Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1913-02-21
LISTER SCORES
STATE AUDITOR
Error in Accounts of Execu.
tive Mansion Brings Forth
Sharp Letter
GOVERNORS IRE STIRRED
By Use Of Phrase, ''Mere
Matter Of Bookkeeping"
in Explanation.

OLYMPIA, Feb. 1S--In sharT
letter issued today Governor Ernest
Lister says he is surprised to learn
that the auditors office, after report
ing only $21.69 on hand in the execu
tive mansion fund, gave out state
ment to the effect that $719.45 was
charged up against it that should
have been credited against another
fund, leaving a total of $741.19 avail
able. At the same time, the letter
sets forth, that Office permitted the
$3.50 appropriation passed by the leg
islature to become a law without his
signature. This means that in event
the auditors Office makes the trans
fer from the building fund to the man
sion fund, Governor Lister will have
a total of $1,491.14 to run the exc
cutive mansion from January Is to
April 1, whereas Governor M. E. Hay
had $4,000 for the two years or $4,000
year, which would be a little more
than $155 month.
In his letter dealing with house
bill 246 which became a law without
his approval, Governor Lister says:
ut covers a deficiency for the exec.
utive department of the state, and
while l have already signed some de.
ficiency appropriations covering de.
partments where it was clearly indi.
Gated to me that the appropriations
were necessary for the proper con
duct of the department until April
1, am unwilling to give my approx
al to a measure, the extending OF
the funds of which are directly un
der the control of this department"
Governor Listers Letter.
In regard to the figures given out
from the auditors Office Governor
Lister makes public letter which
reads as follows:
"I have read with a great deal ol
interest the statement published In
the morning papers to the effect that
instead of there being only $21.69 in
the maintenance fund for the execu
tive mansion there is $741.14, accord
ing to the statement given out by F
p. Jameson, assistant state auditor
He says that in checking up he finds
that $719.45 was charged to the main
tenance fund which should properly
have been charged to the fund fol
furnishings and improvements.
Immediately on assuming office
called on the auditors department,
for a statement showing the condi
tion of the funds of the executive
department and state mansion. This
statement indicated that there wal
but $21.69 in the maintenance fund
for the executive mansion, and since
that time there have been some bills
presented that were contracts priol
to my assuming Office on January
IL.
Accent on the "Mere"
I'm the consideration of the differ
ent funds, We have a right to presume
that a statement made by the state
auditors department is correct anl
We worked upon this theory. We arc
now informed that the confusion has
aricon ovor a NTEDLN ,,,o+tor 10 Ihoo,,
keeping and that bills properly charge
able against the fund for furnishings
and improvements We're charged
against the maintenance fund.
Possibly great many of the
items regarding which there has beer
criticism might easily be corrected
In the minds of some public officials
by indicating that the trouble was
MERE bookkeeping. For instance
the fact that the state board of con
troll furnished to the legislature ar
official report covering only 20 months
while the law states positively thai
their report must cover "a month.
might be charged to MERE book
keeping.
"Also the fact that there was pay
ment of what was properly defic
iency from funds of the state reform
atory for period other than tha
for which the funds were appropriat
ed.
ALSO the delivery over to a new
administration of an incomplet,
Temple of Justice, for the prope
completion of which an additiona
appropriation far in excess Of tn,
original appropriation will have tt
be made.
Calls for Real Accountants
"All Of these might properly be re
ferred to as matters Of MERE book
keeping. In the meantime, however
the state must pay the bills and j
would appear to me that If the ae