The Harrison times., 1915-07-24

! CONTROVERSY
| torney general, and as 1t stands this
amount is clear loss to the state
We further find that in the delinquent
taxes collected, he failed in many in
stances to collect the penalty. but in
his letter to the delinquents demand
ing payment, he states, however, the
law does not permit me, under any cir
cumstances, to remit or waive the
penalty assessed In any instance A
! list Of these delinquent taxes will be
found by reference to the accountants
report, exhibit c, now on file in me
governors office We find that the
attorney general has paid into the
treasury during his term Of office up to
June %, 1915, inheritance taxes to
the amount Of $93741.99. He has paid
into the treasury from sand and gravel
and other miscellaneous sources, S42,
00015.
His Contingent Expenses.
I'VE note the following expenditures
from his contingent expenses, to cover
expenses Of himself and others:
"Trip of attorney general to Charles
ton, S. c., $S2.S5,
"Trip of Moose and Downie TO Jack
son, Miss, $655O
"Trip OF Moose to Washington, D.
c., 1929.
"Trip OF Streepey to Washington, D.
c., 1929.
"Trip OF Streepey to Jackson, Miss,
$3.50
"Trip OF Moose to Des Moines, Ia,
S54.70.
"Trip OF Moose to Chicago, $3.50,
"Trip of Streepey to St Paul, $120.
"As to Just what benefit the state
Of Arkansas derived from these trips
we are not informed In this connec.
ton, we note the attorney general on
June 20, 1919, drew from the public
funds in the Southern Trust Company
his check for S75 to pay the expenses
OF himself and Downie to Jackson,
Miss. We note also that on July J.,
1914, q state warrant was issued and
charged to his contingent expenses
for himself and Downie to Jackson,
Miss, for $655O, We have no explain
alton OF these transactions,
$t1,43t For Special Counsel,
1--WE further find that he has paid
out for special counsel S2,0S9 In addi.
tion to the amount paid in railroad lit
igation cases Of S9,332O2, making a
total OF $11 ,i3lO2 OF special counsel
fees,
Just here we desire TO call atten.
tion to the wellknown fact that the
work OF an expert accountant Is to
take the records in an office or dc,
partment and from those records
alone try TO make up balance Of the
books.
Prom the records In the attorney
generals office and the Southern Trust
Company, the accountants found that,
as stated above the attorney general
had to his credit in the Southern
Trust Company S2,23696 more money
than he could account for with his
receipts from the treNsurer's Office,
The attorney general being unable TO
tell what fund this should be credited
TO in the treasurer's Office, he was un.
able TO turn II over TO tho treasurer
and he informed us that he had placed
II In the savings department OF the
Southern Trust Company TO the &c.
count OF w H. Moose, attorney gen.
eral, marked public funds whore It
Is now drawing 4 per cent interest
We feel the attorney general deserves
the seyorest criticism and condcmn0'
ton for using the Southern Trust
Company for depository for public
funds.
Violation Made a Felony
The criminal statute OF the state Of
Arkansas Kirbys Digest, section 1890,
reads as follows
Here the report quotes from the fol.
lowing sections OF Krby's Digest,
Section No 1890 which makes II u
violation Of the law FOR state official
tG have IN his possession public mndg
Section No, 1891 which makes Il un'
lawful Tor any person 10 receive pub.
lie funds from an official for the pur.
pose Of applying them FOR personal use
or for the bonoht Of other persons or a
corporations section No, 1902, which
provides that the penalty Of the above
sections shan be from I've TO u years
imprisonment section No, lS42, which
provides that any officer who shall fail
or omit to pay the amount found duo
him on settlement shall bo guilty OF
u felony and DO imprisoned for from
five TO y years
Dad Business Practice,
'lt n certainly very bad practice
from Il business standpoint for the
ptntpiu IntpV,Vt TINT "A npIvnt, hnnif.