West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1915-09-16
KIHowoop. SEPTEMBER 10
THE JARRED STATS

since Messrs. Scherr and Matthews, OF
the state tax commissioner office, made
the audit OF Preston county. The report
has just been received. Upon its recep-
ton the Preston County Journal an
nounced excitedly that it was of such
nature that 1t would ''jar the stats OF The
Argus, President John T.. jenkins and
other members of the court" This was
accepted by its craftsmanship tn mean it
had something terrible TO disclose. We
must admit we are disappointed in its
"slat jarring."
The Scherr-Matthews audit does not
materially differ from the Steele audit,
except where they failed to audit certain
county officials, and that they charge the
members OF the court with the cost of
the Steele audit.
1t would take too much space to 90
into details. Suffice to say the audit OF
ex-Sheriff VIM. NJ. Schefier by the tax
commissioners office, which showed he
owed $4,000 to the county, was what
stirred the people to demanding that
other ex-county officials be audited. The
taxpayers demanded 1t, and upon their
demand bipartisan court, composed of
both Republicans and Democrats, asked
the state tax commissioner TO send an
accountant TO audit the rest OF the ex-
county officials. For TWO years the
court made an appeal to the commits
sioner to send an auditor. The commits
sioner gave various excuses why he could
not send one. One OF the excuses was
that he was short OF accountants, but
this excuse did not satisfy the court,
inasmuch as he let Julius Scherr, an
attache OF his office, go to Terra Alta and
conduct the congressional campaign of
Gen. VIM. g. Conley. (After the Steele
audit Scherr came.) AS there seemed no
likelihood of getting a man from the
commissioner Office to do the work the
= court employed Chas. Steele, a certified
accountant, Republican and man who
has audited the books of some of the
largest corporations in the United States.
OF course tie Journal objected and set
mp violent "holler.'
Mr.. Steele made the audit and made a
report OF his findings to the court. 1t
was accepted. His audit did not only
disclose that certain county officials were
indebted to the county, but it showed
that the state OF WEST VIRGINIA
OWED THE COUNTY TWENTY
EIGHT HUNDRED DOLLARS which
the STATE ACKNOWLEDGED and
PAID. If the Steele audit was ILLEGAL,
why did the state accept it and pay it?
And In this connection we want to say
that so far as we have observed there is
not another county in the state, which
the commissioner office has audited,
that has shown the state owes the county.
Is not this something remarkable? Ii
Mr.. Steele should audit few OF them he
might find few more counties the state
is indebted to.
As TO the Steele audit we are not the
court to decide, and to express our opin-
ion would place US in the idiotic class
with the Journal. We will say however,
that whether the act of the court was
legal or illegal, it acted in good faith and
tor the best interest Of the taxpayers of
Preston county. Nor shall we accept the
state tax commissioner as authority as to
its legality or illegalitY. He has no more
power to place law on the statute book
or interpret the law than the writer, who
is no lawyer.
The Steele audit collected and returned
to the county treasury $1,000. The audit
cost the county S3,445.O5. OF the court
has to pay it it will cost the taxpayers
nothing.) II no more can be collected
(the court will decide that on the Steele
audit, this county is still s., 554. 90 ahead.
Where have the taxpayers any kick on
the Steele audit?