The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1913-01-22
COMPTROLLER JONES
DISCUSSES CLAIMS
Giv,s Reasons for Refusing to Pay
Certain Claims that have Received
Considerable NOtoriety.

Columbia, S. c., Jan. 19.-Discussing
friction In yayment OF claims, Comp
troller General Jones, in his annual
report, to the general assembly, says
that claim in favor of local paper,
approved by the governor for payment
out Of his contigent fund, was per-
sented and that he declined to issue
warrant for its payment for the rea-
son that "the claim showed upon it's
face that 1t was an advertisement
inserted by the governor, personally
and not officially. stating to the public
that he had not vetoed certain ap-
preparation made by the general as
sembly"
The comptroller general says that
payment was refused because ut did
not appear to be for any expense in
cident to the administration OF the
governors office, but purely personal
matter, the publication of which was
not authorized at the public expense"
In this section Of the report, the
comptroller general gives in detail his
reasons for refusing to pay certain
claims that have been presented dur
ing the year
To Prevent MisappIicatiOn.
81 regret that in the performance of
my DUTY, in auditing claims presented
against appropriations made by you,
vome friction has arisen. | called the
attention of the general assembly to
this matter in my first annual report
as comptroller general in 1908. where
the question arose whether the comp
troller general should question an ac-
count, or claim, approved by the officer
at whose disposition the fund was
placed, in order to prevent the misap-
plication of public funds then point
ed out the Importance of your specific
ally defining the rights of the comp.
troller general, as .uditing officer of
the state, to question itemized ac-
counts.
while no change has been made in
the law | have sought to inforce the
application of appror ations to the
purpose for which they were made,
and to approve no claims which ap-
pear to be divisions of the funds
I'm May last, Mr.. c. w. Creighton
presented claim to be paid out of
the fund placed at the disposal Of the
governor for enforcement of law. The
claim did not state the particular SER
vices, or dates when rendered and |
was unaOle to ascertain from the claim
for what service the money was to be
paid. |, therefore, declined to issue
warrant for payment until the claim
was proparly itemized. But upon Mr..
Creightcn's presenting itemized claims,
they We're paid in full. including his
services up 10 December 2S, 1912. the
last presented.
Similarly claim against the same
fund. not itemized, was presented in
favor of Mr.. NJ. Green. When item !
lied by Mr.. Green and approved by the
governor, a warrant was issued for it's
payment
In September, claim was present
ed by Mr.. p. II. Corley for payment
of services as chief constable for
South Carolina / refused to issue
warrant for the reason that the legis-
lature had made no provision for the !
compensation Of such officer. There
after claims presented by Mr. Corley
for his services rendered as a special
detective, properly itemized and ap-
proved by the governor for payment
out of the special fund at his disposal
for Enforcement OF lay, were present
ed, covering his services down to Dec
ember 81, 1912, and warrants for their
payment issued by me.
"A somewhat similar claim by w. p.
Beard, as deputy state constable, was
refused because there was no appro-
priation for that office.
A claim in favor of the Record Pub
fishing Company, approved by the gov
ernor for payment out OF his contin-
gent fund, wa presented, but / de-
clined to issue warrant for its nav
ment for thereason that the claim
showed upon it's face that it was for
an advertisement lnserteT by the gov
ernor, personally, and not officially.
stating to the public that he had not
vetoed a certain appropriation made
by the general assembly. 1t did not
appear to be for any eXDense incident