothing of
the army the subsistence of officers boun.
ties and premiums, military and hospital
stores and the contingent expenses of the
War Department. and. by an act Of Feb
ruary "A, 1919. accounts arising out of In
dian affairs. The third auditor received all
accounts relative to subsistence Of the
army, the quartermaster's department and
generally all accounts of the War Depart
ment other than those provided for The
accounts and claims which had formerly
been received and settled by the account
ants for the War Department were thus
assigned to the second and third auditors
in the Treasury Department.
By an act of March 8, 1S49. enlarged by
section of an act of March g. 1863, the ad-
justment Of those claims was assigned to
the third auditor. Thereafter the jurisdic-
ton Of the third auditor embraced all &C
counts and claims specifically assigned to
him by law and extended to all claims aris-
ing in the operation of the War Depart
ment not specifically assigned by law for
adjudication to the second auditor.