Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1913-03-04

| IlSHtlDllcu ~ 70 N"NS W "
found items beginning with the item OF
S4.s5 for railroad fare from Bismarck to
Fargo and ending with the item of$i.S5.
These items are also included in and con-
stitute a part of the item Immediately
following, amounting to $134.SO. The
sub-vOuchers for these expenditures COW
er a part of the State Auditors warrant
| No. $3.50 for 81 900. 90. The total amount
of sub-vouchers attached to this warrant
was 81. 076. SO, including the items dup
Heated. amounting to $7i.8O. Credit was
then taken by the Commissioner for the
excess of the ~sub-Vouchers over the
81, 900. 90 which was $76.SG instead of for
$2.06, the difference between, the amount
of the excess and the amount of the
duplicated items. This item appears in
the last of sub-vouchers covering voucher
No. $4,000 and the credit appears as fol-
lows: Balance due Gilbreath OF war;
rant No. $3.50, $76.S6."
The examiner has also called attention
to the following items, shown on page
No. 50 and No. SO of the official report
covering the same period:
"9-l-1O-A. F. Noble, Grain Prize. $4,000
9-2-10 p. w. Verdium, Crop Reports
60 m .t.A ~ ahtsa%~Ns=@AH:SsiEs
9-9-1O-A. G. Patterson. Postage, $23.-
56. .. " ~ r.
Observation-Disclosures ears, Half Tones
$40.44. {
Total, 5000. 90.
These anne items are shown on page
one of the biennial report for the term
ending December 31st. 1912. There is Il
difference in the dates of two of the
items but only one set of vouchers is
found to cover the same and the amounts
of the items are identical. 1t would ap-
pear therefore, that the promotion of i'm
migration fund has been charged twice
with the amount of these items.
One of the charges against the Com
missioner Of Agriculture and Labor,
which has been brought to the attention
of the committee, was one to the effect
that he required from the employees of his
office a percentage Of the salary received.
We made an investigation with reference
to this matter and find that during the
primary election campaign of 1910, the
employees who were then in his office did
contribute to the Commissioner for the
purpose of assisting him in defraying his
campaign expenses. The employees who
have testified before the committee nave
stated, under oath, that the contributions
We're voluntary so far as they were con-
cerned, and those employees who have
been in service in that office for 4 con-
siderable period Of time have testified
that although the present incumbent Of
This office has held the office for eight
years, he never solicited them to make
any contribution to his campaign expens-
es and that since the campaign mention
ed, they have made no such contribution
for, political or for any other purposes.
We have been. unable to make the in
vestigation we have conducted as thor
ough or far-reaching as we had desired.
The examination of tile office can be pro-
perly made only by an expert accountant.
AS we nave had the services of such an
accountant during most of the time since
our appointment, we have carried the
investigation. as far as time would per-
NIT. We Ind that there is no provision
for a regular examination of the ac-
counts in the Dairy and Hail Insurance
Departments Of for the promotion of i'm
migration fund. The moneys collected
and disbursed by the Commissions in
connection with the State Industrial En-
position have never been audited except
in the course of our examination, the dis
bursements not having been passed upon
by the State Auditing Board as were the
disbursements of the appropriated pro-
motion of immigration fund. We there
fore recommend that provision be made
for a periodical examination of all ac-
counts which are carried incident to this
office,
Respectfully submitted,
VIM WATT, Chairman,
VIII. NORTHROP,
c. l.. MORKR1D, Committee.
Report Is Adopted.
The report of the committee was
adopted and the committee was dis.
charged from further duties.
When the house convened at 2
o'clock, the reports of the various
committees, will. recommendations as
to the disposition of house and SEN
ate bills, were adopted. Representa-.
tive Williams offered a concurrent
resolution providing for the appoint
ment in the future of a standing in.
vestigating committee of nine mem.
bers, whose duty it shall be to con.
(Conunued on Page 81