Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-12-28
STATE AUDITOR elEAkLY REC.
oMMENps SALARIES FOR
ALL OFFICIALS.
COMPLETE REVISION or LAWS
COVERING COUNTY PRINTING
County Accounting Department. Of
state Finds Many Reforms Needed
ia Conduct Of oA'iees-says Mayors
Should Not 30 Permitted TO Act ~
Justices Of Peaos-suPsrvisors Lax.

! Special to Times-Republican.
| Des Moines, Dec. 2s-A complete re-
vision of the law as to legal adver-
Using and printing of public reports
is recommended by State Auditor John
| u. Bleakly at the close of his term. The
county accounting department Of his
office has had a great deal Of trouble
trying to straighten out controversies
over printing bills, and this is due to
the indefiniteness of the law. He rec
| ommends that the law be made so as
to fix the price per word and that
publications that are valueless to the
public be eliminated.
! Mr.. Bleakly also recommends that
all county officers be placed on salary
| and that every. one who is required to
devote all his time to public service
receive a fixed compensation and that
| all fees of every kind be turned in to
the public treasury. 1t should also be
/! provided that whenever the work of an
office increases so that it can not be
performed during office hours, addi-
tional help should be provided.
Many Recommendations.
| He recommends that the power Of a
county auditor to issue warrants with
out formal resolution of the board be
extended to include grand jury witness
fees, general witness fees, grand jury
expenses, freight and express bills,
bounty claims of 81 or less and per
diem Of shorthand reporters. BY pro-
viding Tor payment OF court witness
fees at once the occupation Of fee dis
counting would be ended. Some other
| rocon m an da tiOnS are:
| Revision Of law as to fees Of clerks
Of courts.
| County auditor instead Of clerk to be
member Of commission on insanity.
Abolition Of the commission for col
lection OF city and road funds.
Jurisdiction Of mayors court to be
confined entirely to municipal offenses,
and he should not act as Justice Of the
peace.
Members Of county boards should be
paid their expenses in place Of mile
age.
| Authority for special counsel ap-
pointed by the attorney general and
approved by the auditor Of state to
give attention to legal matters regard
ing the state auditors Office and its de-
partments.
| Revision Of the laws as to compensa
ton Of various county officials. espe-
cially county treasurers and sheriffs.
Mistakes Due to MISUNDERSTANDING.
1 The county accounting department
of State Auditor Bleakly's Office has
! been in operation about fifteen months
| and the examiners have now practical
lily completed the first examination of
all counties Of the state. The state
auditor expresses qualification over
90 Al 81
courtesy extended this department by
the county officers Of Iowa."
The work OF prescribing a uniform
system Of accounting has only been
commenced and thorough study of
systems now in force is being made.
The field examiners confer with every
officer whose Office IL examined and
verify every item Of error charged. The
discrepancies found were in the main
due to mistakes and mfsunderstand-
| ings Of the law and officials have gen.
orally shown q willingness to make
proper adjustment. The work Of Joe
E. Wall and his corps Of assistants has
been to secure these adjustments and
great success has been attained. Con-
tinuing the report says:
"Recognizing the fact that there is
more loss or waste OF public funds thru
incompetency in the public service
than by reason Of the dishonesty Of
| public officials we have instructed our
field men to give every assistance pos
sible to the inexperienced but We'll
meaning official to the end that his
honest and Jealous efforts may be in
accordance with law and result in a
bettern1ent Of the service. We most
earnestly desire primarily to be con-
| sidered as helpers and not critics by
all entering public office. with the pur-
pose of rendering faithful and efficient
service.
"This department can not accom-
plish its full mission if operated along
partisan lines. It Is called upon to re-
| view and supervise the official acts Of
| men Of all political parties and its
| work must be above suspicion Of parti-
san bias. The organization Of the de-
partment has been perfected along BIZ
| partisan lines with instructions to rem
der non partisan service. No official
will be favored by reason OF his party
faith, nor will any be criticised on ac-
count Of his political belief. A thor
ough and impartial examination will
be made In each and every instance
and the facts az found to exist will be
set forth In q report that will be read
lily understood by the public. We ask
the cooperation of the public officials
in all branches OF the service, and also
the support of the people to the end
that the greatest good may result from
our efforts in behalf OF an improved
public service.
Common Faults Enumerated.
1.-THE following are some of the most