The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-10-06
PUT SHERIFFS
ON SALARIES
Recommends State Auditor
Horace F. Graham
In HIS BIENNIAL REPORT
He Also Recommends That No State
Money Be Paid Out Except Perhaps
the State School and Highway
Taxes.
in HIS BIENNIAL REPORT

The biennial report Of State Auditor
Horace +. Graham has the following
preface;
! have put in force all the suggestions
OF the special commission on STATE audit,
Us far as existing legislation will permit
and suggest that the legislation neces.
sary TO compete ine work OF the com.
mission, ba enacted.
This Office has prepared and installed
a uniform system OF bookkeeping in
all the state institutions, The manufac-
turing departments have been carefully
examined and found to be properly and
economically administered.
All these changes have been added
to the expense Of maintaining my dc.
partment for the PAST two years, but |
believe the money has been wisely ex.
pended.
The provisions cf the law requiring a
uniform system probate and county
court forms and records, have been sue.
cesstully worked out as far. perhaps,
as is practical at present, and the result
of these changes Tor record audit and
filing is decided improvement.
! The appointment OF one printing com.
missioner has proved to be good legsla
ton and the selection OF practical
printer has improved the administration
of this department and lessened the cost
OF its maintenance.
the Judiciary act of 1906 has, TO some
extent, increased the cost OF the admin
istration OF justice, but | believe 1t has,
in the main, expedited legal procedure
and gwen general satisfaction.
| have investigated the condition of
William G, McGinnie and find that he is
still suffering from the disability for
which he was pensioned, by the act OF
1906, and 1 would recommend that his
pension be continued.
| have appended to this letter a table
OF the Authorizations used in the list OF
orders drawn. This is done at the sug-
gestion OF the commission on state audit
and the further suggestion has been
made that hereafter no abbreviations be
used.
Ii has been the custom of the auditor
OF account TO make such recommended
tions as his experience in the conduct of
the office seemed to justify. | now sub
NIT the following recommendations:
]. No money other than perhaps state
school and state highway taxes should
be paid out except upon the order Of
the auditor OF accounts.
II. There should be full and careful re.
classification OF the salaries OF all state
a "A nft IuuaH . ka
ture and extent Of their duties and the
fees they receive.
ILL The matter of placing saeriffs
upon salaries should be carefully consid
cred by the general assembly.
IN. Some method OF dsposing Of mi |
nor criminal matters and civil actions, !
involving small amounts. should be de-
yised. in the nature of district courts. |
/ believe the time of the county courts I
should not be taken up with these mat
tiers, as the present system imposes large I
expense upon the state and parties lit. /
giant, an expense out OF all proportion /
to the magnitude of the 0ifense and the /
amount involved.
V. Some method OF purchasing fuel |
for court houses, jais and state institu
tons should be adopted and | refer to /
my suggestion OF two years ago.
vi. Jailers should be furnished with |
some notice Of the discharge Of persons
confined in Jail awaiting trial, as
voucher for the auditor. and | again refer
to my suggestions Of two years ago.
In closing ! desire to enumerate briefly
the duties now imposed upon this office.
TO audit and pay all claims arising
in the supreme, superior, county, city,
municipal and justice courts; to check
up, audit and pay the accounts OF the
twenty probate courts and see thft
they make proper settlements with the
state treasurer to audit and pay the ac.
counts OF all state officers and commits
sions. intending certain county officers,
and ii any OF these are receivers OF pub
lic money, to see that their proper set
are made with the state treas.
uer; TO pay all general appropriations
claims for cattle killed, damage done BY
deer grade crossing expenses and the
claims for funeral expenses and head
stones for deceased veterans; to audit,
check up and pay the accounts of the sew
eral different state institutions and check
up and look after the manufacturing
departments at the state prison and
house OF corrections; to audit and pay
the bills of the Brattleboro retreat for
the support OF the insane poor, to keep
i running account with each insane pau
per, to check up and settle with the state
treasurer all his receipts and disburse-
ments, see that all fines belonging to
certain departments are properly credit
I'd thereto, TO see that each justice of
.he peace in the state files proper re-
turns, at the opening of each term OF
,ourt, to see that all receivers of public
money properly account Tor the same,
% attend to and see that all these mat
.ers are properly booked and disposed
ii. in short, to supervise the whole finan-
ial system OF the state, which in he
asst biennial period has meant to take
Ii and pay out, two millions Of dollars,
n innumerable items, with hundreds of
PERSONS
The cost of all this has been about
light -tenths of one per cent. on pay.
nents and about fourtenths of one
,er cent. on the total receipts and dis.
lursements.
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