The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-12-29
COMMENTS ON
COUNTY REPORT
Auditor Verify Says that Condi.
tons in Benton are not as Bad as
Findings would Indicate

| have recently received the re-
T OF the inspection in Benton
So i hty and find that it is by NO
ms as drastic as one would he.
Re from the newspaper state
- fnts. The Auditors office GER
\ thrly has no complaint coming
over the neat compliment given it
in the statement of the examiners
that they believe the system of re-
cording and checking is not sur
passed in any Office of the State
The report speaks quite highly OF
several OF the officials and while il
finds some errors and alleged short.
age or excess payments does not in
any manner impugn the honor or
integrity of the officers. So far as
can see from study of the figures,
conditions in this county are about
the average of the conditions shown
in the published reports from other
counties Of the state. :,
With few exceptions, the alleged
illegalities are almost entirely tech
nical and arise from the difficulty
experienced, elsewhere as we'll as
here, in bringing officials to a reali
zation "f the necessity of a literal
compliance with the red tape me-
thods of the new bureau of inspec-
ton law. Particularly is this so in
school matters. and l am pleased
to be criticised for not having been
as strict as Z SHOULD have been, as
there is a general feeling among
school directors that our Office is
unnecessarily a stickler for red
tape. | want to say, however, that
with few exceptions the directors
understand conditions now and are
complying strictly with the law.
The same may be aaid about
county matters. I think that II
the business of the, past six months
could be segregated from the re-
port, it would be found that the
county had very nearly a clear
sheet. and I do not believe there will
be much chance for criticism sir
this respect in the future.
| have not checked the report yet
hut from hasty examination fine
that there are some errors in it and
!, pEobably others will develop when
arheck is made. The most incom-
Drehensible one is the one charging
the auditor with having counter
Eisned S134O of warrants in Dist.
No. 6 which had been signed BY
but one director. A check Of these
&arrants shows that every one o.
Them is signed by two or more di
fnctors.
As before stated the alleged dis
crepancies were almost entirely
caused by the failure of commits
sioners and other officers to realize
the stern determination of the bu
reau to reinforce all the red tape oi
the law This is especially 80 in
the matter of the compensation of
the county commissioners for theil
monthly meetings, which the exam
liners claim should have been ap
proved by the superior court. The
excess salaries are not matters
which directly concern the county,
as it is not out nor in one cent.
The officers have been allowed two
years salary for two year term
If their term was short few days
they owe the excess to their success.
sors, not to the county. The pay
ment of bonds has been made ir
this county as in nearly every coun-
ty in the state, on advice that it the
law establishes the principal Of
compulsory payment of bonds in
the case of one county official 1.-THE
county treasurer) the principle holds
good for all county officials. In
the matter of fees accounted for
there were some errors found III
some offices, most or all of which
have been recti6ed and some fee:
which it may be questioned wheth
er the officer or the examiner i:
right. There are no shortages
charged against the Auditors OF
flee. f. Verify.