The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-10-27
A Change Needed in the
Auditors Office
JUSTICE NOT NOW DONE
Physical ImpossibiIity for the
Auditor to Meet All
Demands.

Editor of the Banner. - The bi-par-
tisan committee that recently investi.
gated the vouchers of Governor Bell,
having ,tated certain facts in their re.
| port which seem to justify criticism OF
the Office OF Auditor Of Accounts, de-
| sire to call public attention to a few
! matters in connection with the audi.
tors Office.
Atthe outset disclaim any desire to
escape responsibility for the book
keeping errors found and reported by
the entire committee, and which are
substantially as stated in their report,
although as matter of fact these err
rors were not mine, except as they
were made by honest, faithful clerks
whom | employed.
! understand the function of this
committee was to ascertain whether or
not Governor Bell was guilty, as the
Democrats had charged, of looting the
state treasury while member and clerk
of The Boards of Agriculture and Cat
tie Commissioners for the two years
ending June 30, 1902.
OF course the governor could not
loot the treasury unless he connived
with the auditor for that purpose or
deceived him. The committee finds
that the governor was not guilty; that
the state has not been robbed, and
therefore, that the auditor was not cor
rupt, and had not been deceived, so far
at least as Mr. Bells accounts were
concerned.
The committee, however, says two of
Governor Bells vouchers were not
sworn to as the law required
Section 4Sl6 of Vermont Statutes,
under authority of which these vouch-
ers were allowed and paid, provides,
"All expenses incurred by the board
under the provisions of the three pre-
ceding sections shall be allowed by the
state auditor upon approval of the
governor and paid by the state"
These bills we're approved by the
governor before they were allowed by
the auditor, and | respectfully disa
gree with the opinion of the learned
committee til at No. l23 of the Acts of
1896 requires these bills to be sworn to
by the claimant If the governor re-
quired it, the contention of the COM
mittee would be sound, but the COVER
nor did not. 1t might with equal
force, be claimed that it was the duty
of the auditor to compel a claimant to
make oath to bills allowed by the su-
preme and county court or by the leg
islature before paying the same. Such
is not the practice. | submit 1t is not
the law.
The Democratic members of the COM
mittee, however, claim in effect, that
my printed report clearly warranted
the ante-election charge that | had
knowingly, as auditor, paid Governor
He'll "per diem for some eight hun
dred sixty days IN two years. In
other words they say that | was adver-
Using in unmistakable language my
own connivsnce in and allowance of a
steal which had never occurred.
If they really believe this, comment
is superhuous.
They further justify by calling atten
ton to other claimed errors, of which
they were unaware when the charges
were made.
Does not this Justification refute it,
self?
If understand correctly their sup
Elemental report, they further claim,
referring more especially to hotel, hv-
cry, railroad fares, telegraph, teleph- |
one, postage and express bills, that !
did not insist upon vouchers therefor
being furnished, as required by law.
AS a matter of fact | exacted vouch-
ers to the extent that | was able to ex-
anime them, and whenever it seemed to
me necessary to protect the interests of
The state.
The consideration of this question
perhaps justifes me in calling public
attention to certain conditions existing
IN the auditors Office at the time | as
sumed the duties thereof.
At that time there was not salts
actory system of bookkeeping in use
n the office, and the printed reports
very meager information as
10 the detailed expenditures OF the var
Gus boards, commissioners and insti-
utions of the state. One illustration
will suffice. The printed report of my
Efficient predecessor, Hon Franklin d.
Hale, for the fiscal year ending June
70, 1898, with reference to the expenses
If the Boards of Agriculture and the
Jattle Commissioners, contained two
TENS under classification of Audi
or's Orders. "
Board of a griculture S39S6.37
= II