Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-03-24
Joke Is ON CARROLL
AS GOVERNOR HE cRITlclzEs HIS
OWN ACTS AS STATE
AUDITOR. '
BLEAKLEY is CAUTIONED
NOT TO FOLLOW PRECEDENT
Disposition of Present Administration
to Probe Affairs of Predecessors May
Result in Investigation of CAROLS
Work as Auditor-Politics Being
Played at Des Moines.

Special to mes-Republican.
| Des MONIES. March 24-f there is
to be general probing for loose spots
in the republican administration oi
Iowa affairs there are several offices
that may be affected. A startling fact
was brought to light the other day in
connection with a bill TO increase the
fee for medical examinations, which
bill was not adopted.
One day at a meeting of the eXecu-
tive council not long ago the matter
came up. AS every one knows the
council audits and directs payment OF
all bills of every kind.
Auditor Bleakley, new to the job
commenced: Nov, 1 want to know
something about what to do in the
case of funds overdrawn and"
Governor Carroll: But funds can
not he overdraWn legally and under
4 this administration they will not be.
iBleakley: But in case a fund is
overdrawn 1 want some guidance as
to what to do with bills and"
Carroll: "But funds must not be
overdraYn-"
Then Auditor Blea1ley explained
that what he was referring to was not
under his administration, but under
that of his predecessor, Auditor Car
roll, which caused a sudden turn IN
the conversation. ~
The facts as they have come to the
members in connection with the med
ical examiners bill are that when
Auditor Bleakley came into possession
of his office the first of the year he
found that the fund out of which the
expenses of the examiners are paid
was overdrawn over $1,000, that 1t
had been overdrawn for some time,
and that the bills were continually
coming and that warrants We're being
drawn which were. of course, paid out
of the general funds of the state. rms
fund comes from fees turned I'm, and
it is explained that by July there
will be a balance; but inasmuch as
Governor Carroll is directing a move
ment to end the existence of the board
there is some prospect that before the
DOar0 is III pOSflioIi ~ iilNiAe"@S, -
may be out of existence. In that case
somebody would be holding disagree
able bag.
In view Of the movement which
Governor Carroll has started to go
back adj thru the administration of his
predecessor to pick out flaws and 10
secure evidence justifying sweeping
changes In state offices, it is promised
that there will be an investigation
into other offices in the building ana
especially some inquiry into the man
agement of the office of state auditor
with a view to finding out how Tar
the law had bene ignored in the mat
ter of expenditures of public funds.
Some of the governors critics say that
If he is such a sltickler for a matter
of SIS to be saved the state because
of one error found, he might also nave
been looking after $1,000 items in
which the law was grossly and mex
cusably violated.
Some time ago the house started a
for a general investigation
of the board of health, the board OF
medical examiners and their allied IN
,terests and accounts, and in some
mysterious way the MATTER was
dropped by those who at first were
most keen after 1t.