Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-11

other officer is bound to perform such
service without pay In many instances,
in fact most cases, 1t is utterly impossible
for them to gain the required information
in their own towns or cities. True 1t Is
that in many instances before authority
was given to employ detective service,
sheriffs. their deputies and constables did
perform some such service. AS a rule
these officers are willing to do what they
can along these lines and the attorney
reneral desires to state here once for all,
that no detective service has been en-
Moved except in cases where it was called
for by the prosecuting attorney of the
county and after II was made to appear
that the local authorities were Unable to
fully meet the requirements of he sltua-
ton.
AS was " ell pointed out by the Benring-
ton Banner in a recent editorial, services
of the character herein referred to, per-
formed by local officers may in rare in
stances have been performed without ex-
pense to the State. The record however
shows that the contrary was the rule and
that such services have been paid for and
at large expense to the State.
During the session of the Legislature
in 1900 the writer was a member of the
Senate from Chttcnden county and was
at the same time serving his third term
as States attorney of the county. Hon
o. NJ. Barber Of Arlington was then
auditor of accounts and at his request
| the writer was made chairman of the
committee on claims. During that ses-
| sion which was a short one and adjourned
| in accordance with the old custom the
night before Thanksgiving a large num-
Der of claims Of this character were
| presented and twenty-five different bills
were passed providing for the payment
| for services and expenses which are now
| cassed under the head Of detective
service" In most of these cases It was
| almost impossible to get at the real
merits of the claim No vouchers for
| expenses were to be had and almost
endless wranglng in the committee room
was the result. Bills We're passed in ac-
| cordance with the recommendation OF
the committee and in some instances con-
trary to such recommendation. The
writer has in mind one claim of this
nature which occupied the attention of
the Legislature for practically two days
and the claim presented was less than
one hundred and fifty dollars. Those
the experiences of the session OF 1900
were but a repetition of prior expert
| ences.
| The record shows that during the SEES.
sion of 1902, thirty bills of the same
| character We're passed and during that
session the Legislature by act No 3,
created the court of claims and this
court existed and passed upon claims oil
it,,
1903
In this connection it may be we'll tc
note that under the present law anC
practice whenever a bill for services OF
this character Is presented, the State:
attorney of the county and in most case:
the attorney general are acquainted will
the details of the services performed anC
in a general way with the expense
which have been incurred This is tru,
whether the party presenting the bill Il
a local officer hired professional de
tective, an Interpreter or stenographe
who has been employed in securing anC
preparing evidence In criminal matters
For every item Of expense a vouche
must be furnished and these voucher!
together with a sworn statement of tn,
claim as approved for payment is flee
in the office of the auditor of accounts
Any person interested in any particula
case by calling at the office of the audi
tor of accounts can ascertain the amour
paid out in such case for services anc
the amount paid for expenses and t
whom such payments have been made.
1t Is suggested that a full and fair In
vestigation of tho situation will show
that the cost of such service at th'
present time as compared with the cos
of like services under the old dispense
ton has not increased out of proportion
to the amount of work which the lega
department of the State Is now cale
upon to perform as compared with tn
volume of like work in previous years.