The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1912-05-15

your ulSpOSdl ioi SAioiSCulCAI VI law,
| beg to say:
That section 1893 Of the code COM
missioner's report, 1912, quoted by
you requires, as you state, that such
accounts be itemized and verified"
This requirement, when made in ref
erence to county claims, was passed
upon by the supreme court in Bank
V. Goodwin, 81 S. C. 427. There the
court said: There are very strong
practical reasons of public policy for
regarding the enactment mandatory
and not directory. The items and
oath are required not only that the
county boards OF commissioners lin
this case the governor) may be sat-
isfied with the account, but that the
board and it's successors in office Tin
this case the comptroller general and
legislative examining committees) as
we'll as the grand jury and the citi-
Gems at large may, by examination of
the claims, ascertain how the affairs
of the county Tin this case Of the
state) have been conducted. If it
be within the power OF the county
board of commissioners (here we may
say of the governor) to audit and
approve claims not made out with
stems and notifications, it would be
thin their power to allow claims SO
made out as to give no information
as to their origin and character, and
thus keep those officially concerned
for the welfare of the county Tin this
instance, Of the state) and the citi-
Gems generally in complete ignorance
Of the management Of public works
and appropriation Of the public reve-
nue." p. 429 and 431.
Again the court there said: I'm
determining whether the claims were
itemized and verified as required by
law, substantial and not technical
and precise compliance with the let
ter Of the statute should be the test.
/. To itemize an account means
to state in detail the particulars of
it, so that the account may be exam
ined and it's correctness tested" (This
means not only by the governor, but
also by the comptroller general be-
fore he issues his warrant on the state
treasurer, and subsequently by them
generally, when merely the different
articles furnished or the different SER
vices rendered are set down without
dates, one of the most important par
ticulars necessary to the examination
Of the account is omitted. Especially
is this true when the board, whose
duty it is to examine into the correct
ness of the account is limited to the
consideration Of claims arising within
the current or preceding year.
|. Mr.. Creighton's account simply
states: For special services rendered
for one month ending April %, 1912"
This does not specify the particular
services Of the particular dates when
rendered and neither the comptroller
general or examing committee could
ascertain from this for what the mon
ey is to be paid.
l have no desire whatever to ham,
per any officer in the enforcement OF
law or performance of his duties. But
l was elected on the platform that
Public Office is public trust and
Public officials should be- held to a
rigid accountability for public funds"
/ therefore request that Mr.. Creigh-
toms account to be so tented az to
let me know for what particular SER
vices he is being paid, in order that
the matter may be properly examined
into.
This has always been the practice
of this Office, and Of the governors
office previous to your administra-
ton. II this has been varied during
your administration it has been
through inadvertance.
Respectfully yours
(Signed) A. w. Jones,
Comptroller General.
Governors Statement
When shown the correspondence
given out by the comptroller general
Governor Blease said: when l
return from Spartanburg l will look
up the law and If General Jones is
right I will have Mr.. Creighton to
comply; if MI. Creighton is right, I
will apply to the courts for a writ
of mandamus to compel the comp
troller general to pay the warrant"
The same course was pursued with
regard to the account of l.. NJ. Green,
another special detective.
DR.. J. n, r. Neal, Prop. Riverside