Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-09-30
BELL VOUCHERS EXAMINED.
Joint Committee Reports on Charges
Against Gov.-EIect Bell.

| A committee representing the DEM
ocratic and republican state commit
| tees and Governor elect G. j. Bell met
at the state house in Montpelier Mon
/ day afternoon, Sept. 20, for the pur-
pose of going over the vouchers be-
| fore State Auditor Horace F. Gra-
| ham, TO ascertain the truth of the
statements recently made in regard
to the accounts of Mr.. Bell in connec-
tion with the state board of agricul-
ture and cattle commission in 1902.
The committee is made up of c. III.
| Davenport of Brattleboro. f. p.
Carlton and C. II. Senter of Montpel-
ier. representing the democratic state
committee, and Joseph A. DeBoer OF
Montpelier representing Governor
elect Bell: ChsTles T. Walter of ST.
Johnsbury. representing the governor
elect and the republican state COM
mittee. and w. w. Husband of Mont
pelier, Senator Dillingham's private
secretary. representing the republican
state committee. The joint examina-
tion was in progress all night ana all
day Tuesday. The II vouchers SO
much referred to in the campaign lit
erature circulated by the democrats
during the recent campaign were ex-
amined. but no authoritative state-
ment as to the result of the investiga-
ton was given out. The matters In
question were the overcharge by Mr..
Bell for services and the legitimacy OF
his charges for Expenses. AL tina
evening session a difference of opinion
arose as to how far the COMMITTEES
! was to deive into the vouchers TINS
republican members believed that
detailed examination, if any was nee
essary, should devolve upon the leg
1la+, 1nf
democratic members maintained that
that was one of the reasons they
wished to examine the vouchers, so as
to ascertain their exact nature. Mi.
Bell and Mr.. Barber were commun1-
Gated with by telephone and offered
no objections to a detailed examina-
tion. The committee then began an
analysis of all bills and vouchers. 1t
is said that the examination showed
that Mr.. Bell did not overcharge, ana
whatever errors appeared We're ms
takes in bookkeeping. The need OF a
better system in the auditors office is
very apparent from the difficulty the
committee experienced in classify
ing the items.
The committee announced yester-
day morning that they had agreed
upon a Joint report. but that the rough
draft would have TO be taken up par
agraph by paragraph so that itAwould
be some time before it could be given
out. 1t will contain about 5000 words
with tables of the classified items in
Mr.. Bells accounts.
At II o'clock last night, they agreed
on the main report which was signed
by ]. A. DeBoer and W. H. Husband
for the republicans and c. H. Daven-
port and Clarence H. Senter for the
democrats
Mr. Davenport and Mr. Senter wish
to add a supplemental report, and the
Joint committee agreed not to give out
the main report last night but to
let it all go to the press this after
nor.
Charles F. Walter the governor
elects secretary, threw up the sponge
Yesterday noon and went home to
St Johnsbury tagged out leaving the
field in charge of ]. A. DeBoer The
latter said last night that unless they
agreed by midnight, those represent
ing Mr.. Bell would file separate re-
ports