The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1909-03-04
REPORW OF THE SELECT COM
MITTEE.

At Last the Select Committee, APP
pointed to Consider the Report of
1907 Committee That Investigat-
ed the State Officers, Have Made
Their Report-They Found Moth
ing Wrong-Still They Make Ger
tain Recommendations.
Below will be found the report of
| the select committee appointed by
the present Legislature to consider
| the report of the auditing committee
of the last Legislature that investi-
gated the State officers and reported
some irregularities in some of the
officers. The report of the select
committee was submitted to both
branches of the General Assembly
| Friday morning, and it's findings
came as a surprise to the majority
of the members. The reporter gives
the gist of the report below as it
was reported by the select commit
| tee, without comment Che leaves
| that to the editor). But before
reading this report look up The
Caucasian which contained the re-
port of the 1907 committee which
was submitted to the Legislature
about the last of January. Now for
| the select committees report:
1t finds that all the auditors war;
| rants criticised by the auditing COM
mittee were authorized by law, and
| as to the voucher for the Goldsboro
Hospital for money to repair the
| building. it states that no such war
rant and no such voucher number
can be found on the treasurer's and
auditors books; that the hospital
| owes nothing for furniture or re-
pairs, but does owe for supplies au-
thorized by the Governor and Coun-
Gil of State. AS to Fish Commits
sioner Meekins, the report concludes
| that while his renting of a house
and boat for himself was technically
in contravention of the law, that it
was all done with the approval of
the board under which he served,
| that it was to the advantage of the
| State and under the circumstances
] was the only way in which he could
| have discharged his duties. AS to
the Insurance Commissioner, the re-
port finds that no evidence of dis
honesty is disclosed on the part of
any one handling funds or securi
ties; that the securities have been
kept according to law in safety de-
post boxes in a local bank, the State
having provided no modern vault
| for any State officer; that a more
modern and more easily understood
system of bookkeeping should be
installed, under which balances
should be made at regular periods,
and that the Commissioner is INSTALL
accountant; that the statement of
the expert accountant that he could
not make an absolutely correct state
ment of this account without going
back and checking up the entire bust
ness since the establishment of the
Office is erroneous in it's belief; that
the statement of the expert that no
cash book had been kept showing
accurate receipts and disbursements
of funds is very misleading, as the
/ Commissioner does keep a daybook
in which is a record of all receipts
in dc tail, while his bank book as
Insurance Commissioner shows all
disbursements of the fund for investi-
cation of fires; that the Commission
should, however, change this meth
cd and keep regular cash book and
Oh loi1 ho1 hot 1o &c
adopting this recommendation of the
auditing committee; that there has
been no improper mingling of pri-
vate funds with those of the Depart
ment (the committee it is noted
does not deny the mingling of pri-
vate funds with the public funds,
but says it was not improper); that
the law ought to be changed so that
the Commission would be directed to
accept under Section 1850 of the
tRevisal only the class of securities
desired in Section 1871, the audit
ing committee having said that the
securities filed by the insurance
companies were not properly trans
ferred to the Insurance Commission
er; that no stocks are deposited with
the Commissioner payable to the
bearer as said by aditing committee,
and the bonds are North Carolina
bonds and like that are payable to
bearer and the law is sufficiently
complied with as to them without
actual endorsements, as to the rec
ord of the securities that each COM
pany depositing them furnished the
Insurance Commissioner with du-
plicate record of each security, one
; receipted and returned to the COM
: pany, the other kept by the Com
missioner in his safe; that In addi-