The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-06-21

sites at Sp~artanDurg II ouullel. AL
lowing this credit, his personal eX-
pense account would be thus reduced
from 1920 to S273, and his total in
spection account reduced thereby to
1888. Col. Brock also claimed credit
for one mileage book, left over each
year after the inspections were over.
Reference to this will be made later.
"In the year 1910, contingent war
rants were issued and the money
thereon turned over to Col. Brock, to
the total amount of $3.50. Of this
amount, we find, he spent for his per-
sonal expenses s165.90, and for the
purchase Of four mileage books the
further sum of $50, making a total ex-
penditure by him for this year Of
S245.9 80. Of the remainder Of the
$3.50, Col. Brock covered back into the
State treasury the sum of $72. The
balance, amounting to S232.10, he
loaned to Lieut.. Bennett, of the regu-
lar army, who was detailed to make
the inspections on behalf of the Unit
ed State, to defray his expenses.
A Difficult Question.
"In attempting to decide the ques-
ton of whether or not Col. Brock has
wantonly wasted the States money
and whether he has spent more than
was necessary, the court is confront
ed with a question, for the solution of
which we have no fixed rule to guide
US, and hence is not without some
difficulty.
"Col. Brock attempted to justify
himself by the adoption Of a rule, bas-
ed, as he supposed, upon a custom OF
the office or what he thought to be
the custom of the office, that in ex-
pending the money of the State ap-
propriated to defray his expenses he
was entitled to the best. We are IN
able to accept this rule as the true
guide. On the other hand, we do not
think that he should be held to such
an economical administration of the
fund as would amount to niggardli-
ness and would tend to bring the Of
fcer and office in contempt.
Public office is a public trust, and,
if possible, the expenditure of the
public funds entails upon the officer
expending them a higher trust and we
think the funds should be, and would
have been, expended in such an econo
mical manner as is consistent with
reasonable comfort and convenience,
no more, no less. Applying this rule
to the expenditures of Col Brock, we
find that he expended for what might
be called, and what we have hereto
fore de~nominated, his personal ex-
penses, during the four years, the fol-
lowing sums: For 1907 SITS. For
1908 $500. For 1909 S273. For 1910
s165.90.
Present Years Expenses a Basis.
1T will be seen that during the
year 1910 his personal expenses
amounted to much less than either of
the two. preceding years, and is to all
practical intents the same as his ex-
penses for 1907. We think, under the
testimony, it is fair to take his .expen-
ditures for this year as a reasonable
basis by which to Judge him, especial
ly as it was claimed that the cost of
living is higher this year than any
previous of the four, aud in view Of
the further fact that it was in testi-
mony that at some places during the
previous years part of the expenses
were paid at the stations to which Col.
Brock vas sent, but that this custom
before this year had practically a
ed.
"The court sought earnestly for
some reason why the expenses for the
years 1908 and 1909 were so much
higher than the other years, but we
have to report that the reason has not
appeared satisfactorily to us and
that, in our opinion, his expenditures
in the two years named, 1908 and
1909, we're unnecessarily large. Part
of the increase We are able to account
for, as follows:
"Col. Brock testified that after he
started on the inspection tour and
had occasion to return to Columbia,
either to inspect the four companies
adjacent thereto or to attend to bust
ness in the office, he charged to the
State his cost of living while in Co.
lumbia.