The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-05-05
STATE EXPENSES
Increase IN Detective Service Cuts
Into the Treasury

Increase IN Detective Service Cuts
Into the Treasury
Montpelier. May state Auditor
Horace r. Graham has prepared an
interesting and valuable comparative
statement OF revenue and expenses
% the state from July !. 1901. 10
July J.. 1919. which viii be OF special
service in enabling taxpayers 10 see
where expenses can be avoided for
the State
The legislative expenses paid al
the end OF the session we're as fol
lows. In 1901. s6l.s7s.35: in 1898.
y7s.f777s: in 1905. s7o.4ss40: in
1907. ssl.75sls: in 1898. sl34.2ss.so;
IN 1911. Sii5.7si2o; in 1913. $780,
577l2.
The Governor In 1901 cost the
State Sl.7So. and with the increased
salary attached s3.472.9l in 1913. AID
he executive expense account vari-
cd from Ss4.77 in 1901 10 sGs2o5 in
1895 10 S35l.23 In 1913
The auditor Of accounts Office cost
S2.6GS6i in 1901 and with the new
system ordered as a result OF the
report Of the commission. In 1913
slo.9S749.
The State trcasurer's account In
1901 was s2.lsi.cC and IN 1913 81
fg4la.
The expense OF the secretary Of
state in 1901 was sl.s52I6 and in
1913. with the publicity departmcn.
attached 10 the office. Sl5.S9i45.
Under the head OF the admlnist-a a.
ton OF justice II appears that the ex-
pense Of the Supreme Court OF Yer
mont in 1901 was S23.63S.So. that the
sum dropped TO sl2.S742l in 1908
following the appointment Of super
Tor judges and in 1913 reached SELL
26i.79. The superior Judges cost
s2i.iso.o9 in 1908 and S27.63s.17 in
1913. fe sHx
The a.torney-gcnerars office. new.
ly created. Is cha ged with S3.32327
in 1906. ss,3s9 in 1907 and s9,1sS94
in 1913.
The most astounding increase for
which the Encouragement is charge
able is in the single item OF detec-
tive service.
In 1901 before the Office OF atior-
ney-general was created the State
paid for detective service S651.75.
Following the appointment OF attor-
ney-gene-al It cost under c. c. Fits
in 1907. the sum OF S1.945.36.
Under Attorney-General J. G.. Sar-
gent the detective service cost the
state in 1911 sl0.595.22.
Under Aforementioned r. T.
Brown ,he detective service has
jumped so that in 1913 the total sum
raid for detective service alone
reached the alarming figure Of sS4.
70Gl9.
| This development led TO a scan
ming OF accounts and the still more
astounding discovery was made that
from July /. 1913. to. April %. 1914
Auorney-General Brown had approx
ed detective accounts aggregatine
no less than S24, 93O9l. at which rate
the total for the fiscal year would
reach the aggregate sum of S46,57I.
Sc.
It also develops that of this tota
Of S34.930.9l spent for detective ser
vice during the past nine months n,
less than $24.451.71 was paid TO n sil
gle concern. the Wood-Morgan Detec
tive agency.
II also transpires that while +. h
Tracy of Montpelier was above,
sl,0l9.s3 70 a trip to Europe to &c
track of q party the start was made
with such a flourish OF publicity tina
naturally the bird had flown and IN,
Wood-Morgan agency was paid near
" half as much to do the work. Will
results that might be expected witt
saoh . handicap.
These developments led TO fur,ae
inquiry and 1t was found that at III,
beginning of the legislative session
in 1912 Governor Fletcher. disturbe,
by the discovery that Attorney Gen
eral Sargent was allowing detectiy,
fees to rise nc such an alarming rate
was Oh the point of sending a NEE
sage to the legislature asking for le,
isla,ion that would take away tn
sole power &C the attorney-genera
to regulate the service and provide
some check.