Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1904-01-06
ACCOUNTS ARE CORRECT
INvEsT1GATfor HoF INTERSTATE
COMMERCE COMMISSION.
Secretary Moseley Will, However, Ask
to Be Relieved From Duty Of
Disbursing Officer.


After the conclusion of the investiga-
ton into the conduct of the Office of the
secretary of the Interstate commerce
commission. who has also. for seventeen
years, acted as the disbursing officer of
the commission at no salary per annum,
Secretary Moseley will ask the commits
sion to relieve him OF the Office OF dis
bursting clerk Up to this time the treas
ury experts who have had the inspection
of the Office in their hands have found
not the least sign-of irregularity, but
Secretary Moseley has. since the begin
ming of the Investigation on Saturday
last. been in state of nervousness en-
tirely dlsproportionate to the remunera-
ton he has been receiving for the work
he has done in the office
A disbursing officer although responsible
for the actions of the employees working in
his office under him, never has direct eye
upon their actions. He is responsible for
all they may do In their capacities as
clerks employed by him. but cannot keep
an eye on their actions. The clerks are
generally under no bond whatever, but are
responsible to their chief only In moral
way. Secretary Moseley, while reposing
the most perfect confidence in the men
with whom he has surrounded himself has
never had any means of assuring himself
that every one was acting honestly with
MINI tiiiu lHS tfle investigation mas Deeu
worried not little by the thought that
some one might have tempered with the
accounts In manner to cause him trouble,
II not to directly reflect upon his official
integrity In the Office of which he was the
head. He has not felt that there was any
speclal cause for, alarm. but, with the pic
ture before him of other public officials
whose confidence has been abused, he was
anything but easy In his mind until the
investigation had reached a stage when
he could fe~- sure that the records were
accurate.
Cash All Correct.
This stage. according to information given
out at the offices Of the interstate commerce
commission, has been reached, and there is
nothing further for the treasury experts to
90 but compare vouchers extending over q
period Of time that has heretofore been
checked. so as to assure themselves that
former examinations were accurate. The
TACT that the cash matters Of the disburs-
Ing office were accurate may be gathered
from the statement that the cash there bal
anced with the books and in the Office Of
secretary Mosefey the same happy condition
obtained.
Mr.. Milstead, the cashier Of the commis-
sion. has been put back to work and it is
hoped that the rest of the work of the ex-
perts will have been concluded by the end
of this week.
1t may be that they will have to go over
considerable amount of vouchers and fig
ures before they feel that they can turn
over to the commission the Offices again
with the certifieation that everything Is cor
rect, but even In this event the examination
Will not extend over week or so longer
Secretary Moseley intends to ask the COM
mission to relieve him of the office, and is
only waiting until the accounts shall have
been examined and all pronounced perfect
before he takes this course.
Some years ago. the commission asked
Congress to ado tos his compensation $500
year for his work as disbursing officer,
but 1t Is understood that he himself went
to Congress and asked them to drop the
| recommendation as he did not feel that he
ought to draw what was the equivalent OF
two salaries, for the, work he did for the
commission. In the present instance he
will, therefore. have moral right to decline
to reassume the Office of discussing clerk
and another Will have to be appointed to
act in that capacity It seems to be
thankless job. as some of the employees of
the commission put 1t, and they are all in
sympathy with their secretary, and think
him martyr to the public veal.