The Wahpeton times. [volume] (Wahpeton, Richland County, Dakota [N.D.]) 1879-1919, 1914-02-05
JOHN BURKE
MAKES DEFENSE
Explains Gond:Sicns in Treasur;
as Result Of Predecessors
Action.
new SYSTEM ADDS TO WORK
In Department But No Dancer Of
Government Losses,
He Says.

government Losses,
He Says.
Defending his conduct of the
office of United States treasurer
against charges which have re-
Gently appeared in certain news
papers, John Burke, former gov
ernor of North Dakota, declares
that the conditions complained of
are due to a new system of ac-
counting installed under the last
administration, without at the
same time providing clerical
force sufficient to care for the in
creased work.
Burke Surprised
"Yes, l have read the articles
which appeared in the Washing
ton Evening Times and the New
York Tribune in reference to th
condition of the United States
treasury" said Mr.. Burke. Il am
surprised that such reports should
be printed without investigation
at this Office"
The story is published as
something new, and great disclos-
ures are to be made on account
of secret investigation, when,
as matter of fact, the general
public has known since former
Secretary MacVeagh put in the
new system of accounting on Feb.
last, that the increased work
on account of such system could
not be done by the employees in
the treasury.
New System
This new system was put in
one year ago, and congress, in
the appropriation act passed on
March 4, 1913, approved the same
by providing that the secretary of
the treasurer might transfer
from the sub-treasurer to the
treasurer, employees to do the ex-
,tra work imposed by the new
system. Under this new system.
the United States treasury is now
made a clearing house for all the
government business, the object
being to facilitate the business of
the general public dealing with
the government, and it was thot
at the time the system was inaug-
urated that a sufficient number
of employees could be transferred
from the sub-treasuries to the
treasury to. keep the work current.
Secretary MacVeagh, however,
did not take into consideration the
large number of banks GOO in
number) that prior to that time
were doing a great portion of the
work, all of which, under the new
system, is done here in the. treas
ury. Then, in addition to the
burden imposed by Secretary Mac
Veagh, Secretary McAdoo increas-
ed the number Of depositaries to
1000, with all of which the Office
had to open an account and then
$5O,OO0,O00 was subsequently de-
posted with the banks in the diff
ferent parts of the country for
crop-moving purposes, all of
which had to be accounted for in
the office of the treasurer.
No Danger Of Loss
''In spite of all these burdens,
the treasury has made gains in
all except the bookkeeping sec
ton. There is no danger of the
government sustaining great los
ses, as intimated, by reason of
checks not being cleared prompt
ly. Secretary Macveagh's order
No. 5, specifically states that
banks receiving checks must use
the same judgment and discretion
that they do in handling CONNER
cial checks.
The banks all understand this,
and, in addition to this, the Office
has prepared instructions which
have been sent to all the banks,
specifically stating that checks
will not be paid unless the in
structions in regard to endorse
ments are followed.
..The pension checks have in
structions prepared by the secre-
tary Of the inferior printed on
their backs. There would We very
little danger Of Q loss without
these instructions. for the reas-
on that the, banks and the sub
treasures would not pay said