The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-12-16
AUDITORS REPORT
IS TO THE POINT
BETTER SYSTEM OF DEALING WITH
COLLECTING OFFICIALS
DESIRABLE.
FREQUENT SETTLEMENTS
TREAsURERs AND CLERKS SHOULD
TURN OVER COLLECTIONS ON
FIRST OF EACH MONTH
SAYS DoNOHOE.
FREQUENT SETTLEMENTS

Ilc ACCOuNtAs came lTOih LILO AA0ANo
OF the printer yesterday.
The larger part of the preamble to
the report has already been printed
In the liberal extract made by the
legislative auditing committee In It's
report of some days ago.
brief resume, however. OF Mr.
Donohoe's foreword Is given In or
der that the reader may grasp the
situation as 1t exists as to the bust
ness and financial affairs OF the State
The Auditor points out that as or
September 30. 1910. there was accord
ing to the Auditors report for 1910.
4 balance in the treasury OF w.
654,92. This balance, says he. did not.
however. represent a surplus, but
was maintained In order to meet the
ordinary daily drafts upon the treas
ury. there being at that time obi
cations resting upon the State Tar In
excess Of the sum in hand, making
II necessary to defer the settlement
OF such obligations. loan of $780,
600 was negotiated by the State to
meet the pressing obligations. which
was soon repaid but no amount OF
exertion on the part of this depart
ment, says the report, could fully
correct the undesirable condition OF
AFFAIRS
The balance on and at the close
Of the fiscal year. September so. 1911,
was $2s6.314.7s. but immediate ne
cessities were largely in excess OF
this sum.
The Auditor makes a timely kick"
against the unhusiness4iike policy
for so long In vogue of requiring only
semi-annuai settlements from county
and city treasurers excepting the
city treasurers, who are now reQuir-
ed by law 10 make weekly settle
mentst. Ii frequently happens that
the State has large drafts on II for
the current expenses OF State hospi-
tails educational and ether institu-
lions, which run down her cash bal
ance, while the various treasurers
have large sums in their possession.
The Auditor believes that every col
leeting official should be required to
pay over the States moneys on the
first OF each month, SO that all the
public funds would be in the public
treasury, where they belong. Mr..
Bonohoe suggests that State funds
may not be lawfully used for any
purpose whatsoever by the treasurers
except to pay juror and witness GER
tificates in Commonwealth cases.
~ The present rule of semi-annual
= settlements is contrary to every sound
business policy, says the auditor.
Calling attention to the delays in COL
lection of tax bills the auditor points
out that the addition OF Ave per cent.
on December /. does not entitle the
tax payer to further extension OF time.
but IL penalty for not paying before
that date, and he recommends that
treasurers be required to proceed i'm
mediateiy after December l to collect.
unpaid tax bills.
Clerks OF courts should also be re-
Quired to settle monthly. instead of
semi annually. The auditor calls at
tention to the fact that in some cases
the clerks hold on 10 the funds rs
long as the law permits. and some
times until notified that the power OF
the law Will be invoked TO compel Sc.
Element.
A change In the law permitting IN,
auditor to take radical action against
delinquent commissioners Of tho reve-
nue. Ia also urged.
This report contains the following
detailed information:
Amount on hand October
l. 1910 ..............$ 92.554 90
Receipts from all sources
during the year ....... s.702,740 80
Amount of checks drawn
by treasurer, not pre-
scented for payment
within I'VE years.
charged OF ....... 1853 IS
$6.7as.355 ~
Disbursements during the
year ................. s.53o.040 IS
Balance on hand October
!. 1911 ..,........,.$ 266.3l4 70
Among the items of expense of spe-
cfal interest are criminal expenses ag-
rex IN
lie debt. $4,000: for support OF the
several State hospitals. s496.s707s;
salaries Of officers OF the government,
$257.14o.14: pensions. funeral expenses
or veterans. and disbursing expenses
on pensions. s377.350e7: public roads.
u S240. 05s.0s: public schools, $i,s45.
ts10l; annual support soldiers horne.
i S45dGS64: and State highway COM
mission, expense. $a3.47271.
Fifty thousand dollars were received
'arom the States share Of the Federal
public land fro. which sum was dis.
tributed t. the Virginia Agricultural
ana Mechanical College and Polytech-
s TIC Institute. and to the Hampton
A feature Of interest of the re-
port In statement showing the as
.essment Tor the year 1911 OF the
taxable value Of the shares of stock
~ banks, trust and security compa-
InleA. and OF the taxes extended there
ROn. and the payments into the treas
#0ry from such institutions during the
Y nacal year Banks to the number ~
1918 reported stock OF a par vaIre
&of SIS. 493.66734. The value az the
stbck based on capital. surplus and
undivided profits, was $4s.47s.iss4I
EIhese institutions paid $l40.3Os 81
into the State treasury, som ethinr
ever four millions Of dollars az the
amount represented by the totals be-
Ing In real estate and otherwise
taxed.
Twelve dispensaries In the State
paid $17,040.72 into the treasury: the
three express companies doing busi-
Mnesa In the State paid $2S,973,45 10
the Commonwealth: the 176 insur-
ance guaranty and trust ompanies
added $:4S.053.23 to the states in
I come: State repositories paid $lo,-
ss727.S7 interest on State deposits: six
$ counties sent In $217.07 from hunting
VI licenses: there was returned to the
| treasury on account Of overpayments
\ during the year $23l.69; something
I over thirty thousand dollars were
paid into the treasury by various I'm
!, surance companies In fees assessed
for the support Of the Bureau OF In
saurance. and telephone companies In
y Virginia. with plants valued at APP
/ proximateiy t2,760.000. paid nearly
" Ann In e. wAa M yA~~<.~>.