The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-01-09
DEW IS ATTACKED
UPON HIS RECORD
Opponents Quote Crit
cism by Auditing
Committee.
CAUCUS CONTESTS
GROW In INTEREST
Fights for Two Auditorships
Still Much in Doubt-Separate
Caucuses Will Be Held
To-Night-Annual Dinner
at Murphy's To-Mor-
row Evening.

Use by ting opponents of Judge John
Tor OF Virginia of the statements re-
SardinG the affairs of his Office made
by the Joint Auditing Committee a lit
tic more than n year ago. was the de-
Nelopment yesterday of the contest be
tween Judge Dew and Roosevelt Page.
Fhc portion OF the committees report
which dealt with the Second Auditor
has been reproduced for the inforna
uon oil members oil the Legislature.
This doveiopmcnt MAKES the hight
one of the most interesting TO come
pctorc the Dcmocrauc caucus Tho
contest over the more important posi-
hon--tIat Of AUDITOR OF Pubic Ac-
eounts-iias also grown in intensity.
anu there are few VINO make an c:iort
70 predict the outcome.
CritlciEcd Office.
1t is rccaiieu Inhi liz me report of
the JOINT AUDITING Committee OF the
General Assembly, mauc III December
1909, II Was stated that the books of
the Second AUDITORS office were In an
extremely unsatisfactory CONDITION. The
Special accountant VINO madc an cx-
animation reporter: In my experience
nav lCNSI seen IN OfllEC nlnullIE
such great interests wnicn seemed so
badly In need VI II competent account
ant. There was no logger account OF
the sinking fund. 'notning upon wnicn
iclt ! could rely for iuiI ana accurate
information" regarding the Miller Iund
there We're no Posungs of totuls, Cx-
cspt as memoranua, on the interest nc-
count: the literary tunu accounts were
'coniuscd ana unccrtaln; no propcr
!cnScr of the State debt" anu the
mctnods which saw III force are crude
ana unsatisfactory. anu VIII In the iu-
turc lead TO confusion unless they are
radically improved.
~ In view uf- this situation, The com
mittec recommended the appointment
OF u thoroughly competent technical ac-
counttnt. ana that the saIary Tor THIS
posiucn be maze suIncien, to secure
me services and enlist the interest Of
e nign-Srade man" Inc committee
turtner SAID that the methods IN use
appear 10 have been Unavoidable OH
tccocnt of the lack of the necessary
iaciiities ana force" there being no
reflection On Jnuse Dew.
BOOKS Installed.
The result was that ,Iuvrrnor swan.
son immediately p!aCeu .. Doohnetpcr IN
tae once Later complete set Oh ac-
cutntS was e.oi.ed auu put INTO ouer-
atIon by Franz e;niLn, cn.eI poonaee,er
N tnc ONCE oi the -,uuIlot VI t,uuuc
accounts, VINO WIS usIal.rQ Tor q time
ior that purpose.
y Jew weeks after the committee re-
port the Legislature met. Juusc Dew.
the Second Auuitor. appeared before Inc
Finance Committees aud explained that
he rad screra! times asked tor an an
preparation to allow him TO employ n
competent bookKceper, and that he had
never had the means to secure such u
person. This was in explanation or
the committee report Thereupon the
Legislature, IN the general appropria-
ton bill OF 1910, added u provision for
an additional clerk. who shall be an
expert bookkeepcr. $780,"
Destination of Money.
When the next annual meeting Of IN.
Joint Auditing Committee was held on
December Is, 1910. II reported as fol-
lows 10 tho Governor:
The appropriation bill for 1910 ana
1911 provided for the Second Auditor
an additional clerk. who shall be an
expert booKkecper, sl,svv.' This
amount of {i,S0o mas been used by tho
SECOND Auoitor TO increase the saIariss
OF TWO OF ms clerks $500 each and 10
pay an additional empioye, known "a
stenograpner, saiary OF Sl,Op0 so
IL appears .tnat instead OF AN cxp.r,
bookkeepcr.' the nccu for such an en-
pioye having BEEN impressed upon the
Assembly, the ONCE mas einploy.u a
stcnographer, an employe not uutnor-
ized by Jaw, ana has me- eased the sal
aries OF two CLERKS whose remuncrn
ton IS fiAed by law Gin the appropri-
alton binD.
The second Auditor expresses the
view that proper construction OF the
n
would not prohibit him from appoint.
ing to this new position some one
already employed in his Office, ana
making such rearrangcment of the
salaries there as the circumstance,
seemed TO require; but from this view,
the committee is compelled to dis
sent"
While 1t Is stated that friends Of
neither Judge Dew nor Mr.. Page can
as yet count clear majority of the
caucus, each is claiming that when
the remainder of the members arrive
to-day the Development VIII show tina
he VIII win In the joint caucus.
Work OF Caucus.
The fight is likely to be had on Fri.
day night. The caucuses of tonight
will be separate as to tho two houses
for the purpose Of electing the officers
of the respective bodies. Tho djpne,
TO the Legislature comes to-morrow
night. 1t is the belief that tho io,nt
caucus OF Thursday night Will be de.
voted to clearing away the uncon.
tested nominations-that of a Judge
OF the Supreme Court of AppeeIs
some fifteen circuit Judges and the
Superintendent of Public Printing
There will BIO no contest over anv ~
these judgeships. Judge Stafford G..
White will be nominated TO tho su.
preme bench to succeed himself.
This would leave Friday njcbt,.
caucus to the three cnntea,oa 80,