The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-10-01
Report Of the Committee on
the Bell Charges.
THE REPORT IN FULL
Democrats File Supplementary
Report and Republicans
Put in Answer.

Montpelier, Sept. 30.-The commit
tee which has been examining tn,
vouchers of G. J.. Bell, while mem
Der OF the board of agriculture ant
cattle commissioner in 1900 and 1901
gave out its report at O'Clock this af
ternoon. The report in short exoner
ates Gov-elect Bell, by showing errors
in bookkeeping and Of the printer in
the auditors records and report.
The report is in three parts. First
comes the joint report containing the
agreed statement of facts, signed by
all the members from which the public
can figure out and draw it's own con.
illusions. Then the democratic men,
bers, not able to tell all they wished,
made supplemental report and the
republican members issued an answer.
! The report was given out at O'Clock
this afternoon, but held up by a tele-
gram from 0. NJ Barber's law firm,
stating he could not be reached. The
understanding was that if the commit
tee made aIy reflections on Mr. Barber
he should be given an opportunity to
appear before the committee and make
answer. The committee then held up
the report, and at 3 O'Clock received
another telegram from Mr. Barber that
he would not hold up the report on
Mr. Bells account since he would not
be able TO meet the committee before
next Wednesday. Between 3 O'Clock
and ten minutes after the report was
held up and released four times.
The committee was made up OF Char
les II. Davenport OF Brattleboro, Clar-
ence Fl. Senter and Frederick p. Carl
eton of Montpelier OF. the democratic
faith and j. A. Deboer and w. W.
Husband of Montpelier and Charles F.
Walter of st Johnsbury, representing
Mr. Bell.
The report makes it clear that Mr.
Bell has not been overpaid for his SER
vices, but it shows that there have been
errors in the auditors Office, and the
supplemental report shows the law has
not been observed in the matter of
rendering vouchers.
The report quotes the following fig
ures from the auditors report and
which are the figures under question.
Secretary board of agriculture, per
diem, 81.
10000 19Ol-O2
c. j. Bell, per diem 1881 Al
G, D. Bell, expenses $50 a S342 81
s76l G5 s342 IS
Cattle commissioners, per diem, 81.
10000 19Ol-02
C. j. Bell, secretary
per diem s49l 90 s736 90 |
c. J. Bell, secretary.
per diem 500 81 100 81 |
sl0s7 81 sl496 81 |
Expense of testing cattle:-
BY order of cattle
Commits ssh on ers
paid veterinari-
ans and others,
exp S3OoI 90 sl275 w
and
others. expenses 6OI AZ 223 SO
Totals 1864 81 $l49S 50
From these tables and the II vouca.
,rs hereinafter mentioned, it may be
1educed that Mr. Bell received $1469. 25
rom the state for per diem in 10000,
If for a67 1.2 days at "a per day; anu
1885, 81 for per diem in l901-02, or for
IA days at "a per day.
In investigating this proposition we
the following vouchers COW
ring the personal account and Office
expenses of Charles j. Bell with the
tate: Nos. 1892, 364S, 4O17, 1852, 43l4,
5l6, 462l, 1889, 5227, 5426, 5625, 5944,
pa. 1892, 1898, 1894, 6744, aggregating
49lS.34. OF this amount we find that
423. SO covered by vouchers 1892, 45l6
md 1894 were not payments for Mr.
3ell's service, but through him for
hose of other persons named in the