Morris tribune., 1908-03-28
SHORTAGE. OF The
OIL INSPECTOR
EXAMINATION DISCLOSES RATH.
Err NASTY r1ESS.

Examination before Approving
New Inspectors Bond, and finds
that Democratic Administration
has been Hiding Shortage ot
$6,Ioo .o5.
The shortage misdirection, mis-
appropriation anyone of dozen
words may be used to describe what
mas taken place lin the Office of the
oil Inspector under its late incumbent
has assumed phase which seems to
involve the entire Democratic admin
istration in a serious scandal, in which
the executive Office, the public ex-
aminer and the present incumbent OF
the Office of chief oil inspector are
mixed, says the st. Paul correspon-
dent of the Northfield News.
J. A. McDermott, who has been oil
Inspector up to that time, resigned
his position last November. As it was
then given out that Mr.. McDermott
resigned to accept position with the
National Liquor Dealers, association
at a salary of $40, 900 year, the popu-
lar conclusion naturally was that he
resigned to better his condition, and
the matter was given no further
thought by people outside the state
capitol.
That there was some suspicion then,
even among those not in the conf
dence of the executive, that every
thing was not quite right seems evil
dent from the action taken by Julius
Schmall, the secretary of state, who,
when the bonds of Mr.. Melvin, Mr..
McI)ermott's successor, were submit
ted to him as custodian of such docu-
ments, declined to approve them un-
til an examination of the books of the
department was made. Upon this the
examination was undertaken sby the
public examiner. -~ss = 4.
From that time until the present
week no hint of what the examination
revealed was allowed to reach the
ears of the public. 1t is now announced
by the public examiner that there had
been shortage in Mr.. McDermott's
accounts of s6, 1895, but that, "pend-
ing the completion of this report" !"
Mr.. McDermett had refunded the
entire amount in question"
Upon receiving this report the Sec
retary OF State Immediately proceed
ed to verify it by communicating with
the State treasurer and the State
auditor, who each in turn stated that
there was nothing in the records of
their office to show that Mr.. McDer-
mott had reimbursed the State to the
extent of $6, /, ,199 IS, or any other sum.
1t then transpired that the moneys
which had been illegally withheld
from the State treasury had been re-
turned, if returned at all, 10y stealth,
&A4O tAab aaA OAN04 ~ CoVCa 1O OSsCA uAC
present old inspector had, it may be
presumed, with the knowledge and
consent of the public examiner, in
cluded it among the current receipts
of the fees of his Office, covering it up
as receipts from one or more of the
oil companies which pay tribute to the
state. How far the executive office
was involved in this peculiar trans
action is, of course, not known, but it
seems highly improbable that the
public examiner would, without con-
sultation with his official superiors,
willingly assume the responsibility for
SO questionable a transaction.
But there is another peculiar, not
to say sinister, phase of the incident.
The recent reports of the Oil inspect
or's Office, while they show gain in
receipts over the corresponding
months of last year, do not show a
gain which would by any means cor
with what Mr.. MeDermott is
reported to have paidin. The receipts I
since November, when Mr.. McDer-
mott resigned, compared with the re-
ceipts for the corresponding period
5he previous year, are as follows:
Last Year. This Year.
November. !. $3,664.20 $4,745.70
Oecember...... 4,30S.05 4,425.50
January ....... 3,s44.s5 5,s51.0e
February w 3,7e7.s5 1864 10
Total. $15, ,6s5.O5 18,O9S.9O