Evening star., 1904-02-27
THE REQUEST IGNORED
NO ADDITIoNALpCLERKs FOR THE
DISTRICT AUDITOR.
House AppropIiatfon Committee Fails
to Give the Desired Help
A Disappointment.

As previously stated in The Star the Dis.
trict Commissioners are very much graft
fed at the liberal resborise to their requests
on behalf of the District made by the
House committee on appropriations in the
District appropriation bill, which was re-
ported to the House the first of the week.
The bill provided for Increases in salaries
in the police and fire departments. ard in
The public schools: for continuing work on
a number of much-ne eded public improve
Hents: for the reconstruction of tie Ana
costa bridge across the Potomac, and for
various other improvements which are re-
garded as important to the proper devel-
opment of the District.
The House COMMITTEES. however. failed to
grant the requests of the Commissioners in
the case of q number of import ant items
Among other things it failed TO provide for
the five additional clerks in the Office Of tn !,
District auditor. which We're urgently re-
quested by the auditor and the Commits
soners. in order that the work of the offic,
might be kept up to date.
For the auditors Office the Commissioners
asked for one clerk at S1.i09 a year two at
81 300 and $1.0tD a year, respectively and
two ut $780, Two of the clerks are now
cal led on the rolls as per diem employees
In their recommendations to Congress the
Commissioners stated that there is every
reason why the clerical force of the audi
tors office should be increased The work
has expanded with the growth and devel-
Opment of the District and the expense in
volved in additional salaries will be more
than compensated by the increased thor
oughness with which the thousands of ac-
counts and the books of the Offices of the
assessor and collector will be examined"
This recommendation was made by the
Commissioners in connection with their
statement regarding the alleged defalcation
In the auditors office of james NJ. A. Wat
son.
The Auditors Argument.
The auditor in his rote relative to addi-
tional clerks stated th@it the increased force
asked for is urgently needed to keep up the
current work Of the auditors office. and to
dispatch the same in thorough and syste-
matte manner, and to bring up work in ar
rears. Continuing. Mr. Garrison said
1t is highly important that books of the
assessors office shall be audited a work
which has not yet been performed. When
that work is completed 1T will require the
better part of the time Of one competent ac-
counting clerk to keep the assessors books
audited.to date. The proper accounting for
the whole cost deposit fund and prepar
ing audits payable from this fund requires
the time of one skilled accountant. An ad-
ditional clerk Is needed upon the audit OF
current claims and pay rolls. which is
class of work which cannot be delayed
There should be sufficient force to ex
anime all claims and pay rolls carefully
and critically. and the present force is in
sufficient to perfurm this duty properly
Other Reasons for Increase.
The auditor also declared to properly
audit the monthly accounts of the ten JUS
ttces of the peace fvthey District, which is
required by the District code recently put
in force. and to audit the accounts of the
Police Courts. and to examine the accounts
of collateral deposits pertaining to the Po-
lice Courts. will require. the time of one
competent clerk. The auditor also called
attention to the need of, a stenographer and
typewriter to save the time of the auditor
in drafting in long-hand many letters which
could be dictated in a short time
1t was further stated that the clerks in
the auditors Office had not had their usual
leaves OF absence during the year, because
of the pressure of public business, and be-
sides, the auditor the deputy auditor and
most of the clerks.s. had been obliged to
work in excess of regular hours in order to
keep uD the current work 'Ae @
Notwithstanding these recommends tons
and the urgent appeal presented by the Dis
trict authorities for increased force in the
auditors Office the House committee gnOr-
ed the request for additional clerks.
One provision noted In the appropriation
bill as reported by the House committee
was that giving the Commissioners au-
thOrity to sell the sweepings from the
streets. Heretofore the Commissioners have
had no authority to sell the street sweep
ings. 1t is stated that il all the refuse can
be sold the District revenues will be in
creased by about $1,000 or $4,000 annually.