Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-03-25
IsTHMIAN ACCOUNTS
NOW IN THE HANDS OF THE
AUDITOR.
Probable Cause for Rumors Of "Hold
Up"-Explanations Expected to
Prove Satisfactory.

Reports have been current in political cir
cles to the effect that the auditor for the
War Department, who has the auditing of
the accounts of the isthmian canal COM
mission, had found many inaccuracies in
the accounts of disbursing officers on the
sthmus. 1t was rumored that the auditor
had 'held up a number of these accounts,
involving considerable sums of money.
Inquiry made by Star reporter of the
auditor for the War Department ELECTED
the statement that while he probably could
account for the cause of the rurnor, there
was no foundation in fact for q Charge that
the isthmian canal accounts Indicated evil
dence of criminal irregularity In fact. he
said, the accounts thus far examined would
compare favorably with those of any other
branch of the government, where there are
always exceptions to disbursing officers ac-
counts He Thought that in view of the
fact that SO many employees were foreigners
the accounts showed up remarkably well.
Basis for Rumors.
The probable basis for the rumors of ir-
regularities was the fact that the audit
ing clerks had suspended vouchers in one
disbursing officers accounts to the amount
of about 10000. The auditor added that
at first blush this might seem to be a
serious case, but when it was realized that
technical and clerical errors which could
doubtless be explained by the officials in
fault, it did not seem so grave
Taking case in point, where s., 937 were
involved, the auditor exhibited sheaf of
pay rolls. They were regular in all forms
except for one omission, namely, that they
were signed and approved by the gov
ernors secretary without the signature of
the governor, both being required. An
other case was the suspending of S4637
Panama ho
receipt was signed by the cashier of the
railroad, but the officials had failed to
file with the voucher statement showing
that the cashier had the authority to re-
ceive the money and until that authority
is exhibited the account will be held up.
One feature of the pay rolls which
bothered the auditor for some time was
the presence of more names on the pay
roll than there were men on the job, this
in the case of 1aborers working in the
cuts. That discrepancy was explained by
the statement that while Manuel Garcia,
for instance, might appear upon the pay
roll several times it would be because he
was shifted from one gang to another
as the exigencies of the work required.
Cases were found where clerks were on
the rolls without sufficient authority for
their presence being exhibited in the ac-
companying vouchers, but it was stated
that all these could be explained and the
proper authority produced
The present examination of the isthmian
accounts is the first that has been held, al
though the commission has been in exist
ence for year. This is accounted for by
the auditor for the War Department as
follows:
Auditors Statement
1.-The accounts of the commission were
originally placed under the auditor for the
State and other departments, but before
the time arrived for handling the first
quarters accounts it was decided to trans
fer them to the auditor for the War De-
partment, as the commission was to be
under the direction of the Secretary of
War The transfer was authorized by the
legislative appropriation bill that went into
effect March 4, and on March a wagon
load of these accounts were dumped into
this office.
Our clerks have been going over them as
rapidly as possible and thus far have found
suspensions to the amount of about $4,000,
but l feel sure that they will be Satisfac-
torily accounted for, as you can Judge
from the samples given above,
Il am confident that there is nothing
crooked in the accounts, and that soon
as the new employees get acquainted with
the forms required by the auditors office
there will be no further trouble"