The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-06-29
CALL IT HOLD UP.
Haskins & Sells Filed Their Sup
Elemental Report.
Ask $500 for the Eight Type
written Pages.
1T MAY NOT BE PAID.
Governor HOch Refuses to O. X.
the Bill.
Estimated Cost Of New Account
ing System Is $4,000.
IT MAY NOT BE PAID.

Governor Koch has made public the
supplemental report from Haskins &
Sells, accountants, on the desirable
changes in the present methods of
state bookkeeping, as revealed by the
investigation of State Treasurer Kelly's
Office.
The report covers eight typewriter
pages, and the accountants bill for the
same is $500. or at the rate of 500 per
page.
Some OF the state officers have been
informed By a representative of the
firm Of Haskins & Sells that it will cost
the state $4,000 to have the necessary
changes made in the existing systems
of bookkeeping, by a firm of account
ants.
The same state official to whom this
revelation was made declares that the
accounting business is q "hOld up" Il
suppose he said, that the account
ants figure that they can get the legis-
lature to appropriate $4,000 or so. as it
appropriated s15, coo for the treasury in
vestigations and they can get their
hands into the state treasury again.
They are trying to hold us UP for too
big a price, and an example of that
style of business is the $500 which they
propose to charge for this little SPACE
supplementalrepo which is absolutely
without any value
Thus far Governor Hoch has refused
to pay the $500 bill, and will probably
continue to do so, on the ground that
it is excessive.
It is limited that Haskins & Sells did
not file with the state all the informa-
ton which they obtained concerning a
new system of bookkeeping for the
state. For weeks the firm had William
Read here working on the preparation
of blank forms for new account books
which would be necessary under the re-
vised system of bookkeeping. All this
work on blanks was done at the ex-
pense of the state. Haskins & Sells
were getting $40 for every day Read
worked, In addition to still larger fees
paid on account of Morris, the head ex-
pert, who was absent on his mysterious
six weeks journey of which the object
has never been discovered by the people
who pay the Bills OF course Morris
collected full pay for the whole time
he was away. And the blanks which
Read drew up, and which the state was
supposed to own, and to which it was
doubtless entitled as part of the sup
Elemental report, have never been
turned over to the state officers.
State Auditor Iarpes Nation said to-
day realize fa1sty That there ought
to be complete oVerhauffng of the
state bookkeeping but think that with
the assistance of State Accountant
Gafford, we can devise a very satisfac-
tory system of Our own, which will
cost the state nothing. After figuring
out exactly what we want. we can
have the necessary laws drawn up, and
presented to the legislature. The de-
sirable changes will probably involve
the employment of additional clerks in
the auditors office. and possibly of less
men in the office Of the state treasur-
err
The supplemental report of Haskins
& Sells merely outlines the defects of
the present system, and points the gen
eral path toward reform. But it does
not go into detail, and it is this detail
work that Haslxins & Sells say will re-
quire a vast amount of additional ex-
pert work, a complete audit of all the