United labor bulletin., 1910-11-03
kENEHAN A CANDIDATE
FOR STATE TREASURER
Continued from Page IL

creating the office of public examiner
The proposed act provided for public
examiner and a number of assistants,
and while the law makers suspected
that Roady was planning to build nt-
tie political machine of his own, they
finally passed the law in practically the
shape in which it was presented to them
by Mr.. Kenehan.
Mr.. Kenehan's new law has been in op-
Grafton for about eighteen months. IL
carried an appropriation of 100000 and
1t is estimated that more than ten times
that amount has been saved to the state
through it's application. Without any
question, the Public Examiner Act OF l9o9
is the most important act, from an eco
nomical standpoint, that has been placeu
upon the statutes since Colorado becam :
a state If Mr.. Kenehan had done noth-
ing else in his administration but secure
the massage and enforcement of this act
he would be entitled to the gratitude OF
every taxpayer in the state.
"Anti-Graft Roady' is the title which
has recently been bestowed upon the
blacksmith-auditor and the pubic exanh-
iner's act is equally entitled to be desis-
mated as the "Anti-Graft Act" for no law
upon the statute books is more 1atal 10
graft in state and county offices than Is
this same act. 1t is one thing to pass
law and another to enforce 1t. Whlie
the public examiners act is good law,
it took a man of Roady Kenehan's call
reached the Capitol until there was pre-
sented to the legislature bill for an act
ber to enfocre it. And he did not en-
force it without terrific struggle Whlle
the law has been in effect for over eight
cen months. it was not until the SUI
preme court last July declared 1t to be
constitutional that opposition to its en-
forcement practically came to an END.
The only hope of the grafters and ma
chine politicians now lies in keeping
Roady Kenehan out of the state Capitol
and installing a state auditor and po-
litical examiner who will be too busy in
politics to examine along the lines estap-
lished by Roady Kenehan.
While Mr.. Kenehan met with the ierc-
est opposition to put the state upon
business basis, he was constantly on the
Job, and the results of his energetic work
has been a series of sensational d1scov-
cries that have opened the eyes OF the
taxpayers of the state to the absolute
necessity of instituting business metnods
in the conduct of the states financial al
fairs. Extravaganza, petty graft anu
criminal methods have run riot in al
most every department of state, in the
state institutions and county offices. Nu-
merous state funds arising from fees ana
other business transactions have been
held by public officials in their own per-
sonal accounts, under the most primitive
methods of bookkeeping, or with no ac-
counting at all. Banks have carried
these funds for years, paying no interest
unless to the officer who controlled the
fund, or in contributions to the campaign
funds Men in charge of state institu-
tions have constantly expended moneys
in excess of their revenues, leaving
many of them seriously in debt. County
officers have taken to themselves author
ity to abate taxes and reduce assess
ments to favored corporations. Appro-
priations for special purposes have been
squandered. Purchasing agents for state
have purchased supplies
from whom they pleased and when they
pleased, without even the formality OF
receiving bids. paying the highest mar
ket prices, and in many instances in ex-
cess of market prices. Vast amounts OF
belonging to the state have
been appropriated by the public officers
without any fear of discovery until Mr..
public examiners began to ap-
pear with copies of the statutes under
their arms to investigate and ask ques-
lions.
Not only did the Public Examiner Act
put a sudden stop to the petty graft that
mad been going on all over the state, but
there is being installed sys-
.ematic business methods in the handl-
ng of the states financial affairs. Con-
rary to expectation, Mr.. Kenehan did
1ot appoint a politician to the Office OF
public examiner. He had nearly hun
lred able politicians who were willing
md anxious to take over the job, but Mr..
xenehan finally selected an accountant
rom one of Denver's banks and put him
n charge of the work, with instructions
o examine without fear or favor.
Mr.. Kenehan's work has only com
and while it is unfortunate that
he constitution prevent his reelection
is auditor, yet in the Office of state
reasurer, after the experience of the
,ast two years, he will be able to keep
lis eye on the work, and further two
ears enforcement of the Public Exam
ner Act will make changes in the states
business methods that it is estimated
will result in an annual saving to the
axpayers of fully half million dollars.
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