St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-05-06
OUR STATE EXPENSES
Alarming Increase In Cost OF De
tective Service-Other Expenses
Also Grow.

State Auditor Horace F. Graham
has prepared an interesting and valu-
able comparative statement of
revenue and expenses of the State
from July 1, 1901 to July 1, 1913,
which will be of special service in en-
abling taxpayers to see where ex-
penses can be avoided for the State.
The legislative expenses paid at
the end of the session were as fol-
lows: In 1901, SCI, $685.; in 1903,
$74,477.79; in 1905, $7O,49S.4O; in
1907, $S1,759.19; in 1909, $134,-
1880; in 1911, $145,794.2O; in
1913, $19O,577.12.
The Governor in 1901 cost the
State $1,780, and with the increased
salary attached $3,472.91 in 1913,
and the executive expense account
varied from $64.77 in 1901 to $685.
% in 1905 to $351.23 in 1913.
The auditor and accounts Office
cost $2,66S.64 in 1901 and with the
new system ordered as a result of
the report of the commission. in
1913, 1O,987.49.
The State treasurer's account in
1901 was $2,1S4.66 and in 1918,
$4,494.17.
The expense of the secretary of
state in 1901 was $1,952.16 and in
1913, with the publicity department
attached to the Office, 5,894.45.
Under the head of the administra-
ton of justice it appears that the
expense of the Supreme Court of
Vermont in 1901 was $23, 638.8O,
that the sum dropped to $12,874.34 in
1908 following the appointment of
superior judges and in 1913 reach
ed $21,261.79. The superior judges
cost 1900 in 1908 and ST.
633.17 in 1913.
The attorney-general's Office, new
ly created, is charged with $685.
27 in 1906, $3,389 in 1907 and
$9,188.94 in 1913.
The most astounding increase for
which the encouragement is charge
able is in the single item of detective
service.
In 1901 before the Office of at
torney-general was created the State
paid for detective service $651.75.
torney-general it cost under G. G.
Fits in 1907, the sum of S ,945.36.
Under Attorney-GeneraI J. G. Sar-
gent the detective service cost the
State in 1911 $1O,595.22.
Under Attorney-General r. E.
Brown the detective service has
jumped so that in 1913 the total
sum paid for. detective service alone
reached the alarming figure of $34,-
7O6.19.
This development led to a scanning
of accounts and the still more
astounding discovery was made that
from July 1, 1913 to April %, 1914,
Attorney-General Brown had ap-
proved detective accounts aggregat-
ing no less than $34, 93O.91, at which
rate the total for the fiscal year
would reach the aggregate sum of
46,574.56.
1t also develops that of this total
of $34, 93O.91 spent for detective ser
vice during the past nine months no
less than $24, 451.71 was paid to a
single concern, the Wood-Morgan
Detective agency.
1t also transpires that while F.
H. Tracy of Montpelier was allowed
S1,O19.S3 for trip to Europe to get
track of a party, the start was made
with such a flourish of publicity that
naturally the bird had flown and the
Wood-Morgan agency were paid near
ly half as much to do the work, with
results that might be expected with
such handicap.
These developments led to further
inquiry and it was found that at the
beginning of the legislative session
in 1912 Governor Fletcher, disturbed
by the discovery that Attorney
General Sargent was allowing detec-
tive fees to rise at such an alarming
rate, was on the point of sending a
message to the Legislature asking
for legislation that would take away
the sole power of the attorney-gener-
al to regulate this service and pro-
vide some check.
The attorneys were naturally dis
turbed, Mr.. Stickney being especially
soIicitous for his friends, but it was
finally deemed sufficient that Mr..
Brown, who was just entering upon
his duties, should say to the Cover
nor in the presence of Auditor Ora
ham that this detective service should |
be kept down, with the result that !
now appears.
1t is urged that at the present rate |
this detective service will cost the |
State as much for the year as would |
an extra session of the Legislature |
which is so needed, and the opinion |
is expressed that this development |
will lead to a vigorous campaign |
either to abolish the Office of attor- |
ney-general, created to ''save money" |
for the State, or to take away it's |
power over the detective service.