Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1912-10-25
ORIGINATED SYSTEM
OF VOUCHERS WHICH
PUT END TO GRAFT
First Chairman of Board of Con-
troll Which Adopted Contract
Plan of Purchasing.
ESCAPES ALL MUDSLINGING
Character, Ability and Reputation
Unassailed in Bitterest State
Campaign of Years.

One of the main reasons why Ernest
Lister, Democratic candidate for gov
ernor, is receiving such general sup
port from the members of all parties
comes from recognition of the fact
that he more than any other one man
knows the needs of the different state
institutions and has made good in their
conduct.
For many years all of the state in
stitutions were conducted in an ex-
travagant and unsatisfactory manner
by local boards. This was changed by
law to provide for state board of
audit and control and Ernest Lister
was employed as paid secretary of this
board. Lister it was who originated
and put into use simple but effective
system of bookkeeping and vouchers
which it is admitted has absolutely
prevented any graft of any kind in
the conduct of the state institutions.
April 1, 1901, the law was amended
to provide for three paid members of
the state board of control, and Ernest
Lister became chairman. Henry Drum,
another well known Democrat, and
Charles S. Reed, now superintendent
of the state penitentiary, were the 9TH
er members.
This board established the contract
system of purchasing supplies on COM
petitive bids and quickly installed bus
mess methods in each of the institu-
tions.
The simplicity of the bookkeeping
and voucher system, and the great
economy effected in the bid system of
purchasing supplies have been gener'
ally endorsed by every legislature and
by every person who has investigated
the books and records.
The only weak point of the system
is that it will not prevent extrava-
gance. Under the administration of
Governor M. E. Hay, the voucher sys-
TEN, which any one could check up
and which absolutely prevented graft,
has been discarded by order of e. d.
Cowan, Hays private detective and
present chairman of the board.
This was done in violation OF the
state laws and a system was installed
by which it is relatively easy to cover
up any improper expenditures. This
will be wiped out promptly by Gov
ernor Lister and the taxpayers can
rest assured that the same high order
of economy and efficiency which gov
erped the conduct of state institutions
when under the charge of Mr.. Lister
will be reinstated.
These institutions represent enor-
nous expenditures. Because of the
high reputation made by Mr.. Lister,
the legislatures have made a practice
- II, hn oil Of hn
asked for in appropriations. This en-
abled the present board to carry on its
wild extravaganza and gave to Gov
ernor Hay his petty and weak defense
that "he was not responsible for ex-
travagance because the legislature ap-
propriated the money to be spent"
Mr.. Lister ever since he left the SER
vice of the state has kept in close
touch with the growth and develop
ment of the institutions. He knows
where there has been extravaganza
and where there can be great improve
ment. Had Ernest Lister remained
with the state, by this time all of the
state institutions would have been self
supporting.
In the institutions are thousands of
people well able to do work. The state
owns large quantities of land and there
is no reason why it should not at the
several institutions be producing most
Of the food and other supplies needed.
In this connection it might be men,
toned that part of the saving" claim
ed by Hays administration was $4,000
appropriated by the legislature to buy
farm land for cultivation, which the
present board refused to eXpend, and
that nearly 100000 was money appro-
priated for the manufacture of grain
bags at the prison which Hay ordered
stopped.
State grain bags this year were sold
at a profit. Had this big sum been
used, an additional large profit would
have gone into the state treasury, re-
ducing taxes. The prison bag factory
made profit under the administra-
tion of Ernest Lister, and ceased max
ing profit as soon as he left the
board.
Mr.. Lister has been an active and
successful business man for many
years. In business affairs he has won
the same high reputation as that he
acquired while a servant of the state.
In this, the bitterest mudslinging
campaign known to the state for years,
no newspaper or speaker of rival po
litical party has said anything in crit
icism of Mr.. Listers private character,
his business ability, his intimate
knowledge of the duties of an execu-
tive and his special fitness to perform
the same. This is in marked contrast
with what papers and speakers of 9TH
er parties have had to say about their
own party candidates.