Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1914-10-22

demeanor TO contract obligations in
excess of appropriations.
Perhaps the most efficient check
upon waste and extravaganza, now
ever, has resulted from the passage
last winter of the so-called requisi
ton act sponsored by the appropria-
tions committee, whereby a system
was created respecting the disburse-
nent of State moneys, that has al
ready effected substantial economies.
while reducing to a minimum the op-
portunities for the misuses of public
funds. This law became an effective
instrument for financial reform in the
hands of the department of audit,
which has been built up by Comp
troller Edwards. Before the organi-
cation of this department there is no
ecord of an audit being made prior
TO the payment of bill. One of the
first abuses discovered was the per-
sistent violation by certain Depart
| mental and institutional heads OF
the law forbidding the mourning Of
| liabilities exceeding $1,000 for supplies
OF work without letting a contract
after advertising and competitive bid
ding. There has been insistence upon
compliance with this law, with the
result that there is now competition
in the purchase of supplies to a
greater extent than ever before. with
obvious gain TO the State in better
prices. The auditors site specific
gains TO various institutions by this
reform, and instance the State Re-
formatory at Railway, which former
| ly made its purchases without adver-
i Using, but is now buying so per cent.
of its supplies by contract after COM
/ petitive bidding.
upraviotto IN tha apaptIDnnt of the
requisition law the details of the ex-
penditure of an appropriation made
| to any department were within the
discretion of that department and the
comptroller was obliged to pay bills
properly vouched for, so long as a
balance remained to the credit of the
! department, and without regard to
whether or not the department had
outstanding obligations in excess of
| the available balance of the appro-
priation. There was little or no check
upon irregular or improper expendi-
lures if they appeared within the
scope of the appropriation and were
| duly certified. Under the requisition
act expenditures must be preceded by
a detailed requiSition upon the comp
| troller. who must countersign before
| the expenditure can be made. This
makes overdrafts impossible, and is
| also a check upon unwarranted ex'
pendltures. Rules were established
requiring State officers and employees
| to submit in connection with their
/ expense accounts vouchers for items
| in excess of 81. The use of Pullmans.
cabs and automobiles was discour-
aged. One State officer who charged
/ $40 for trip across the State to coll
/ lect Si4 included in his account an
/ item of SO a day for meals, and when
asked to itemize his expenditures in
| formed the auditors that he had never
| been asked to do such thing before:
I but. if 1t WAS anybody's business to
know, he paid 81 for breakfast, 81 for
] lunch and SO for dinner. which left the
auditors in a glad state because he
| did not charge for supper.
"One officer was found to carry his
accounts In a notebook in his hip
trouser pocket, and. because he fell
out of boat one day and was nearly
drowned. the records of two years OF
his term of office We're blotted out
This gentleman has since been retired
from office"