The Carlisle independent., 1915-04-29

That the principles of Act No. 3 the Publicity Act adopted by the peO- pie at the election last September, should be applied to the state depart r2ents is suggested by the findings of the Investigating Committee which has been Investigating the state de partments by authority of the Legis- iature. While accused officials deny the allegations against them, the need of a better system of account ing is apparent and it is pointed out by friends of the Publicity Act that compulsory. official publicity of re- ceipts and disbursements would be 8 safeguard to both the public and the officials
 Following the adverse decision of the Supreme Court. nullify1ng the work of the Investigating committees Senator George w. Garrett and Rep resentatiyes Monroe Smith and U. A. Gentry filed with the governor sup elementary reports on the State Highway Commission and Depart ment of Agriculture, and it's complete report on the office of State Superin- tendent of Public Instruction. It also urged that the investigations should continue and Secretary of State Earle w Hodges. Treasurer R. C. McDaniel and Auditor NJ. F. Dickin- son demanded thorough inyestiga- tons of their offices, even offering to pay the expenses. Governor Hays, therefore, issued proclamation ap- propriating s7O0O for the completion Of the work, and while it is believed that ten or fifteen thousand dollars will be- required. the governor pointed out that he could make an additional proclamation later if it should prove to be necessary. The State Bankers Association is considering plans to finance the investigation pending the deficiency appropriation which will be asked of the next Legislature
 Supplementary reports on the State Highway Commission and the Depart ment of Agriculture. and a complete report on the Department of Educa- tfon, in each instance charge irregu larities Chief among the charges against the Department of Education is an alleged shortage of s1,050, and the issuance of teachers licenses of which there is no record in the office. The supplementary report on the highway department charges con- .inued extravaganza in maintenance of automobiles and the continued is- -euance Of free automobile tags. Pay raent of s5,945 to a chemist for ana lyzing' feed and fertilizer. is charged in the supplementary report on the Department of Agriculture
 Charges Against MT. Cook.
 Geo. B. Cook, state superintendent of public instruction, is said to be a vice president of a heating plant con- struction company, manufacturing heating plants which are recommend ed to schools of the state by the state department This charge is made in the committees report. It also charged maintenance of a teachers employment bureau generally SUD- posed to be part of the department,
  The heads of the bureau, the com anittses report says, are Mrs. Phoebe Ray Gill, wife of Ray Gill, deputy su- perintendent of public instruction, and Miss Hazel Gill, daughter of MT. and Mrs. Gill. Mrs. Gill is president and Miss Gill secretary. The report fur ther declares that teachers examina- tion papers sent to the department to he graded have been graded by a daughter of MT. Gill, and Q pupil Of the Little Rock High School.
 Act No. BOP, of the Acts of 1919. requires the chairman of the State Highway Commission to certify the number of motor vehicles registered from each county to the county clerk of each county of the state" says the report We find by correspondence with the county clerks over the state that this law has only been par tially complied with in very few in- stances; and, in most counties of the .rtate, an absolute failure to even at- tempt compliance herewith
 Autos Are Expensive.
 We also find from vouchers issued fin the office of the state auditor for the highway department, drawn in favor of some dealer in automobile supplies and repairs. for approximate ily S700 since completion of our in- vestigation about 50 days ago. It is quite apparent that automobiles con- trolled by this department continue to be rather expensive to the taxpay- CTS of this state. We are advised that the department continues to issue free automobile tags to some few in Little Rock, if in no other part of the state.
 we also are advised by those in- terested officially or otherwise, in tho good road building in Lincoln County (where this department boasted of doing such great work), claiming they would have been better off if they had never heard of the highway depart want dana